LED based landscape lights provide a number of distinct efficiency and practical advantages to halogen bulbs. Because of these advantages, LED optimization is the future of the outdoor lighting industry. If you are still using halogen bulbs in your landscape lighting system, here are a few considerations on why LED bulbs are better than halogen bulbs.
Energy Efficiency
Halogen based lights can take anywhere between 10 and 50 watts of power each, and sometimes more. LED fixtures require roughly 80% less voltage, which means lower energy costs, longer lamp life, and better environmental citizenship for the end user.
Heat Reduction
As their watt consumption is significantly higher, traditional fixtures become very hot, so much so they cannot be touched after running for only a few minutes. LEDs create heat as well, but far less than traditional lighting. This results in a longer lamp and fixture life.
Consistent Light Output
Traditional lighting required multiple wires to each set of lights to ensure all lights are outputting the same level of illumination. It is a complex and time-consuming process. With LED fixtures, a built-in device called a driver takes all the power it is receiving and delivers it to each LED within a fixture so they are always at the same light level, regardless of the voltage supplied.
Fixture Life Length
Depending on the application LEDs can last 50,000 hours or more. At the end of their life they don’t just burn out like a traditional lights. LEDs slowly dim over time and at very low levels, so even after 50,000 hours of use in most situations LEDs will continue to illuminate sufficiently.
A Professional’s Game
Always remember that landscape lighting is an art, and just like an irrigation system, it requires a professional to plan, install, and maintain. In order to achieve safe, optimal, and long life from a lighting plan, a qualified installer should always be consulted to create the functions that an end user is looking to get from a lighting plan. If you’re looking to update your outdoor lighting system, we’d love to help.
