Entertaining friend and family outdoors is a great way to enjoy a beautiful summer evening.
Outdoor LED lighting makes the perfect way to extend the hours you can enjoy your outdoor living spaces and get the perfect look you want. As an added bonus they can save you money too.
What Are Outdoor LED Lights?
LED stands for light-emitting diode.
The light-emitting diode is not a fad. LEDs are one of the most fastest-developing and energy-efficient lighting technologies on the market. Quality LED bulbs are more durable, last longer, and offer an as good or better quality of light than other types of lighting. Thus, you can be sure that you will be able to maintain and replace a new outdoor LED system in the future.
What Makes Outdoor LED Lights Different?
LED lighting is very different from other lighting sources such as incandescent bulbs and CFLs.
Outdoor LED Lighting Uses Much Less Energy
LED lights use a lot less energy in comparison to incandescent lighting and CFLs. The lower energy consumption creates benefits such as:
- Lower utility bills
- Reduced carbon emissions
- Less waste created from the disposal of burnt-out bulbs
A Wide Range of Color Tints
LEDs are tiny. Each light-emitting diode is the size of a grain of ground pepper. To create a white color, diodes of different hues are combined into one light. Mixing the colors can give an LED light a different tint. It is easy for you to find the perfect color of light unique for your project.
Easey to Direct
With outdoor LED systems it is very easy to control the direction of the light. This makes them a safer system by lowering the need to fire hazards such as reflectors or shades. This also makes LEDs a more efficient option for recessed lighting and exposed lightbulbs LEDs are an ideal option. They don’t need as much lighting as incandescent systems for these setups. As the direct LED lights require less light than the inferior incandescent ones which lose light when reflecting for the same effect.
They Immediately Turn On
It is rare for CFLs to turn on right away. They usually take a few seconds to become fully lightened. This can be very frustrating. Meanwhile, LED lights to come on immediately. They become fully illuminated at a flip of the switch.
Outdoor LED Lights are Much Cooler
The energy efficiency of LED lights makes them much cooler than incandescent lights and CFLs. The lower temperature makes them much safer to handle.
In comparison, incandescent bulbs release about 90% of their energy as heat, and CFLs release 80 percent.
It is Much Easier to Dispose of LED Bulbs
You may need to take extra steps to dispose of both CFLs and incandescent bulbs properly. Particularly CFLs which contain mercury. Meanwhile, LEDs can be disposed of without any special attention.
Comparing the Cost of Outdoor LED Lights to Incandescent Lights
Don’t be fooled by the high initial cost for purchasing and installing LED fixtures.
Over time the energy efficiency of LED lights will lead to greater savings on your power bills.
Use the calculator below to see how much you can save.
When debating to buy a new $50 fixture or buying a $1 incandescent bulb replacement, many would choose to replace the bulb. However, in addition to the upfront cost of the bulb, it is very important to consider both the cost of the energy used over time and the lifetime of the bulb itself.
One standard incandescent bulb costs around $40 a year in operating. A comparable LED light bulb will only cost about 10% of that at only $4 a year.
In less than two years one LED bulb would pay for itself.
Once you factor in the lifespan of LED bulbs the savings is even greater. An LED bulb lasts roughly 50,000 hours. Meanwhile, an incandescent light bulb will only last for about 1,200 hours. You’ll need to use 41 incandescent bulbs over the life of one LED bulb. Scale that to your entire outdoor lighting system and you’re saving a lot of money.
| TECHNOLOGY | ENERGY COST | LIFE |
|---|
| LED | Excellent | 30,000-50,000+ hrs. |
| Halogen | Very good | 2000-5000 hrs. |
| Incandescent | Moderate | 750-2000 hrs. |
| Solar | Zero | Generally short |
Why LEDs are Ideal for Landscape Lighting System
LEDs are far superior to other forms of lighting for outdoor use. These advantages include:
Low-Maintenance
In addition to saving money on the bulbs themselves, you also save time by replacing drastically fewer bulbs. Monitoring your landscape to replace a bulb every time it’s burnt out will become far less frequent, and shorten your weekend “to do” list.
Durable and Safe
LEDs are not as easily broken as other types of bulbs. This is important in outdoor settings are where children or pets may be present and lighting is easily in reach.
They also operate in extreme hot and cold temperatures that other light sources cannot.
Achieve a Unique and Desired Look
LEDs’ flexibility allows for much more creative designs. Outdoor LED lights can be directional. Allowing them to be focused on specific objects instead of lighting entire areas. This is very useful in landscaping lighting because it can create dramatic effects. Such as highlighting special accent areas, and dramatic contrasts.
The greater selection of colors gives you exponentially more options there as well.
LEDs Do Not Attract Insects
Insects are not attracted to just lights. They’re attracted specifically to UV lights. Most LED lights do not emit UV rays. Therefore they do not attract insects the same way as incandescent lights. Making your outdoor living spaces much more enjoyable on those warm summer nights.
Choosing Outdoor LED Lighting Systems
Outdoor LED lights are very energy efficient. Creating significant energy savings over the life of the bulbs. This allows you to recoup their higher initial purchase price and then some over the life of the system.
LEDs are also more eco-friendly and durable. Significantly reducing your maintenance time and expenses by switching to them.
By generating less heat, LED lights safer to put around plants and within the reach of children.
Designing a new outdoor LED lighting system is simpler and with more options. You won’t need as many hardware upgrades and wiring to support it. While the greater color and brightness, options allow for endless possibilities.
