Outdoor lighting and energy savings

Utility, security and aesthetics are important goals in outdoor lighting. But be aware: outdoor lighting can consume a great amount of energy and be an important source of light pollution.

Energy star qualified fixtures


Outdoor lighting & Environment

Do not use unnecessary lights around your house, or on its walls. We should protect and preserve the nighttime environment. Too much lights represent energy waste (and pollution caused by it), and is harmful to human health and to nocturnal wildlife and ecosystems. Besides, it even can reduce safety and security (it may attract undesirable attentions and intruders).

Outdoor lighting involving gardens, pathways and the house landscape

To get a sound energy solution involving wide spaces (gardens, the pathways and the whole landscape surrounding the house...) consider:

- low-voltage outdoor lighting kits;
- outdoor solar lighting.


Landscape lighting design

There are several outdoor lighting techniques as upligting, pathlighting, etc. See, for details: Landscape lighting design.


Outdoor lighting involving porches, patios, walls...

For circumscribed outdoor lighting solutions involving just some lights in porches, sunrooms, patios or on places as the walls of the house, consider:
 
- Qualified outdoor fixtures;
- Compact Fluorescent Lights: they are more expensive but they have a longer life and a much smaller consume;
- High-intensity discharge (HID) or low-pressure sodium lights (they are alternatives to fluorescents);


Lighting controls

Adding photo-sensors, motion sensors, reflectors, deflectors and timers to outdoor lighting can help you save energy by adding light only where and when necessary.


Natural gas lamps

Turn off and do not use decorative natural gas lamps. They are particularly consuming: according to EERE, eight gas lamps can consume in a year sufficient natural gas to heat an average-size home during a winter.


Incandescent lights in outdoor lighting

Do not use incandescent lights unless they are controlled by photo-sensors, timers and other controls - in order to be on for just short periods (of a few minutes).

Types of fluorescent lights for outdoors

If you live in a cold climate, when buying Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL’s) for outdoor lighting choose products for cold climates (lights with a special cold weather ballast). Standard CFLs do not work well below outdoor temperatures of 40°F /4ºC.

Use spiral lamps, tube lamps or candelabra (also called post or bullet shape fluorescent) for outdoor covered lamps and fixtures.

Use outdoor reflector fluorescents for outdoor exposed fixtures. See, for identification of these types of fluorescent lights: Compact Fluorescent Lights.

Qualified fixtures for outdoors

In order to achieve a more efficient use of the light source, outdoor light fixtures should have reflectors, deflectors or other covers. They should be efficient and environmentally friendly. Outdoor lighting fixtures include:

- directional or spot lights
- floodlights
- pathway lights
- deck and patio lights
- underwater lights

These particular types of fixtures are associated with specific outdoor design lighting techniques.

If possible choose Energy Star and other qualified outdoor fixtures. Fixtures with The International Dark Sky Association certification are an environmental sound option.

See also:
House Lighting Basics
Low-voltage outdoor lighting kits;
Outdoor solar lighting.
Controls & lighting: timers, motion-sensors, photosensors and dimmers
Landscape lighting design

 
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