Trends come and go, and they can be fun to follow and participate in. But outdoor LED lighting is an investment, not a fad. So when something new comes along, we don’t just jump on the bandwagon and run out and install it everywhere. In the beginning, LED lights were pretty junky– erratic and often unattractive colors, with low-quality fixtures, and bulbs not truly suited for outdoor applications. We waited until the quality for outdoor application was there, and then began using LEDs. Now, we wouldn’t use anything else– LED bulbs have really rocked the lighting world. Here are some of the reasons why we just had to turn to LEDs for our clients:
Maintenance
Halogen bulbs were the standard until LEDs popped up. Halogen lamps require a professional to come out and replace the burned out ones. Ideally, this would be done as soon as you notice a bulb is burned out, so the other bulbs don’t suffer from the change in voltage and burn out more quickly. But even if you wait and get it done twice per year, each visit still costs you money. On the other hand, LED system rarely ever burn out– they are rated for up to 50,000 hours. Halogen bulbs generate more heat when they run, and as a result more lime, crud and calcium gets deposited onto the lenses. LEDs produce plenty of light but generate very little heat. The lenses still should be cleaned annually, but it takes much less time and effort, which generally leads to lower costs for the customer.
Value
As you would expect, LEDs do cost more than halogen lighting (about 20%) to install at the beginning. However, over the life of an LED system, when maintenance and electrical expenses are taken into account, the aggregate cost will be about 50% less than that of the halogen system. LED systems use about 75% less electricity than halogen ones, but the most significant savings comes through the lower maintenance costs. And as time goes one, LEDs will drop in initial costs. At some point too, halogen replacement bulbs will be increasingly difficult to find and will begin to increase in price relative to LEDs.
Looks Great
Early LED bulbs were inconsistent in color, and generally not attractive. Now we can get the color we want– the right amount of white or yellow. We can add as many lights as we need to create the look we desire, because the wattage consumption is so much less that transformer overload is far less of a worry. Additionally, LED bulbs are not as sensitive to voltage drop as the halogen ones are, leading to fewer outages and more consistency.
Truly, LEDs are the way of the future for outdoor lighting. We are excited to be an LED-only outdoor lighting company and give our customers a better product that will serve them well for a long time!
Located in Summerfield, NC Southern Lights- Architectural and Landscape Lighting serves properties and property management companies throughout the state of NC including Greensboro, High Point, Jamestown, Burlington, Reidsville, Oak Ridge, Brown Summit, Winston-Salem, Clemmons, Raleigh, Charlotte, Kannapolis, Salisbury, Gastonia, Matthews, etc.
Southern Lights has installed hundreds of outdoor landscape lighting systems and carries more certifications than anyone in the state. We specialize in lighting designs and service everything we install as well as lighting systems installed by others. With attention to detail and a solid knowledge of design, Southern Lights is the leading outdoor landscape lighting firm in the state of NC and beyond. See why our clients choose us. Contact us today by web (online form) or phone 336-451-4969.
