There are three main reasons for installing landscape lighting – to accent the beauty of the home and landscape at night, to provide safety and to illuminate outdoor living spaces. There are various ways to accomplish any or all of these benefits. The first step is deciding what type of landscape lighting fixtures will be needed that provide the benefit desired with the most advantages. Below are the types along with the pros and cons of each:
Solar Landscape lighting fixtures – The biggest advantage of solar lighting is that they are the most energy efficient option. Additionally they can be placed without needing to run any type of wiring. They can be a good option when the location receives enough sunlight during the day so they can recharge. The first solar lighting fixtures to come out did not provide much light output but that is beginning to change as technology improves.
Regular Household Voltage – The main advantage of Landscape lighting fixtures that operate on regular household voltage (sometimes referred to as line voltage or high voltage) is that higher wattage bulbs can be used along with different types of bulbs. Disadvantages include higher fixture and bulb costs, power lines must be buried deeper to meet code so trenching is necessary making installation more expensive and the system results in a higher utility bill. For the most part this type of system is used for security lighting and when there are large areas such as a tennis court that need lighting.
Low Voltage – This is the most common method used for landscape lighting fixtures because it is more energy efficient than high voltage, is less expensive to install because trenching is unnecessary and the fixtures are less expensive. There is also no danger of an electrical shock like there is with a high voltage system. Touchscape Accent Lighting is a low voltage lighting manufacturer that can provide plenty of light for your home making it more beautiful, safer and enjoyable in the evenings.
Watch for a growing trend in using LED bulbs in any of these applications because they have a longer bulb life although they won’t be embraced by those that prefer the true white light of other bulbs. Discuss your landscape lighting needs with a professional to best choose the system that will provide the desired outcome.
