Nearly all solar landscape lighting reviews talk about the economic advantage of installing solar lighting, and why wouldn’t they? After all, once you’ve paid the acquisition cost, the only other cost is going to be bulb replacement and that’s going to be quite minimal. Most landscape lighting solar powered LEDs are rated from around 30,000 to 40,000 hours, which is far longer than any other type of light source.

We chose to install solar driveway lights because at night people didn’t notice turn in our driveway all the time, and they kept bumping into our Dogwood tree. We went out and purchased seven driveway lights and installed them.

Since we had chosen solar, installation was really easy. You just pick a spot and push them into the ground. Ever since we installed these new lights, two things have happened. One, people say they love the look of those lights at night when I drive up to the house, and two, no one bumped into that Dogwood tree since, which we, and the Dogwood tree, really appreciate.

Those solar lighting landscape driveway lights started me thinking. We have covered patio in the back yard, I started thinking about using solar string lights. I was thinking it would look really extraordinary and have LED lights, which are small and look a lot like stars, lighting up the backyard at night.

Then I thought of another place I could use low voltage lighting. The back wall of our property is is a pretty long expanse of nothing. There’s no color, no features, really nothing but a plain wall. Here’s my idea. I am going to put a series of solar powered floodlights at the base of the wall. Each one will be a different color, and the be aimed at the wall in such a way as to make different shapes splashes of color against the wall at night. I think the effect will be quite nice.

As you can see from just these two ideas I’ve had, there are endless ways to use solar lighting. And if by having solar landscape lighting I am able to increase the value of my home, so much the better.

Instead of haphazardly going out buying a bunch of different types of landscape lighting, we decided that we wanted to use low-voltage LED landscape lighting kits. And that these landscape lighting kits would be solar powered.

We chose to use several of this type of outdoor landscape lighting kits for three reasons. The first was a we had read this landscape lights can increase the value of your home and provide a measure of extra safety and security. The second reason was also economic, but in a different way. We didn’t want to put a bunch of lights up and then have to pay the electric company to light them. They already get enough of our dollars.

Solar powered LED lighting is the ultimate and cost effective outdoor lighting. The power for the lights comes from the sun, which is free. And LEDs are well-known for their extraordinary long lives. It’s not uncommon for LEDs to be rated to last 30 to 40,000 hours, and sometimes even more. But it all boils down to the fact that we wouldn’t have to buy electricity to light our property, and we wouldn’t have to replace light bulbs for probably 5 to 10 years at least.

Our first project was to light the path from the driveway to the front door. It’s a beautiful brick path, but sometimes during the winter when ice forms under the bricks the contender pop them up a little bit. We didn’t want anybody to trip on before we go chance to put them back down. So we chose solar powered LED Path lights for this project. It was so simple. You buy a landscape lighting kit, take the lights out of the box, push them into the ground, and basically that’s it. You’re done.

After that we chose a similar type of light which we placed alongside the driveway. It’s really nice to come home at night and have a clear view the edges of your driveway, plus the lights are just beautiful at night.

We just love the new look of our home at night. It’s all lit up and welcoming, also making it safer. Landscape lighting kits have brought us a little peace of mind, and possibly even more dollars when we go to sell our home.

After the party, which went pretty well, we talked about it and we both noticed that some areas of the yard were not as well lit as we would’ve liked. After some more discussion, we said to look into landscape lighting.

We soon learned that lighting up our entire backyard the way we wanted to would probably cost a small fortune in electricity. However, before we gave up on the whole idea, we found out about low-voltage landscape lighting.

Since we wanted to minimize our cost, we decided that although the initial cost would be a little higher we wanted low-voltage LED landscape lighting. After that, we found out we would have to decide between low voltage landscape lighting kits which use landscape lighting transformers to step down the house current, or would have to choose a solar kit.

The reason we chose to install LED low-voltage landscape lighting instead of another type of low-voltage landscape lighting, was because of the incredibly long operational life of LED bulbs. Unlike incandescent bulbs or even fluorescent bulbs, LEDs are capable of and operational life of up to 30 to 40,000 hours for a use such as the one we planned to use them for.

Another reason this is such an easy choice for us, is that LED lighting saves 80% more energy than traditional lighting, which can have a huge impact on your electric bill.

