Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, have stormed upon the landscape lighting industry in the past few years, providing a high efficiency alternative to traditional incandescent lamps. Until recently, upgrading to LED lighting was not an option for most lighting enthusiasts—the cost was simply not worth it. But now LEDs are more affordable than ever, and a truly viable option to consider in most landscape lighting projects.

Product Improvements

LED light fixtures are currently offered by most major manufacturers and provide many advantages over their incandescent counterparts.

Increased Energy Efficiency. LEDs are more energy efficient, consuming about 25 percent of the wattage to produce the same luminosity as a traditional halogen lamp. This has multiple benefits that reduce the cost of owning a landscape lighting system: smaller (lower wattage) transformers can be used.

Material and Labor Savings. Smaller gauge and shorter wire runs are required for lower wattage systems. In addition, the reduced electrical consumption can save a significant amount on a power bill versus halogen fixtures.

Less Frequent Lamp Replacements. LEDs have a longer service life than halogen lamps as well, lasting 10 to 20 times as long, depending on the model and/or manufacturer. This provides additional savings by virtually eliminating re-lamping costs.

Decreased Liability. Because they produce very little heat, LEDs are also a safer option by reducing the risk of fires—a common concern in some markets especially with fixtures with higher wattage lamps.

More Color Options. Finally, there are light color options available with most LED fixtures. Some can be ordered with different color temperatures ranging from “cool white” to “warm amber” in appearance. Some manufacturers even provide colored lenses to allow instant jobsite changes.

Installation Advantages

There are also numerous advantages from an installation standpoint, as well. The proper wiring of an incandescent system requires significant calculation and pre-planning to deliver 10.5 to 11.5 volts at every fixture, which provides the advertised light output while also aiding in maximizing bulb life. LED fixtures have a much wider range of acceptable input voltage, usually between 10 and 15 volts. This greatly simplifies the wiring design and eliminates the need for “hubs” and “center feeding” on all but the largest systems.

Much longer wire runs are also possible with LEDs. Installers are no longer forced to hang additional transformers for runs over 300 feet.

Finally, the drivers on the LED circuit board are self-regulating, meaning that as long as the input voltage is within the specified requirements, all fixtures (of the same wattage) will deliver the same light output.

LED Drawbacks

There are currently a few disadvantages associated with LED landscape lights. Primarily, in my opinion, is the inability to quickly and inexpensively change the brightness and/or beam spread with a simple bulb swap. While some manufacturers offer replacement circuit boards for changing wattage, many require the entire fixture to be changed.

There is also a shortage of beam-spread options for LED when compared to the vast offering in the halogen lineup.

A lesser concern is the additional upfront cost of the actual LED fixtures. When one takes into account the savings on power consumption, transformer size and quantity, wire size and quantity, and the lower maintenance costs, the payback on upgrading to an LED lighting system can be as short as one year!

The Future of Landscape Lighting

LED fixtures are the future of landscape lighting. The margin of cost differential between LED fixtures and incandescent fixtures should continue to shrink in the next few years, making them an even more appealing upgrade in the future.

Also, new technology will allow lighting customization like never before with effects like zoning, individual and group dimming, and fixture specific on/off capabilities.

The ease of installation and ease of ownership make the LED upgrade preferable to contractors and an easier upsell to homeowners. With continued emphasis on “going green” and the added benefits of reducing carbon footprints, LED landscape lighting will become the primary choice of landscapers and end-users in the not too distant future.