A well-designed outdoor lighting system can radically transform the look of any home. From illuminating your home’s unique architecture to increasing security at night, outdoor lighting is truly a worthwhile investment. However, many Tennessee homeowners are reluctant to invest in a Nashville outdoor lighting system because of the cost of installation and the cost of replacing old incandescent bulbs that have a tendency to burn out quickly.

Thankfully, there is a solution – LED lighting. LED stands for light-emitting diode, and it is frequently used as backlighting in devices like TVs, radios, telephones, and calculators. In recent years, however, the technology has advanced enough to the point it is now being used in light bulbs. While LED lights initially were very expensive to produce, they have dropped in price significantly over the past two years, making them practical and affordable for just about any lighting needs, including Williamson County outdoor lighting.

The advantages of LED lighting over typical incandescent lighting are tremendous:

Longer lifetime. An LED light lasts 40 to 50 times longer than an incandescent bulb. LED lights last for 50,000 hours (although some can last much longer than this), while incandescent bulbs only last for around 750-1,000 hours.

Less energy consumption. LED lights are much cheaper to operate than incandescent. LEDs only require 6-8 watts of power to operate, while incandescent bulbs require 60. Even compact fluorescents (CFLs), which are often touted as being energy efficient, require 13-15 watts to operate.

Fewer kilowatts. The difference of the kilowatts of electricity used in one year for each type of lighting is astounding: Incandescent bulbs use 3285 KWh/yr, CFLs use 767 KWh/yr, and LEDs use 329 KWh/yr.

Cheaper. Because of their incredibly low power consumption, LED lights are extremely cheap to operate. In one year, the cost of powering 30 incandescent bulbs is $328.59, while 30 CFLs cost $76.65. LED lights, on the other hand, only cost $32.85 per year.

Works in all weather. Unlike most incandescent and CFL bulbs, LEDs operate without any loss in functionality in all types of climates and weather. LEDs are not sensitive to extreme temperatures, and are not sensitive to humidity. Additionally, LED lights produce almost no perceptible heat.

Environmentally-friendly. Unlike CFL bulbs, LED lights can be disposed of at any time and without special precautions and many parts inside can actually be recycled. CFLs, however, are dangerous to the environment, and contain mercury, which can be absorbed into the soil and water supply, causing contamination.

LED lighting was initially very expensive and could not match the brightness of incandescent and CFL bulbs, but the technology has progressed rapidly in recent years. Today, most LED lights are reasonably priced (especially once you factor in their low cost of operation), and they are generally just as bright as incandescent and CFL bulbs.

To put it simply, LED lighting is the future of lighting – for both indoor and outdoor use!