Archive for the ‘Lighting Ideas’ Category

Low Voltage Landscape Lights Save You Money

Tuesday, March 10th, 2009

low_voltage_outdoor_lightinNow that summer is approaching, you may be thinking about the lighting that you want to install outside. You could use lighting to highlight the beauty of your home, the garden you worked hard in, or the landscape that you put together. Maybe there is a nice tree in the front yard that you would like to use at night as a centerpiece to the beauty that is your yard. No matter what you what to highlight or set on display in your yard, the purchase of low voltage landscape lights is important.

Just because you want to light up your landscape at night does not mean that you have to run your electric bill through the roof. Especially in these tough economic times, it is important to make sure that you are doing everything that you can to cut back on your monthly expenses. This is the best way to make sure that you avoid being too affected by what is happening in the rest of the world. It is the simple changes in your day-to-day life that can make a world of difference. By not consuming so much energy you are not only saving yourself an incredible amount of money but you are also taking care of the environment.

The low voltage landscape lights will contain just the right amount of voltage to make sure that you have all of the lighting that you need. There will not be an overload of light though since you are dealing with low voltage. You will get the right amount of light for the least amount of energy, which is something to be proud of. It is important to make sure that you are investing in the best lighting equipment that you can. Do not waste your money on lighting that claims to be energy efficient when it really is not.

It is your job to make sure that you are doing your research. This is the only way to make sure that you are getting the best quality of lighting for your money. Do your research on not just the brand but on the particular model that you are looking at. Check to see what the exact voltage is and how that is different from the voltage that you are used to. Get the figures and get the facts. If you are able to even go a little lower in voltage then by all means make sure that you do it. The lower the voltage the better, as long as you are still getting your landscape highlighted at night in the yard.

Be prepared though as low voltage landscape lights can tend to run a little on the high side when it comes to the price. Even though it may seem to be the more expensive route to take, in the long run it is certainly the cheaper route. Over time, in probably just a few months, you will be able to see how your investment paid off. And then as long as you are keeping your lighting in good shape, you will be able to use the low voltage lights year after year.

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Save Energy with LED Landscape Lights

Saturday, March 7th, 2009

led_landscapeLED- stands for light-emitting diode. An electronic semiconductor unit that gives off light when an electric current goes through it. They are much more efficient than incandescent bulbs, and hardly ever burn out. For this reason, LEDs are used for many things such as landscape lights.

The definition itself leads one to believe that by nature, LED Lights are more energy efficient than ordinary incandescent bulbs. In landscape lighting, this allows for much complex and attractive displays. These systems can be replacement bulbs or new systems. They can be designed for use with the standard low voltage AC transformers used in landscape lighting presently. You can use even use batteries. With a little creativity, there is no reason why LED landscape lights cannot be as brilliant or as muted as traditional lighting systems. Think about soft garden hues filtering gently through mellow greens and purples or the loud, brash red, white and blues shouting Fourth of July!

Since high voltage electricity isn’t a problem, lighting around pools or water features is easy. There’s no worry about lighting around snow covered walkways. If a careless employee cuts a wire while shoveling, you just dig it up, clean it, and tape it. Any worries about electrocution or shocks aren’t there. In the same way, backlighting waterfalls presents no problem. It’s also becoming more popular (and safe) to have the walkways lit by photoelectric cells. At dark, the lights automatically turn on – no worry about snow or rain.

The new types of lighting being made are nothing short of amazing. One of the more spectacular is a new four-foot fluorescent tube, which installs right into an existing light fixture. It contains no glass or gas, uses 35% less or more power, is fully recyclable and lasts ten years or more. When used outdoors in cooler weather these led landscape lights actually increase their life by 20%. Typical Applications:

•    Fast and easy conversions from fluorescent to LED lighting
•     No wiring - Light for retail spaces, office spaces, warehouse spaces
•    Sign lighting; both fixtures and channel letter
•    Architectural lighting
•    Mobile laboratories
•    Fast and clean installation for Medical and Food Service areas
•    difficult to reach places
•    Temporary Installations
Advantages and Features:
•    No lead (Pb), toxic mercury (Hg), or toxic phosphor powders.
•    No failure from burn out.
•    Compatible with cold temperatures.
•    Free of flickering; stops stroboscopic effect.
•    Directional, so there is no light wasted on reflectors.
•    Can be used with existing regular fluorescent fixtures: Reactive and electronic ballasts, Lenses, Programmed/instant/rapid/trigger start; no need to use a starter can.

The list goes on and on. Some other new developments include:
Rigid white and colored LED Strips that can be used for any application.
Waterproof LED Landscape Lighting strips have been developed. Color changing flexible LED strips are on the market now.

The LED Landscape Lighting developments are something to watch. Think about it – they have everything that we are looking for a solid future. They are, for the most part recyclable. They minimize power usage. They are built, when possible, out of recyclable materials. They use no harmful gasses and leave little waste behind.

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