Home Solar Panels

Outdoor Lighting Options

Just as lighting your home’s interior is important, there are a number of advantages to installing lights in your yard or garden, around your walkways or driveways and around the exterior of your house. Doing so provides added safety and security, as your family and visitors can better see where they are walking at night, and a well-lit home deters criminals who might lurk in the shadows of a darker house. In addition, lighting provides charm and ambience. There are many types of outdoor lighting available, and learning about their benefits and disadvantages can help you select the best ones for your home.

Solar lights offer many benefits. They are affordable to purchase and, since they operate using power from the sun’s rays, they are even more inexpensive to use. You do not have to be an electrician to install them because they have no wires nor do they require any type of electrical connection. This also means that you can use solar lights in locations where other types of lighting might not function, such as in an area with no electrical outlets. The only real downside to solar lights is that they may not be as bright as other types of outdoor lighting.

Halogen lights are often used where outdoor floodlights or spotlights are needed. Unlike solar lights, these bright lights illuminate exterior walls and dark corners to discourage thieves and other lawbreakers. They also provide ample light for long walkways or other large areas. Along with their intensity, halogen lights are energy efficient and last a long time. They do tend to be more expensive and burn hotter than other types of lighting, though. If you are on a tight budget or need to light a dry area that is susceptible to fire, you may wish to choose another option.

Finally, you may wish to consider LED lighting for your yard, garden or driveway. Similar to halogen, LED lights are very bright. They do not burn as hot as halogens, however, making them a much safer choice for arid regions. While they do tend to be on the pricier side initially, LED lights will burn longer than halogen or incandescent bulbs, saving you a great deal of money over time.

Choosing the best type of outdoor lighting depends on your personal needs. You can opt to equip your home’s exterior with one type of lighting, or choose a combination of types to create a custom lighting design that is just right for your home.