4 Advantages of LED Landscape Lighting

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LED lights are almost ubiquitous indoors due to their energy saving features and the broader array of colors and lighting levels. That process has only accelerated due to regulations nearly mandating their use. LED lights are starting to show up in landscape lighting.

Here are four advantages of LED landscape lighting over conventional light sources.

1. Energy Efficiency


The best lights to swap out with LED lights are those that are on the most. This is why you should upgrade the light bulbs in your main living areas with LED lights before you replace a rarely used closet light. Landscape lighting may not be something you think of when you’re inside your home, but the lights that light up your walkways, porch, and an area where security is a concern are likely on all night. This means that you’ll save a lot of money on electricity if you put in LED landscape lighting. That is aside from the economics of putting in more expensive LED landscape lights that last years longer than a traditional light. Over the five to fifteen-year operating life, you’ll save quite a bit of money after switching to LED outdoor lighting.

2. Reduced Maintenance


One of the benefits of buying LED landscape lights is reduced maintenance for your landscape lighting. For example, LED lighting lasts, on average, ten years. You’ll pay more now for the bulbs, but you won’t have to change them out nearly as often as your current incandescent lights. The time you save is even greater if you have halogen lights. Halogen lights last, on average, a year. LED replacement lights will last ten years.

Another benefit of LED lights is their durability. Many of these bulbs have a solid plastic housing, so they won’t shatter on impact when hit by a ladder or soccer bulb. They’ll resist shock, vibrations, and weather. LED light bulbs are particularly attractive if you live somewhere with frigid winters; they won’t break on exposure to the extreme cold, needing replacement as soon as things thaw out.
If you switch LED lights on and off, whether part of a Christmas display or party effect, you won’t shorten the life of the bulbs as you would with incandescent lights. This means you can have the strobe light effect without having to swap out bulbs as often.
A side benefit of LED lights is the fact that they may be under warranty for years, especially integrated LED light fixtures.

3. Less Heat


LED lights generate less heat than incandescent bulbs. If you have deck lights or porch lights, this could make the difference between comfortable and overheated. When you have LED lights near your plants, you won’t end up burning the foliage. However, LED lights don’t eliminate the fire hazard that all electrical light fixtures pose.

They are more environmentally friendly since they don’t contain dangerous materials like mercury. Many LED lights are recyclable, though they’re safe to put in the trash. This is aside from the improved light quality you get with LED lights since they brighten immediately when you turn them on, instead of conventional lights that take time to reach a set light level.

4. Simpler Electrical Connections

LED outdoor lights typically need lower voltage power supplies to generate the same level of light as an incandescent light. This means that an array of LED lights may be able to run off a single power cord instead of requiring a complex string of outdoor cables and industrial grade wiring. Or you could use the existing power connections to install more LED lights instead of trying to find a second power source to produce the light level you want.

Designing LED lighting systems is actually faster because LEDs are more forgiving than incandescent bulbs. They come in the same array of styles and shapes as conventional bulbs, yet they tolerate a wider voltage and current range. For small and medium projects, there’s far less concern about properly calculating the wire and transformer loads for the project. This doesn’t mean you should assume you can plug forty lights into an outdoor power socket, but you can add a few more LED outdoor lights to an existing power strip after removing the incandescent bulbs without needing to call an electrician. You’ll need fewer wire runs. And LED lights use so little power than many of them can be charged by a solar panel on top of the light fixture. This allows you to put solar-powered path lights or outdoor accent lights in your yard without having to run any wiring at all.

Conclusion

LED lights are very energy efficient and you’ll recoup their higher purchase price through energy savings over the life of the bulbs. They’re more eco-friendly and durable; you’ll significantly reduce your maintenance work by switching to them. They’ll generate less heat, making them safer to put around plants. Designing a new outdoor lighting system is easier and you don’t need as many wires or hardware upgrades to support it.

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