Design Outdoor Lighting For Flexibility

There have been a lot of changes in technology for outdoor lighting. It wasn’t that long ago that cutting edge technology allowed homeowners to independently control the front and back yard lights. Now we can offer customers a wide range of choices in colour, beam spread, and intensity. Designing your outdoor lighting for zones allows for greater flexibility and energy conservation. Control your outdoor lighting depending on its use or function, and control it all from your phone or tablet.

When we say zones, we mean the fixtures grouped close together on one electrical line. You can have multiple lines going to the transformer allowing for more individual control and flexibility. You may group fixtures or create zones based on proximity to each other, or based on their function. Security lights will need to stay on all night, likely, whereas the decorative lights for aesthetics could be set to turn off when you go to bed. Our experts can create as much versatility as you need if that flexibility is built into the design.

To design for zones, create a rough diagram of your yard and make note of any features that you want the ability to light independently such as a pond, fountain, or statue. Any lights that are for a specific purpose, such as security, safety, or aesthetics, should all be in different zones. Pathway lighting for safety. Downlights in the tree for entertaining. Uplights along the foundation to highlight the house façade. Spotlights for the garage for security. Don’t be afraid to have lights serve more than one function too! When you design this way, you can have greater control so that the pathway lights and the lights in the tree are one when company are over, but only the pathway lights stay on all night. This allows you to conserve energy and only use the lights you want when you need them.

Don’t go too crazy and designating zones in the design. Our experts can help you choose the optimal number of zones for your yard and purposes. The more zones you have the more electrical lines need to be installed which may require an upgrade in your electrical panel or at the very least complicates the installation. Stick to the basic purposes. Remember, some fixtures are able to pull double duty depending on your purpose.

Zones allow you to program each group of light fixtures separately if you want. You can have some remain on all night, for security, or have some only come on manually. Program your zones for different seasons or have the lights adapt to your own routine. Go to bed earlier on Friday and Saturday, have the lights stay on longer on those nights. You don’t need to completely light up the front yard to deter thieves. Our Landscape Lighting Ottawa experts can create a design that will meet your specific needs while delivering a unique look you’ll be proud of for years to come.

Know that you can control zones to turn on and off with the different seasons, or to coincide with your own sleeping patterns. Prefer to stay up late on Fridays and Saturdays, but have the lights turn off earlier the rest of the week? You can do that. You’ll also have the option to turn the lights off manually.

We’d love to answer your outdoor lighting questions or help you design a truly unique lighting plan for your home or business. Contact our lighting experts to learn more about our lighting services or view our gallery of one-of-a-kind designs.