What is Low Voltage Outdoor Lighting?

I’m sure you have heard of low voltage outdoor lighting if you have thought of installing landscape lighting. They are good option for the majority of your landscape lighting needs. You will be able to highlight and accent your landscaping features. Furthermore, you will be able to light your walkways and entryways increasing your home’s security measures.

If you tried low voltage lighting systems in the past and were disappointed, you will be pleasantly surprised at the durability, dependability, and much improved performance of new low voltage lighting systems.

What exactly is low voltage outdoor lighting?

A lot of homeowners wonder why the overwhelming majority of low voltage outdoor lighting is 12 volts. The simple answer is that low voltage lighting systems are more efficient in residential settings, while line voltage systems are more efficient for commercial and institutional purposes. I’ll highlight some of the basic differences between 12 volts and 120 volts below:

12 v
- Installation flexibility; cables are buried in a shallow trench
- Performs well and operates safely in wet locations
- Light bulbs are smaller which allows fixtures to be smaller and less obtrusive in the landscape design
- Light bulbs are available in low wattage and many beam levels; the lighting is precise and can be achieved with lower energy costs
- Transformer can be plugged into existing household electrical outlets
- Transformer converts electrical current from 120 volts to 12 volts

120v
- Due to it’s high voltage, cables must be buried 18 inches which makes it very difficult to move
- Everything (cables, wires, connectors, fixtures, etc.) must be sealed and protected from the elements – there is dangerous shock potential when wet
- Light bulbs are much larger and require much larger fixtures to house them
- Light bulbs are high wattage and one or two high beam levels; expensive to operate
- A licensed electrician is required to install
- Transformer is not required

You do not have to be a professional contractor to install low voltage outdoor lights. Be sure to read the directions and follow them precisely. If you do not follow your manufacturers you run the risk of your lighting system not working properly.

The web sites below provide the basic information necessary to determine whether or not low voltage outdoor lighting is right for you:
Low Voltage Lighting Info
Low Voltage Lighting Guide

Solar Landscape Lighting Fixture Improvements

Solar landscape lighting has made drastic improvements over the past few years. It is finally a viable alternative to traditional, electric lights.

The neat thing about solar landscape lights is that they can be placed anywhere that receives a good amount of sunlight. It is very important that you place your lights direct sunlight. This allows the solar panel to fully charge during the daytime and power the lights during the night. If you fail to put your solar lights in a sunny location, they will not be their brightest and will probably turn-off during the night.

Most solar lighting models have the solar panel and battery self-contained; it is enclosed in the solar light fixture itself. However, there are some models that have an external solar panel to power the battery. Make sure that you place solar light fixtures directly in the sun to charge the battery or the external solar panel if you have that model.

Modern solar light fixtures utilize high capacity batteries and more efficient solar panels. A cool new feature is the charge regulator, which stops the flow of solar electricity to the battery when it is fully charged. Your batteries will last much longer since they will no longer be overcharged.

External Resources:
Solar Landscape Lighting Information