The case for Low Voltage Lighting

Low Voltage (12V) Landscape Lighting

Low voltage landscape lighting is a viable option for many Commercial and Residential outdoor lighting situations.
In most cases, there are far more choices of low voltage landscape lighting fixtures, bulbs, wattages, and designs to accomplish your desired lighting goals. Some common advantages of 12V landscape lighting are listed below:

• Operates safely in wet locations/conditions
• Safer and less disruptive to install
• Safe for use where children and pets play, dig, and chew
• Cable does not need to be in conduit, with no required bury depth
• Gives more variety in lighting fixtures and bulbs
• Easy relocation of fixtures, when rearranging landscaping or making home improvements
• More elegant designs and options available
  
• Less expensive (10 times in most cases)

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Line Voltage (120V) Landscape Lighting

Line voltage (120V) outdoor lighting is most often used in commercial, security, and public-use applications. Line voltage outdoor lighting is more complicated in process and use as compared to low voltage lighting. Most common applications at 120V are lighting large areas, using fewer but brighter fixtures, and in residential applications where there is extensive up-lighting on a large canopy of big trees, (although modern low voltage LED fixtures can now accomplish the same outcome). Modern LED technology has overcome most of the 120V advantages previously pointed to. Some common disadvantages of 120V landscape lighting are listed below:

• Requires an electrician for installation
• Connections must be waterproof – shock hazard
• Any cable must be buried 18″ deep or inside conduit – requires trenching
• Line voltage fixtures are large. There are fewer fixture and lighting options
• More expensive (5-10 times)