Preliminary Landscape-Outdoor Lighting Design with Zones

One of the first questions a landscape lighting designer or contractor must ask a client is how they intend to use their outdoor space – and what the primary motivation is for them to be adding this new lighting. One of the mistakes that inexperienced lighting designers make is to assume how the client will be using their outdoor living space and lighting. After all, the client is the one who lives there 365 days per year and not the designer.

Landscape and outdoor lighting provides aesthetics, safety, security, and usability for a homeowner’s property. Oftentimes, homeowners will want the lighting for all four of the above categories or as few as one; e.g., security. If security lighting is the primary purpose, then chances are the homeowner will want to have the lights operate from dusk to dawn – and from a control standpoint you would only have to have one zone.

 If the primary purpose of the lighting is for aesthetics only and the homeowners go to bed around 11:00 PM every night, then there’s no point in increasing their electricity bill to operate the lights until 3:00 AM if they are not awake to enjoy them. The same thing can be said for usability of the outdoor living space. If the pond has been drained for the winter and there are three-foot deep snow drifts on the back patio, most homeowners will not be outside barbecuing in the dead of winter – and probably will not be using their lights quite as much. As far as safety, most homeowners do typically like to leave a few of their lights on all night long whether they be carriage lights by their front door or a few landscape lights to light the way along the sidewalk. 

 

All of the zones have been programmed to turn on and off automatically, but the homeowner can turn off any of these zones manually using this 8-button switch. So even after the installation of the low-wattage LEDs, no energy will be wasted at this homeowner’s house.

 Most homeowners typically want to control their back yard lights separately from the lights in the front yard – and they typically have their front yard lights operate for a few hours longer. We have also installed quite a few systems where the homeowners operate the path lighting all night long but have the uplighting for the house and trees turn off at midnight or earlier. We once did a landscape lighting installation for a former Denver Bronco offensive lineman. We had lit up his kids’  jungle gym but he wanted to be able to turn those lights off when he had get-togethers at his house with his team mates. He didn’t want anything to get broken – neither the play equipment or his fellow team mates. For smaller properties that require fewer landscape lighting fixtures, there is typically not much of a need for separate lighting and control zones – and separate zones can unnecessarily drive up the installation cost for a small system. For larger systems, however, separate control zones can help a homeowner save money on their monthly electric bill while also helping the environment. 

PAR36 LED Bulb

At 10:00 AM at the opening of the 2012 Colorado Garden & Home Show on Saturday, February 11th, the Denver office of Outdoor Lighting Perspectives launched this revolutionary new landscape lighting bulb to the Colorado market. More than two years in development and testing, OLP’s new PAR36 LED bulb (6W) will truly transform the landscape lighting business as we know it. The bulb can be used for new installations or to retrofit existing landscape lighting well light fixtures having the standard PAR36 bulb dimensions.

Incandescent Light Bulbs Are Being Phased Out

Happy New Year from Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado! As we bid the year 2011 goodbye, we can also do the same for the energy-inefficient incandescent light bulbs.

Cody – Santa Claus

With two snow storms during the last week, Cody the Airedale, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives’ (OLP) Director of Security and Fun, says that it’s starting to look a lot like Christmas. In fact, OLP and many other Colorado contractors have already started to install Christmas lights for homes, businesses and communities – in preparation for the lights to be turned on during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Genesee Entrance Monument – Solar PV LED

Outdoor Lighting Perspective’s solar photovoltaic (PV) LED lighting system has been operational at the Village of Genesee’s entrance monument for two years now. A few weeks ago we completed the Year Two annual maintenance for the system – and it continues to illuminate the monument nightly with the free energy captured by the sun.

• Confirm that the current levels of the solar array and load do not exceed the controller ratings.
• Tighten all terminal connections. Inspect for loose, broken or burnt wire connections. Be certain that no loose strands of wire are touching other terminals.
• Test that the LED fixture is working.
• Inspect the equipment bay for signs of dirt, insects, moisture, and/or corrosion.
• Ensure that the air flow around the controller is not blocked.
• Check that the controller functions and LED indicators are correct for the system conditions at that time.
• Clean the PV array and reconfirm that the array is oriented correctly.
• Re-confirm that the correct battery type is indicated.
• Check and re-tighten as needed the ground wires by the fixture as well as by the PV array.
• Inspect and re-tighten as needed the mounting system for the fixture.
• Re-touch paint as needed on the solar mast and equipment bay.

As with any type of lighting system, annual and preventive maintenance will ensure that the lights will be on when you need them.

SHOW DATES AND HOURS

• Friday, September 9          (10:00 am to 8:00 pm)
• Saturday, September 10  (10:00 am to 8:00 pm)
• Sunday, September 11      (10:00 am to 5:00 pm)

LED Snowfall Lights

Our exhibit will be showcasing the latest in holiday and Christmas lighting products (LEDs, snowfall lighting, kinetic laser, garland, etc.); smart  phone and internet-based Lighting Control Automation(TM); and the latest in LED and halogen landscape/architectural lighting. In addition, we will also have an LED fixture on display that simulates the look of a gas carriage lighting fixture.

We hope to see you at the show – please stop by and say hello.

Retrofit Low Voltage Quartz Halogen Column Lights

In many of the older neighborhoods in Denver and along the front range, line voltage column lights or lamp posts had been used to illuminate the entrance walkway or driveway to a home. Over many years of time, this underground wiring has become corroded, frayed and/or cut – rendering the lighting fixtures inoperable.

One solution of course would be to trace and identify the defective wiring and either fix it or replace it completely. However, trenching and burying new line voltage wiring (18-inches deep in conduit or 24-inches deep for direct burial) can be very costly, not to mention the disruption and damage to the mature landscaping.

Fortunately, there is a much more cost effective solution for restoring power to these line voltage lamp posts and column lights – and that is by installing a low voltage transformer by the house – and running new low voltage wiring (6-inches deep) to the fixtures. The above photo shows an Outdoor Lighting Perspectives (OLP) installation along the 6th Avenue Parkway in Denver. In addition to not having any power to the columns, the existing fixtures were beyond repair as well. OLP installed two of its copper/brass BB-14 lanterns with 35W quartz halogen bulbs to replace the old fixtures. Not only did the homeowners save money by not having to replace the line voltage wiring, they will also be saving money over time by using more energy efficient bulbs.