Outdoor Lighting 

Outdoor lighting can greatly enhance the safety, security, and enjoyment of your home. Given the long hours that many of us have to put in to commute back and forth to work, extending the useful time to enjoy your deck, patio, or garden can be well worth the investment. Additionally, with the increasing concern about crime, it is comforting to know that a well designed outdoor lighting system may significantly decrease the chances of being a victim.
 

 This site is designed to help contractors and homeowners design and install low voltage landscape lighting. It is not intended to be a complete guide to all aspects of low voltage lighting or outdoor lighting. Technical and theoretical information is limited to only that necessary to plan and install typical residential outdoor lighting projects.
 

The idea of using low voltage lamps for outdoor lighting originated in the mid 1950’s with Bill Locklin. Because of time constraints, Bill, an electrical contractor, improvised garden lighting for a party being held by a client. He created a beautiful installation using coffee and juice cans equipped with 12 volt lamps. The technique proved to be so successful that Bill created Nightscaping®, the first low voltage landscape lighting company. Nightscaping® continues to be the innovation leader in the industry.
 

The industry has come a long way from coffee and juice cans and tail light bulbs. Today there are scores of 12 volt lamps available to the designer in order to put the right amount and quality of light where it is needed. There are hundreds of fixture models and they incorporate a wide range of materials: cast aluminum, brass, copper, high strength composites, as well as advanced plastics. Transformers, once limited to about 100 watts, are available to handle up to 1000 watts and have sophisticated control systems to ensure that the light is there when needed.
 

While the technology and availability has steadily improved, the basic advantages have remained the same. Low voltage outdoor lighting is a safe and relatively easy way to add to the safety, security, and beauty of your home.