Thursday, December 4, 2008

Choosing Solar Fixtures For Your Landscape

By Keith Markensen

Landscape lighting, often utilitarian, is planned to blend unnoticed into the garden. It is the illumination, not the fixture, which should be apparent. In effect, it is accent lighting for the outside of your home.

The point of landscape lighting is to embellish the features of the exterior surroundings, both natural or manmade, adding a beautiful and dramatic after-dark element. Good outside lighting can make your home a beautiful star in the neighborhood.

Low-voltage outdoor lighting setups are quite popular today. These systems usually are purchased complete with the transformer. Landscape lighting is both practical and beautiful. It can improve safety and security, so that people can move around your home safely after dark.

Particularly for illuminating water features, which can be dangerous after sunset, and for highlighting footpaths and stairs, landscape lighting is a practical addition to your home. It will improve the value of your property, and is safer to use than normal main lighting. In addition, landscape lighting can beautify your home, bringing bushes and plants to life.

Solar powered, wireless lights are especially good choices for landscape lighting. These light store solar energy captured during the day, and then, when it becomes dark enough, a sensor turns on the exterior lighting automatically.

However, place them carefully, as they must be in an area which receives plenty of sunlight during the day. Solar powered systems do not require any wiring or transformers, which can be costly. This system is also easier to install, because it does not require digging under pathways or other features to run wires. Because manufacturing techniques for this new technology are improving, costs are falling, making solar lighting a very popular choice for garden lighting.

Solar lighting is available for driveway lights, accent lights, lanterns, fountains, and spotlights, among other choices. They can easily be installed in many garden locations, as long as the location receives enough sun. However, some users feel that this lighting is not efficient, because it gives a small amount of light, and becomes dimmer as the stored solar energy runs out during the night. Despite this, most of today's solar lighting gives off a bright light, and can be a very effective choice. Solar lighting has been gaining in popularity recently.

There are many designs for landscape lighting, but you should think ahead of time when preparing your landscape. For example, you should think about setting up empty conduit for future landscape lighting, or decide on places for the installation of fixtures and footings. When planning your landscape, be sure to account for enough fixtures to provide the level of light you desire.

In the natural landscape, most lighting is normally supplied by the sun. As a result, dusk can dramatically alter the appearance of your landscape even if you use led solar lights. Landscape lighting can restore much of the beauty that is lost in the dark. You can choose landscaping lights for many moods, which can be changed by the intensity or color of the light, as well as the style of fixture you select. Keep in mind that you can always add lighting with holiday lights or solar fixtures tucked around your flowerbeds.

To run your lights, you can utilize timers or sensors. This way, you will avoid wasting power by running your lights during the day, and you will not forget to turn them on. - 15485

About the Author: