LED landscape lighting

01

Choose fixture types, supply voltage and colour

GRNLED, a landscape lighting maker linked to this page, describes outdoor spotlights (tree lights and floodlights) with narrow beams for accent lighting, mounted on surfaces, walls or spikes in soil or lawns, with low-power models for paths and small accents and high-power models as mini floodlights for buildings and tall trees. It lists in-ground uplights from 1 W to 48 W, bollards including DC 12 V/24 V models, linear wall washers, and underwater lights all with IP68 protection and low-voltage input. Its standard input is 110/220–240 V AC 50/60 Hz, with AC/DC 12, 24, 36, 48 or 60 V offered as safer for large commercial projects; colour temperatures of 2300, 2500, 2700, 3000, 4000 and 6500 K plus RGB; and switch, SCR (Triac), 0–10 V, DALI and DMX512 control. [2]

Editorial calculation: ten 9 W fixtures draw 90 W; on a 12 V circuit that is 90 / 12 = 7.5 A, and on 24 V it is 90 / 24 = 3.75 A, so the higher low voltage halves the current the cable must carry for the same load. Fixture count and wattage are assumed examples; ask the supplier for driver or transformer ratings and cable sizing for your run lengths.

A US maker's spec sheet shows what a single accent fixture covers. WAC Lighting's sheet for its 5012 Accent 120V landscape luminaire (June 2018) lists 110–120 V AC input, 3.5 to 14.5 W set by an integral dimmer, 100 to 900 lm, an adjustable and lockable 15° to 60° beam, CRI 85 at 3,000 K, 45,000 hours rated life, IP66 protection against high-pressure water jets, die-cast brass or corrosion-resistant aluminium bodies, UL 1598 listing, and constant lumen output against voltage drop; it is not suitable for external dimmers. Accessories include snoots and 6 in shrouds to reduce glare, coloured and spread lenses, and for its 12 V lines stainless magnetic transformers with 12–15 V output, IP65 and UL 1838, from 75 W to 600 W. [3]

Give the supplier the fixture types and quantities, wattage and lumen output, beam angles, colour temperature or RGB, supply (line voltage or 12/24 V AC/DC), transformer or driver arrangement, control (switch, Triac, 0–10 V, DALI, DMX512, timer or sensor), ingress protection for each location (buried, splash or submerged), housing material and finish, mounting (spike, surface, in-ground, wall), cable entry and connectors, certifications required in your market, and warranty.

02

Aim, limit and control the light

DarkSky International sets out five principles for responsible outdoor lighting. Useful: all light should have a clear purpose, considering the impact on wildlife and habitats. Targeted: use shielding and careful aiming so the beam points downward and does not spill beyond where it is needed. Low level: use the lowest light level required, minding surfaces that reflect light into the sky. Controlled: use timers or motion detectors so light is dimmed when possible and off when not needed. Warm-coloured: limit shorter-wavelength (blue-violet) light to the least amount needed. [1]

Editorial note: uplights aimed at trees and facades send light upward by design; ask for glare shields, louvres or snoots, narrow beams matched to the target, warm colour temperatures such as the 2700 K or 3000 K options above, and dimming or timer control, and check local lighting ordinances before specifying. [2] [1]

Editorial calculation: across its dimmer range the WAC 5012 gives about 29 lm/W at 3.5 W (100 ÷ 3.5) and 62 lm/W at 14.5 W (900 ÷ 14.5), so dimming a fixture down cuts light faster than power; choose the beam and wattage that light the target, then add the snoot or shroud the maker offers to limit spill as DarkSky's targeted and controlled principles ask. [3] [1]

03

Compare what suppliers offer

Suppliers linked to this page list outdoor landscape or garden lighting; each card links to the page reviewed.

Listings include deck, step, path, up and in-ground lights; landscape spotlights, bollards and fountain lights; garden and lawn lights with street and flood lighting; and solar garden lights. Ask each for input voltage, IP rating, colour temperature, beam angles and control options.

04

Size the 12 V transformer and the cable for each run

Alcon Lighting's landscape design guidelines size a 12 V transformer by adding the wattage of all its lamps plus 10% as a safety factor; the total must stay below the transformer's capacity. Voltage drop dims the last lamps on a run and depends on cable length, cable size and total fixture wattage, so the guide sets maximum cable length = cable constant ÷ total fixture watts × 2: for 12-2 cable carrying 150 W, 7500 ÷ 150 × 2 = 100 ft. Its checklist keeps voltage drop to 2 volts or less. [4]

To limit drop it lists heavier cable (a lower gauge number is thicker), shorter runs, lower wattage, more transformers and fewer fixtures per run, or a loop, a split load with the transformer in the centre, or a T feed whose main cable is 10-2 or 8-2. [4]

Editorial calculation: the ten 9 W fixtures above (90 W) need a transformer above 90 × 1.1 = 99 W, and on 12-2 cable the formula allows 7500 ÷ 90 × 2 ≈ 167 ft (about 51 m); a 2 V drop is about 17% of 12 V. Ask for the transformer rating, cable gauge and length to the last fixture. [4]

05

Trace the luminaire components

This is a functional reference built from the sources cited; it is not one maker's specification.

06

Fill the specification fields with values for your site

A landscape lighting quotation needs values for your site. The table explains each field, gives published values where a reviewed source states them, and says what to obtain from the supplier.

07

Send the fixtures, supply and site data together

Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.

Fixtures: [types; quantities; wattage; beam]
Colour: [CCT; RGB]
Supply: [line or 12/24 V; driver/transformer]
Control: [switch; Triac; 0–10 V; DALI; DMX; timer]
Protection: [IP per location; material]
Mounting: [spike; surface; in-ground; wall]
Site: [plan; local lighting rules]

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