Which Outdoor Lighting is Right For You?

Comparing all the benefits and limitations of outdoor lighting can be tricky. Depending on your situation, any given benefit may or may not outweigh the limitations. Fortunately, by working with Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Central New Jersey, you don’t have to make the decision alone. One of our professional lighting designers will help you decide what’s best for your home or business.

Why Standard Line Lighting is Not Recommended

For most residential installations, incandescent or standard line lighting can be immediately ruled out. The installation requires extensive excavation. Not only is the excavation cost high, but it can also damage tree and shrub roots wreaking havoc on your landscaping. Standard line lighting could be a viable option on a new build–but even then, your other options are usually better.

Understanding the Limitations of Solar Outdoor Lighting

Solar lighting is usually easy to rule out as well. The photovoltaic cells used in solar outdoor lights are not powerful enough to provide any substantial light for any period of time unless you have huge panels to produce substantial electricity. Solar options are recommended only when there is no other source of electricity and/or you only need a soft glow to act as a marker, rather than provide any type of illumination.

Benefits of Low Voltage LED Outdoor Lighting

While there are still many inferior, older-technology fixtures on the market, recent advances have made LEDs suitable for outdoor lighting applications. The newly advanced fixtures make LEDs a very attractive option for those willing to make the additional investment.

• LEDs’ low voltage offers safety benefits over line voltage.
• LEDs’ installation costs are affordable (though, fixture costs are initially higher).
• LEDs consume only a fourth of the energy of other options.
• The new LEDs offer an attractive light that portrays surroundings in their true colors.
• The new LEDs offer the brightness and directional capabilities needed.
• The new LEDs have an extremely long bulb life.

It’s important to note that while there is every reason to believe today’s advanced LED lights will last 10+ years under normal use, they haven’t been around long enough to prove this. Fortunately, the advanced LED fixtures Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Central New Jersey uses to offer a unique, patent-pending advance: the LED’s electronics are separated from the LED. This should reduce heat and further increase “bulb” life. It also allows LED “bulbs” to be replaced without the need to change the entire fixture. (Most other fixtures on the market have an integral LED, requiring replacement of the entire fixture rather than just the “bulb.”)

Call us today at (732) 334-3163 to book a free consultation with our lighting designers. Let us create a custom outdoor lighting design plan just for you!