Install Energy Efficient Solar Lighting Fixtures

Solar Lighting

Colder weather is on the way, but that shouldn't stop you from planning your landscape lighting system for the spring! Take advantage of the “let's stay in” weather by getting to know your low voltage lighting options or solar lighting landscape options.

Outdoor lighting is often overlooked, but it's an integral part of a beautiful outdoor space. How well lit are your walkways and pathways? Solar lighting landscape options include walk-on pavers, traditional post lights, and many others. There should be enough light to see the path clearly but not so much that it overpowers your hardscape elements. In short, make sure your lighting design fits with your overall landscape aesthetics.

Another benefit to solar lighting landscape fixtures is their energy efficiency and ease of installation. The solar panel gathers sunlight and transfers it as energy to the fixtures, leaving no need to run electrical wiring. Some solar fixtures even have built-in solar panels, meaning there aren't any wires at all!

For areas that require more “oomph” than solar lights often provide, a landscape lighting system often makes use of the versatility provided by low voltage lighting. It's easy to install because the cable can be run without or without using conduits, and it junction boxes aren't necessary. Transformers make the ease complete: there's little risk of electrical shock. Low voltage lighting fixtures come in all shapes, sizes, and applications and a landscape professional can help you choose just the right output and look for your space.

Checking out your options now will get you ahead of the game for your spring landscape lighting system plans.

Lighting Options Abound For Your Landscape

Having the right outdoor landscape lighting can make all the difference in your backyard entertaining areas. Whether you go with lighting that's eclectic or want a very classical look, a high-quality landscape lighting consultant is well worth the cost – because redoing lighting that doesn't have the look you want can be messy, time-consuming, and expensive.

LED Landscape Lighting

You'll need to think about how you want your seating areas to be arranged. You want your family and friends to be dazzled by natural beauty, not blinded by poorly placed outdoor landscape lighting and you don't want that lighting to be hot to the touch (residential LED lighting is a good choice when considering the latter). Sit down with your consultant and plan where your seating areas will be, so you can be sure that your lighting fits with where people will most likely be standing or sitting.

As mentioned above, residential LED lighting is a good choice for its cool-to-the-touch light. It's also versatile—it can be used as a direct spotlight or to provide a softer, more diffused glow and can really enhance your outdoor landscape lighting. LED lights are also available in nearly any color of the spectrum, and they're both cost-effective and energy efficient. They're not the right choice in every application, but they are being used more and more, and with good reason.

Your landscape lighting consultant will discuss the various lighting options available to you and work with you to decide what best fits with your budget and vision.

Classic Landscape Lighting Design Brings Perfect Style

You're finally doing it: you're turning your ho-hum backyard into a picture-perfect area to relax or entertain. The right landscape outdoor lighting will make the transformation complete, so choose your outdoor lighting products carefully and have a space you'll be proud of.

As you consider your perfect landscape lighting design, there are several factors that come into play:

1) Style: Are you going for a classic look, something retro, contemporary or an eclectic mix? There are outdoor lighting products to satisfy any look you want. If you're going with a classic style, your landscape lighting design might have traditional designs like sconces that reflect soft light over a wide area. Contemporary landscape outdoor lighting may have more dramatic effects, making use of products such as spotlights or artisan fixtures.

2) Function: The lighting you choose will vary based on what it needs to do. Outdoor lighting products are often designed for specific purposes, such as illuminating walkways for safety. Choose landscape outdoor lighting fixtures that are appropriate to their intended use.

Residential Landscape Lighting

3) Ease of installation and maintenance: How easy is it to run electrical wiring to your desired location? You may want to look into solar landscape outdoor lighting options, or LED fixtures in areas where changing bulbs will be a challenge.

Creating the right outdoor ambiance requires some thinking and planning up front. If you think your choices through early on, you'll have your dream space before you know it!

Solar Specialty Lighting Design Tips That Save You Money

Specialty outdoor lighting doesn't have to come at the sacrifice of a second mortgage. Many landscape lighting manufacturers are providing quality solar exterior lights and LED landscaping lights in kits at affordable prices.

Increased popularity for solar use and its green efficiency have prompted a demand by homeowners for better, more affordable options in exterior specialty LED lighting. Effective installation and properly positioning your exterior lights will enable you to take full advantage of their cost saving benefits, as well as optimally enhancing your home.

Placing solar landscape lights around decks, along pathways, or in dark crevices in the yard increases safety and visibility while reducing your electric bill. Make sure the top solar panel which houses the battery is angled to achieve maximum sun exposure during the day when solar lights recharge. Not just for use as ground lighting, solar specialty outdoor lighting can be installed practically anywhere your originative mind can conceive. Place them on exterior walls, on deck posts, or rhythmically along fences creating gorgeous patterns across your home and yard which will have your neighbors wondering how you could afford such stylish landscaping.

Solar Garden Lighting

Several solas ray led lighting kits enable multiple light charging from a single solar panel featuring automatic switching elements eliminating the need for timers. Additionally, choosing waterproof or weatherproof specialty outdoor lighting makes your landscaping upkeep a breeze.

Ease in set-up, use, and overall versatility are other great features for solas ray lighting. No running over electrical wires with the lawn mower or trying to find creative ways to hide bulky, obtrusive extension cords.

