When looking at ways to conserve energy in your home, it’s important to consider the way you use your home’s exterior lighting. It’s possible to have beautiful, unobtrusive lights placed all over the exterior of your house, without them being an eyesore or an expensive energy hog.
The definition of energy-efficient lights and their effectiveness in reducing energy consumption can differ widely. What are the energy-efficient lighting options that can you can use in your home? How do you choose which one is right for your porch, pool, patio, or garden? Take a look at some of these outdoor lighting options and read up on ways to invest in energy-efficient outdoor lighting below:
1. General Tips On Choosing Outdoor Lighting
The efficiency of outdoor lights can vary widely, depending on how they’re designed, the amount of energy they consume, and where they’re placed. However, you’ll find that you can save money on your energy bill using one or a combination of these types of lights, as they’re much more efficient than most normal lights.
If you don’t know where to start, you can visit https://oregonoutdoorlighting.com to find the options available for your outdoor living space. They can offer recommendations and solutions tailored specifically for your property.
2. Determine The Best Areas To Install Outdoor Lighting
If you’re installing outdoor lights so you can see when it’s nighttime, you want to be able to see the different areas that you’re going to need to light up. You’ll also want to make sure that there’s enough lighting for you to spot other people or any obstructions when it’s dark out.
Check the following tips on how to determine the best placement for your outdoor lights:
- Install Outdoor Lights In High Traffic Areas: Place outdoor lights in areas near to where people will be moving and walking at night, like garage lighting and porch lights. Exterior wall lights are best installed next to a porch, at a side door, on a rear wall, or in front of a garage, depending on how people will access and move around the house or building. Ensure adequate lighting near all pathways that people need to pass through safely in the dark.
- Ensure Adequate Lighting For Different Functions: You should also make sure that there’s enough lighting for multiple purposes. For instance, you’ll want to make sure that you have lights for specific tasks such as illuminating your lawn or driveway at night. You’ll also probably need to have a different set of lights to help you see at night when there are animals out in your yard.
- Prioritize Garage Lights: Garage lights must be prioritized to ensure safe driving and parking once you get home. They can be positioned at a reasonable distance from the front door to sufficiently light that area. Installing a combination of porch lighting and garage lighting works best. Some great exterior garage lighting ideas for a double garage or multiple garages include placing outdoor wall sconces at your garage’s outermost pillars to cover the entire area. You can also choose a motion sensor outdoor light or flood light above the garage to light the whole area any time someone drives.
3. Consider Outdoor Solar Lighting
The solar panel on an exterior light is actually part of the exterior light itself. The solar panel collects solar radiation, which then turns on the light itself. Outdoor solar lighting offers several benefits over standard outdoor lighting. Here are some of these advantages:
- Efficient Use And Design: Outdoor solar lighting is energy-efficient and provides ample light to your outdoor spaces without being too bulky and unsightly. Also, outdoor solar lighting is a sophisticated system, since the solar panel is conveniently located on the exterior of the home.
- Easy To Install: Outdoor solar lights are generally easy and inexpensive to install. Some only entail a few steps to install and can easily be placed anywhere in your home’s exteriors, while others require a special type of light fixture. If you decide to install these lights yourself, you can usually find a kit that’ll provide you with step-by-step instructions and give you a basic understanding of the process.
- Environmentally-friendly: Solar lights use solar power to operate. This is a very environmentally friendly choice because, unlike traditional lights, these lights don’t use electricity. This reduces the amount of electricity used in your home. It also means that there’s less need for you to invest in a backup electrical system to ensure that you’ll still have lights when there’s a power outage.
- Doesn’t Need Electrical Outlet: Outdoor solar lighting doesn’t require a direct electrical outlet. They can be installed anywhere, including your driveway, patio, etc. Many people who live in areas where there aren’t enough outlets for electrical wiring opt for the “low voltage” system to install exterior lighting. Solar lights, on the other hand, don’t require an outlet and won’t cause an overload on the electrical system.
- Improves A Home’s Aesthetic Appeal: The look and feel of solar powered lights will enhance the beauty and charm of your home. They can be set up in various locations to add a nice touch of lighting in areas that are not easily accessed. If you don’t have a lot of space to illuminate with standard outdoor lights, they’ll help you create a subtle, but very elegant light that doesn’t draw attention away from your home.
4. Consider Installing HID Lights
High intensity discharge lights, which are sometimes called HID lights, are very energy-efficient and require very little power. These lights are usually used on the dashboard of a car, but they’ll definitely work perfectly with your outdoor living space. They work by producing a large amount of light, which will illuminate the road when the car is moving at speed. This will make it easier for you to see people or obstructions in your driveway.
5. Consider Installing LED Lights
Light emitting diode or LED outdoor lights have the advantage of being very efficient in their use of energy. This means that the amount of energy that is consumed to produce them will be much less than any other type of light bulb. Many of these lights are used for replacing incandescent bulbs that produce similar amounts of light but cost a lot more.
LED bulbs, which use electricity and produce very high-quality light, are also considered efficient. This means that you’ll save money on your monthly electric bill if you use energy-efficient lLED bulbs for outdoor home lighting.
6. Consider Investing In Energy-Efficient Lamps
One of the main reasons why some of these energy-efficient lamps are considered efficient is because they don’t put as much strain on your electricity bill. They’re designed to work much more efficiently with less energy compared to many standard bulbs that are available in the market today. Of course, they’re the perfect addition to a beautiful garden and patio area.
7. Other Considerations
When you’re choosing energy-efficient lighting for your outdoor spaces, you also have to think about the following considerations:
- Quality: If you want to get outdoor lights that are going to last for a long time, you might want to consider getting something that you won’t need to be replaced every few years or so. You should definitely get something that will last for quite some time. This will allow you to be able to enjoy these lights without having to worry about them getting damaged or inoperative after just a short period of time or after only several uses.
- Budget: It’s also a good idea to get as many energy-efficient lights as you can afford. They’re going to be more expensive than other types of bulbs and buying them in bulk can help you save money when you decide to make a purchase. You may also want to look for deals and other promotions that can help you save a few dollars. Remember, most energy-efficient lighting do tend to cost more upfront, but they’ll end up saving you more money in the long run.
- Buying Online: There are many sources available for buying energy-efficient lights. You may even be able to buy energy-efficient lights online if you take the time to search around and compare prices. You may also want to look at the website of reputable online lighting stores in your area. This way, you’re sure that you’ll get the lowest price possible and know exactly what you’re paying for.
- Buying At Specialty Store: Another option is to look at specialty lighting stores, as they offer lights that are more energy-efficient. They’ll also tend to offer better prices on energy-efficient lamps compared to regular stores. Moreover, they offer free shipping on most items that they’re selling.
Conclusion
Choosing the best energy-efficient lighting for your home starts with understanding exactly what your needs are, and the amount of light that you need for any given area. Once you identify what your home needs, you can start looking for and comparing the available options out there. Energy-efficient outdoor lighting can elevate the look of your home, without increasing your energy bills.
