Glowing Outside: Outdoor and Landscape Lighting

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Department of Energy statistics reveal that approximately 22 percent of all electricity generated in the United States is used for lighting, and about 10 percent of that is used to power outdoor lighting applications. It’s a relatively small slice of the pie, but market activity is increasingly proving outdoor and landscape lighting to be a hotbed of activity and a great place to look for opportunities in improving lighting quality and lifespan while significantly reducing energy consumption, costs and maintenance concerns. Several major outdoor-lighting manufacturers discuss the trends making headlines in this market segment and ways for electrical contractors to stay on the cutting-edge of this dynamic field.

For the last several decades, HID [high-intensity discharge] lamp technology dominated the outdoor market,” said David Grimm, vice president and general manager of outdoor products for Acuity Brands Lighting, Conyers, Ga. “Then, new technology, such as LEDs [light-emitting diodes], became available to improve the user’s experience with lighting. Early on, LEDs were used primarily where colored lighting effects were desired, and their usage continued to evolve into areas where maintenance was particularly challenging or expensive.
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“More recently, however, applications with high energy costs started to make LED technology attractive. Today, with all of the advancements that have been made in optics, thermal management, chip technology and controls, there are few reasons to use anything but LEDs for outdoor applications,” he said.


From residential, commercial and industrial venues to gas stations, garages, street and roadway lighting, and to beautification projects in public areas, LEDs are revolutionizing markets once served by workhorse HID and halogen technology.