With daylight beginning to shorten, an investment in LED low-voltage landscape lighting will extend your outdoor enjoyment through fall, while providing beauty, wayfinding and security year-round. Following is a re-post from fall 2010, for readers who have not seen it. The cost savings of LED over Halogen is enlightening.
A pathlight and wall washes along a fence add evening ambience to a garden.
It has been many years since there were any significant changes in professional grade low voltage landscape lighting. Compared to halogen lighting, today’s current standard, LED technology has made landscape lighting an even more energy-efficient, earth-friendly way of illuminating your garden. LEDs, or Light Emitting Diodes, are commonplace in everyday life. From the digital watches of the 1970’s to modern flat screen TV’s to interior home lighting solutions, LED lighting is being increasing used to light up our lives. Knowing LED technology is the future of landscape lighting, we are excited to offer this product to our clients.
Low-voltage landscape lighting continues to be a great way to beautify your garden and increase the time you can enjoy it. With a wide variety of fixtures and numerous lighting techniques, a low-voltage lighting system will add value, safety and security to your home. Landscape lighting emphasizes your property’s best features, adds mood and extends your outdoor living space well into the evening. A properly lit patio can provide just the right mix of ambiance to entertain guests, or to simply relax with your family. Going beyond your patio and selectively illuminating your garden will enhance your yard and extend the nighttime beauty your landscaping has to offer.
Outdoor lighting can also add safety and security. Defining your walkways or lighting uneven areas, such as natural elevation changes or steps, will help minimize the risk of trips and falls. Illuminating poorly lit areas near back gates, alleys or alcoves will also add a level of security around your home.
When considering installing a lighting system, there are three main things to consider: aesthetics, functionality and cost. Aesthetically, the light from an LED fixture has been refined to closely match that of its halogen counterpart. However, choices of fixtures are currently limited. FunctionalLED’s and halogens are similar; both types enhance your landscaping. Initially, the cost of an LED system will surpass that of a halogen system, yet over time the LED system could save you money. Because LED uses up to 75% less wattage, the systems become extremely energy- and cost- efficient. Also the bulbs in the LED fixtures will never need changing. The chart below compares an average size halogen system to an LED system. You can see that based on using a system for 6 hours a day, the LED system can save over $200.00 a year in the cost of electricity.
Comparative Cost of Electricity: Halogen vs. LED
Another advantage of LED verses Halogen is the lifetime cost of the system. Assuming an 18-year life of a LED system (40,000 hours), and using the cost of electricity outlined in the chart above, the next chart shows that the entire cost savings of an LED system can be in excess of $3,000.00!
Total Life Cost of a Low Voltage Lighting System: Halogen vs. LED
No matter what system you may choose, a well-planned lighted landscape will provide delightful views of your garden from your patio, from the street, and from the inside of your home, while also creating an attractive, safe and secure nighttime environment.
