Pro Lighting Outdoors has been lighting up properties in Northeast Florida for many years, designing and installing customized lighting systems and providing maintenance and repairs for residential and commercial customers. Over the years, we’ve answered a lot of questions about how exterior lighting systems work, what products are the best, and how to conserve energy consumption. Here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions about outdoor lighting.
How much does it cost to run a lighting system monthly?
When it comes to landscape lighting systems, monthly costs will often vary depending on a number of factors. The type of lights in your system, the number of lights in your system, and the cost of electricity from your utility provider are all aspects that will play a part in your total monthly expenses. LED exterior lighting is the most energy-efficient and cost effective. LED bulbs consume about 25 percent of the energy of traditional bulbs, making them incredibly affordable to have on every night! On average, running a lighting system that illuminates the front of a house, some trees and walkway costs less than two dollars a month in electricity.
Why use low voltage over line voltage lights?
Lighting systems are designed and installed with either line or low voltage. However, there are a few reasons why low voltage outdoor lighting is more beneficial for residential use. For starters, low voltage outdoor lighting delivers more energy efficiency than line voltage because it utilizes a transformer to step down the power consumption. Low voltage landscape lighting is also known to be safer and require less maintenance. Additionally, there is a wide selection of low voltage landscape lighting fixture designs and bulbs, making it easy for homeowners to find the perfect customized solution for their home. There are also very large cost differences in installation of the system as a line voltage system requires much more labor and materials than a low voltage system.
Why should I pay a professional lighting company versus DIY lighting?
While DIY landscape lights may be cheap, you’ll receive much higher quality and satisfaction when you hire a professional landscape lighting specialist to design a customized system for your home. We can identify and recommend the perfect light placement, materials, and system wiring to light up your perimeter, house, driveway, patio, pool, and backyard.
Many big box store DIY landscape lights are made of plastic or aluminum which will deteriorate quickly in our Florida climate. Furthermore, when you attempt a DIY landscape lighting project you also must worry about proper wiring, applicable warranties, and more. Instead, rely on your landscape lighting specialist to install everything and service the system in the future to maintain optimal performance!
Keep in mind the necessary decisions that go into a properly designed lighting system: knowing what kind of colors to use for each application (there are many white or amber variations of color for lights!), knowing what intensity of light is necessary for each application, knowing the fixtures types and styles to utilize, calculating transformer size, voltage drop, and amperage per circuit, knowing the angle of spread of light for each fixture, and much more!
How are your exterior lighting systems controlled?
Lighting controls ensure that the light is used only when needed, for maximum efficiency and energy savings. At Pro Lighting Outdoors, our exterior lighting systems can be controlled on a scheduled automatic timer, a Wi-Fi timer, Bluetooth timer, or by manual switches like other standard lights. We’ll provide detailed instructions after installation for how to use your customized system depending on which solution is best for you.
Why not go with solar landscape lighting?
Occasionally, clients will ask us about outdoor solar lighting systems. It’s no surprise that Florida residents would want to take advantage of living in the Sunshine State! Solar powered landscape lights are relatively inexpensive to buy and extremely easy to install. However, solar lights are not nearly as bright as LED lights and may not stay lit all night long, making them a poor choice for exterior security and safety lighting purposes.
Another downside is that the product lifespan of solar lights is extremely short which means you’ll likely spend more replacing the lights more frequently when compared to wired low voltage lights. While they may seem like a good option on the surface, solar landscape lights don’t really hold up to the durability, brilliance and energy outputs of a professionally installed low-voltage LED lighting system. The batteries need replacement every few months, the panels need to be maintained regularly, they are not waterproof and often get issues from moisture, and they can only illuminate about 10% of what a low-voltage fixture can do. On top of that, you are extremely limited in what kind of lights are available and the variable that they come with.
Professional Landscape Lighting in Northeast Florida
If you are interested in outdoor lighting for your home or business in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, or other areas of Northeast Florida, contact Pro Lighting Outdoors at (904) 924-4496 or fill out a contact form on our website to request a free estimate. We specialize in outdoor landscape lighting design and can assist you with any of your exterior lighting installation or repairs.