After we found out about the possibility of using solar powered lighting, it was obvious to us that we could have landscape lighting which would have no impact on our electric bill at all. Plus, we wouldn’t have to be concerned with running wires. Although the low-voltage LED landscape lighting kits which do use wires don’t require an electrician to install, we like the idea that by using solar all we have to do is pick a spot in which to plant late and push it into the ground.

Now that our backyard has solar powered LED landscape lighting in it, it’s a magical place to be at night. And the best part of all, as it is we observe our low-voltage landscape lighting, we see no dollar signs.

Lower Energy Cost

LED outdoor landscape lighting, because of it’s vastly higher efficiency as compared to traditional lighting(on the order of 80% higher efficiency) offers the possibility of using a far higher number of lights while using less energy and thus offering lower energy bills, and in the case of solar LED landscape lighting, no energy bill at all.

Colors, Colors, Colors

In addition, new color possibilities which are not possible from other types of light sources, and even color changing LED’s are now available.

High Output Solar LED Landscape Lighting

In the past, low light outputs was sometimes a problem from LED landscape lighting. Now however, Westinghouse low-voltage LED landscape lighting offers a high output LED lighting solution with three times the output of standard LED landscape lights.

Landscape LED Lighting Kits

For convenience, many companies offer landscape LED lighting kits. These kits offer a complete LED outdoor landscape lighting solution in a box. In the case of solar lights, what could be easier than taking lights out of the box and placing them in the ground wherever you choose and not have to worry about wiring? And, since LED landscape lighting uses low-voltage, the wiring is much easier to run and does not have to be buried as deeply. Plus, there is no direct connection to the house wiring. You simply plug them in.

Solar LED Landscape Lighting

Perhaps the ultimate way to make use of LED outdoor landscape lighting is by installing solar landscape lighting. After all, what could be cheaper than free? Requiring no wires, these beautiful landscape lighting kits are easy to install. All you need to do is make sure that the solar cell will have some light falling upon it so that they can charge during the day. Then at night, these lights will come on and beautifully illuminate your landscape. As with other types of LED landscape lighting, these are low-voltage, and available in many colors.

As I said at the outset, landscape lighting offers a new, and wonderful opportunity to create landscape designs that were never before possible with the constantly improving technology of LED landscape lighting.

Well I’m certainly not a professional – but I do really enjoy renovation and decorating that I’ve done to several homes I’ve owned. Gardening has always been a bit of a dark art to me. Something that other people can succeed with – but for me its always been more hit than miss.

But outdoor landscape lighting is a lot more like renovating – I like hard landscaping and such like – I like plants too – its just they don’t like me!  So for now I’m going to focus on changing up my new townhouse’s outdoor landscaping – starting with the landscaping.

Need some landscape lighting tips for this drive!

Landscaping Lighting Ideas for the Driveway 

We are the backmost unit of five – so we are at the end of a long driveway which is also up a hill. There isn’t any space to turn around at the top so we have to back out. No problem during the day-  but at night its a bit hard because the drive is poorly lit.

Now we can’ t really wire lights in – not allowed to dig up the shared drive! But you can apparently get decently bright lights that run on either solar or battery power. Even the battery powered lights would be OK, particularly if they are motion activated, as we can just use rechargeables – and the lights don’t need to be on all night!

Lighting Around the BBQ Area 

We have a nice outdoor seating area which is directly off our lounge – so I’d like to do a mix of lighting here. I need something that will let me check. the steaks on the BBQ aren’t burnt – but I’d also like some mood lighting which would look cool from the lounge.

Security Outdoor Lighting 

Its always handy having some motion-activated lighting around both the front door – so I can find my keys, and also out the side entrance for when we need to go outside to put out the rubbish or the recycling – its a real pain having to find a spare hand to turn on  light!

One thing to keep in mind when planning an outdoors low voltage landscape lights is the intensity and style of lighting you are after. Because you are looking at a low voltage system, the intensity and style of light is determined by the physical placement of your lights rather than the amount of power supplied to the lights. The size of the transformer you buy for your lighting system should conform to the style of lighting you are after. A smaller transformer will limit the amount of lights that you can use, but also cut down on your energy costs.

Here are some landscape lighting ideas for low voltage landscaping lightx that you may not have thought of:

A subtle, understated lighting system is amazing for illuminating your flower or rock garden at night. If you have not tried a lower-voltage lighting system for your yard or outdoor space, then you may want to try one right away. Low voltage post lights can usually be the difference between a million-dollar garden and one that goes unnoticed.

Low voltage step lights can be both practical – lighting a potentially dangerous change in level and attractive in the way they can make steps a feature at night.

Low voltage lighting is far superior to standard lighting for highlighting architecture and the grain of the surfaces in your outdoor space. A strong light will simply wash most of the detail in your yard out, whereas a lower voltage system will serve to bring out the nuance in all of your surfaces. A low voltage system can make for a dramatic overall look.

Low voltage lighting is an amazing way to illuminate your custom landscaping. Many manufacturers produce lights specially made to illuminate shrubs, bushes, and trees. Look for a tall fixture that disperses light over a wide area to accent your landscaping.

A lighting system is a great way to improve the security of your home. Most would-be burglars search for homes that are surrounded by darkness so that they can operate without being seen. A low voltage system may not be as effective for security as floodlights, but you want to preserve the beauty of your outdoor space as well!

Hopefully, you will consider a low voltage lighting system. You will save money on energy costs and significantly bolster the aesthetic value of your outdoors space.

There are so many options when it comes to solar landscape lights. With the available choices you will be able to find something that you are completely satisfied with. From lighting a single porch light, to a motion sensor lamp or traffic lights you will be thrilled by the many ways solar lighting can brighten up your night.

Installing solar lighting in your garden could create the perfect nighttime spot for a romantic meeting or for after hours relaxation. There are many colors of solar lighting available to suit your style. My best landscape lighting idea is always to take your time and consider lots of different options before you finally commit to a lighting plan.

Sol Incorporated is a global solar lighting company. when you go to their website you will be able to pick the area that you are located in and you can see what is available to you from there. At Sol you will find solar outdoor lighting solutions that are ingenious and worry-free. They have everything here from solar street lights to solar pool lighting. This company has created solar lighting systems for many large areas.

Solarilluminations.com is another prroducer of solar landscaping lights that supplies solar lights for outdoor use. This is an online based company and anything you order will be shipped directly from their personal warehouse. Their Malibu Solar garden lights are attractive lights that can be used in gardens or on porches. Their solar bollard lights are exclusively made and distributed by them, these are sophisticated looking lights that give off amber or white colored lighting.

Usually next to each solar light there is a solar panel on a pole facing upwards towards the sun. This panel catches the suns energy and stores it for use as electricity. These panels are not the least bit cumbersome or unattractive looking. They are built to withstand the elements for long periods of time. Usually a solar panel will last for around 25 years even in extreme weather conditions.

My first landscape lighting idea  is to determine what exactly you want to illuminate. One of the most common sites for lighting placement is along driveways and walkways. This provides excellent visibility for these high traffic areas in low light conditions. You should also consider adding lights around the perimeter the house, or using directional lighting to light up dark doorways. This type of accent lighting helps make your home look more attractive and also enhances its security. Another popular location for lighting is at the base of trees, along flower beds, and around swimming pools. Lighting these locations allows you to highlight the different areas of your yard and helps to draw attention to its natural beauty.

When it comes to lighting hardware, there are two main options available to homeowners: LED’s or incandescent bulbs. LED’s have certain advantages over traditional incandescent blubs. They offer a longer life span, burn cooler, and are more durable then their incandescent counterparts. However, because of their technology, LED systems tend to be more expensive in their initial cost when compared to an incandescent system. This cost, as well as long term maintenance costs, needs to be considered when deciding which type of system to purchase.

Most of the lighting systems available today are designed for easy self installation. Installation can be as simple as individual outdoor landscape light that use a built in rechargeable battery to power the unit overnight. One drawback to a solar system is that the battery cells tend to lose their strength over time, which results in lights that gradually grow dimmer as their charge dwindles.  Westinghouse solar landscape lights are a popular product in this sector of the market.

A more common, and inexpensive, self installation systems are Hampton Bay landscape lighting products which include a low voltage system that uses a power converter that plugs into an existing outdoor outlet. This system works well for small lightning designs because the number of lights is limited by the capacity of the converter.

To add more lights to this system, you simply purchase a larger capacity converter. If your lighting design plan calls for an elaborate layout, you may want to consider hiring a professional electrician to install a 120 volt system that would operate off of your homes’ electrical system. If you are thinking really big then you really need to be considering contacting a professional landscape lighting business to help plan and install your outdoor lights.