Keep in mind, the solas ray lighting intensity and illumination area is based upon the LED number. The more LED's in the solar design for the light, the more light produced and area lit up.

Purchasing landscape lighting kits which provide you with anywhere from 2 to 20 individual solar lights will save you money as opposed to buying individual lights. Don't worry about not needing them all. If you don't use them on your initial planned outdoor design, you'll come up with some creative uses for your solar specialty outdoor lighting and will wonder why you waited so long to harness the sun's rays.

Shining Some Light With Outdoor Landscape Lighting

When you hear the phrase outdoor landscape lighting, your first association is probably home security surveillance systems, or holiday spotlights on wreaths, but certainly not Hollywood. It turns out that the seemingly straightforward task of landscape lighting design is an art form in the movie world. This serious undertaking has direct ramifications on the entire narrative because of the degree of shaping done by light on the scene level. As with so many other cinematic production tools, audiences are largely oblivious to the manipulative effects landscape lighting; at least, if it’s done correctly. The design must achieve the delicate balance of directing viewers’ attention and emotions without obviously doing so, in order to give the plot and characters themselves most of the credit.

Because of the skill required to execute outdoor landscape lighting on a movie set, extensive thought and planning go into the job. A fun challenge for moviegoers is to consider these common tools for outdoor landscape lighting used on film, and then to watch for them in theatres next time the occasion arises. Nighttime scenes are particularly challenging for directors to navigate in terms of landscape lighting design, because of the twofold task of darkening the surroundings to a believable extent while maintaining sufficient light on the characters to illuminate what is happening. This dilemma is typically dissolved by using blue filters for the designated dark regions and yellow for the action, but on screen the colors do not appear this artificially enhanced.

The parallels between landscape lighting design for theatrical purposes as well as for home décor are interesting to consider and can provide insights into making the latter more of a game and less of a chore. When the rest of the world is treated as the audience, it is easier to identify objectives in what you want them to perceive, as well as potential evidence of artifice that you might have otherwise missed. And remember next time you’re at the movies to check if beam of light across the protagonist’s face is really coming from the moon.

Types of Pathway Lighting and Fixtures Installation

Of course the beauty is in the beholder however, there are some strategies to divulge when it comes to designing a lay out to properly light a path without creating a runway type effect or locating fixtures in an area that may actually be problematic. Depending on the quality of product used is the first consideration.

Some fixtures obviously cost more or less but what types of things are important to note.

First – What material is the path light made from?

This is very important especially within different climate zones in this Country.

Pathway Lighting

We have found that copper will continue to outperform aluminum in most areas long term. There’s a little bit more of an upfront investment but  you will for sure appreciate the raw material that won’t have paint chipping or pealing. Will patina  nicely and blend in with the environment. Copper has the strength and integrity to remain even after     continual exposure to weed eaters. Non corrosive and won’t break down in salt water locations.

Second – Beam Spread?
What about the radius of light a fixture can produce? Some fixtures only put out a small area of light requiring multiple fixtures to consistently light a path and achieve the desired effect increasing the investment.
Is the fixture adjustable meaning a home owner can adjust the height of a top to ever so slightly to tweak the intensity?

Are their variations in height to produce larger areas of coverage and depending on the slope or grade of a yard? Many times stakes are different lengths in order to achieve a constant in height on the project. It doesn’t look right to have some fixtures too low to the path and others higher due to ground levels.

How about interchangeable heads for aesthetics making sure the style compliments and isn’t only available in one fashion. Tops of varying sizes that fit onto the same stake can provide options yet still maintaining beam spreads.

Third – Is the path light an open fixture?
Meaning the bulb is in a socket but is the cavity for the socket open or unprotected?

If you have path lights near an irrigation head then the spray will impact performance. Not to mention insects. Path lights can be a location that is attractive for all kinds of critters that like warmth and sometimes can attract these critters right to the walkway.

Having an enclosed path light protects from spray or splash. The socket lasts much longer. Insects don’t have access keeping the fixture clear and producing usable light.

However, be aware that if a top is enclosed using glass then breakage could happen to the glass if it were hit by a landscaper or something else. Green Outdoor Lighting landscapes made with a poly carbonate tube protecting the bulb, remains clear, and is stronger than glass.

Fourth – Can’t be overlooked. THE SOCKET.
Connection, connection, connection. Many installers are concerned about what connections are utilized at the base of a fixture. There are many options available to decide which works best. There have been lots of discussions and debates. Our connection has performed very well for us nationally and is a quick and easy thing to replace if it fails. In addition, the cost is negligible and being and in-line connection does not build up resistance on the line. Of course some just opt out of our connections and use their own set up. Now that this has been stated as an important feature to consider I don’t think it comes close to the actual connection to the bulb itself.

What types of sockets are best?
We make sure to pay attention to this connection. We have sourced stainless steel by pin sockets that have bulbs easily accessible and very easy to change. Our fixtures come with a GY6.35 which has a thicker pin set up providing more surface area in the socket. The rating of wattage is another consideration. Make sure to replace with likewise bulbs to avoid connection or damage from a bulb that is beyond the fixture’s ratings.

Lastly – UL Listed
They should be tested and approved. American made doesn’t hurt. Five year MFG warranty.

For more information on outdoor landscape lighting, local landscapers and LED lighting log on to http://www.greenoutdoorlighting.com