How to Save Energy On Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting is wonderful for home security, safety and character. But, if outdoor lighting is overdone, it can be costly to operate. Here are some ways to save on energy with outdoor lighting.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• As noted in text

1. Assess your existing outdoor lighting:
   What kind of lighting do you now have outside your home?
   Do you have only lights that are controlled from inside; that is, porch lights, floodlights, spot lights and the like?
   Do you have lights along your driveway or walkways?
   Do you have a lamp-post to mark your driveway or walkway?
   Are all outdoor lights powered by standard household current?
   Do you have outdoor lights with motion-sensing or photo-sensor controls?
2. Depending on what your outdoor lighting is intended for, you can undoubtedly reduce energy costs in several ways, as outlined in the following steps.
3. Replace household current lighting with low-voltage lighting.
   
   If you have path lights or landscape lights that are plugged directly into your house power, you can save significantly by replacing those with low-voltage lighting kits available at most home centers.
   
   Low-voltage lighting operates at a fraction of the cost of standard power, depending on actual voltage of the kit you choose. Usually, this depends on the number of lights in the kit.
   
   Note that these kits come with transformers that cut standard household current to the necessary level for the kit lighting.
   
   Note also that most kits identify a maximum operating voltage, which in turn determines the number of lights that can safely and effectively be operated with the included transformer.
4. Replace standard current or low-voltage lighting with solar powered lighting.
   
   If you wish to go a step further, you can replace your existing house-current lighting with solar powered lighting. Many of today's solar powered outdoor lights provide enough light for several hours during the nighttime hours, providing they have been exposed to ample sunlight during the daytime.
   
   Note that these lights might not provide as much light as the standard or low-voltage powered lights. Also, solar-powered lights might not light up at all during the night if daytime sunlight is restricted by clouds or other inclement weather.
   
   But, whenever ample sunlight is available, you will get free lighting during the night! If they get full sun exposure all day, many of these lights will stay on for up to eight hours at night.
5. Use fluorescent bulbs in outdoor fixtures that do not become exposed to water or moisture.
   
   The new fluorescent bulbs that are designed to replace incandescent bulbs save significantly over their counterparts. In many cases, outdoor incandescent bulbs can be replaced with some of these energy misers.
   
   However, use caution and be sure to read manufacturers' recommendations for areas of safe use. Some manufacturers do not recommend these for moist or potentially wet exposure.
6. Use plug-in outdoor timers to control lighting cycles.
   
   If you choose to stay with household current or even low-voltage outdoor lighting, it is a good idea to use timers to control the cycles, to minimize on-time when lighting is not needed.
   
   Be sure to set the timers so your lights do not come on when it is still daylight, and so they turn off at a reasonable hour during the night.
7. Reset motion-sensing lighting to minimum on-time.
   
   Motion-sensing outdoor lighting is normally equipped with settings for sensitivity and for duration of lights-on time. You can reduce energy requirements by resetting these parameters.
   
   Set the sensitivity to mid-range or lower, so your outdoor lighting only comes on when something larger than a stray cat or roaming dog passes by it.
   
   Set the lights-on time for as short a time as you are comfortable with. Keep in mind that you want to be able to see your way around, so don't let the lights go off before you reach the door or other safely lit area.
8. Replace photo-sensing controls with motion sensing or timer controls.
   
   Outdoor lighting that is equipped with photo-sensing controls are designed to come on when it becomes dark, and to turn off when it becomes light. These controls usually have no cycle settings, so they are either on or off, depending on the amount of light they see.
   
   In fact, during particularly dark and stormy weather, some of these outdoor lights with photo-sensing controls might be fooled into thinking they should be on during the daytime, when you might not want them to be on.
   
   Some of the newer technology might include cycle settings for this type of lighting that allow manual settings. If so, those can help save on energy costs if properly set.
   
   Otherwise, you might want to consider replacing photo-sensing controls with motion-sensing or timer controls, to have the ability to set your own cycle preferences.
   
   Visit the link below for "More Ways To Save Energy At Home", for additional tips.

Tips & Warnings

• Place solar powered lighting near the edges of walkways and driveway so they clearly highlight these areas.
• Note that most solar powered lighting is quite dim, and might not provide ample lighting to clearly see walking surfaces. Additional, brighter lighting might be needed for that.
• Follow manufacturers' instructions, guidelines and recommendations for safe use, handling, installation and operation of tools, equipment and products.