LED vs. Incandescent: 5 Reasons To Upgrade Your Outdoor Lighting Now

All the buzz about LED outdoor lighting probably has you thinking: should I upgrade to LED? We hear that question a lot. And after installing countless outdoor landscape lighting systems, we have a pretty good handle on the topic. Here’s a look at LED vs. incandescent outdoor lighting, and five reasons why you should consider the switch.

LED vs. Incandescent — What’s The Difference?

We’ll start with a bit of science. LED stands for Light-Emitting Diode. It’s an electronic device that emits light when an electrical current is passed through it. Traditional incandescent and halogen bulbs work differently — they heat a piece of wire called a filament to emit light.

Now, the reasons you should consider an LED outdoor lighting system:

You’ll Save Money In The Long Run

LED lighting costs more up front than incandescent, which makes some customers hesitant about making the switch. But it will save you money in the long run.

Low-voltage LED landscape lighting uses a fraction — 15-20 percent — of the electricity we use with halogen or incandescent bulbs. If your electric bill is $100 per month using strictly traditional lighting, a switch to LED landscape lighting could reduce that bill to as little as $20 a month.

Versatile, Beautiful, Effective Light

When outdoor LED lights first arrived on the market, you could spot them a mile away. And not in a good way. The light was blue-ish, cold, stark. But advancements in LED technology have created warmer tones and a wide color palette. You can’t tell the difference these days between LED lights and their traditional counterparts.

LED lighting also excels in providing more directional lighting — spotlights, task lighting — compared to incandescents, which are generally more omni-directional.

Kiss Changing Bulbs Goodbye

Changing light bulbs? That’s so yesterday. You have to change traditional halogen outdoor bulbs about once a year. You only replace LED bulbs when they fail. Which is hardly ever. Many of today’s LED bulbs are rated to last 50,000 hours. So find something else to do with your bulb changing time.

You’ll be Helping Mother Earth

LED lighting will reduce your energy consumption. And the bulbs are 100 percent recyclable and free of any toxic materials.

LED Lights Are Cool. Literally.

Incandescent and halogen bulbs produce a lot of heat. Up to 90 percent of their energy is given off as heat. That means a risk for fire when leaves or any other flammable materials come in contact with a hot bulb. But LED lights keep their cool, emitting very little heat.

Understanding The Investment

Yes, the initial cost to install an LED outdoor lighting system will cost you more than traditional halogen landscape lighting. But it won’t take long before you start saving money. Thanks to a longer lasting product and dramatically reduced energy consumption, using low-voltage LED lighting will actually save you money in the end.

Leave Your Landscape Lighting To Neave

Neave Lighting uses the best energy-efficient LED outdoor lighting available in the industry to highlight your pool, garden, entryway, walkway or driveway.  Our fully customized landscape lighting design, installation and maintenance services are available for any residential or commercial property owner.

Our experts can convert your current system to use LED lights, or design a new system from scratch.

Let us light up your backyard dinners, create a safer play area for your family, illuminate and highlight your beautiful landscape. Neave designers have the skill and expertise to create just the right effects to beautifully enhance your home.

If you’re in the Hudson Valley, call us at (845) 463-0592. If you’re in Westchester County, call (914) 271-7996; from Connecticut, dial (203) 212-4800. Or, fill out our simple web form, and we’ll contact you about setting up your free consultation.