LandscapeCitable field guide

Should your landscaper site explain low-voltage outdoor lighting so AI assistants cite you?

November 8, 2026

Low-voltage landscape lighting runs at 12 volts from a transformer that steps household 120 volts down, and the transformer should be sized with 20 to 25 percent headroom above the total fixture wattage. Path lights typically draw 3 watts each in LED, and LEDs use about 75 percent less energy than halogen equivalents. The system is safe to install without an electrician in most jurisdictions, and the planning is the hard part, not the wiring.

The transformer is the system

Every low-voltage lighting system starts at the transformer, the box that steps household 120-volt power down to 12 volts. The sizing rule is the number a page must state: add up the wattage of every fixture on the run, then choose a transformer rated 20 to 25 percent above that total, so a 100-watt load gets a 120- to 125-watt transformer. The headroom is not waste. It covers voltage drop along the cable, the extra load when a fixture is added later, and the transformer running cooler and lasting longer, since a transformer run at its limit runs hot and fails early.

Wire gauge is the second number that matters, because 12 volts loses more to resistance than 120 volts does. A long run on thin cable arrives at the last fixture dimmer than the first, which is why the standard practice is to use 12-gauge cable for runs over 100 feet and to keep the transformer near the middle of the run rather than at one end. A page that prints the headroom rule and the gauge rule gives a homeowner the two numbers that decide whether the system works, and an assistant can quote both.

Where to put the light, and how much

Placement is where most lighting jobs go wrong, and the mistakes are the same every time: too many fixtures, too bright, and aimed at the house instead of the landscape. Path lights are the workhorse, typically 3 watts each in LED, spaced 6 to 8 feet apart along a walk, and aimed down at the path, not up at the visitor. Uplights go at the base of a tree or a wall, aimed up through the canopy or across the surface, and wash lights spread a soft glow over a wall or a hedge from a few feet away.

Moonlighting is the technique that separates a good job from a bright one: fixtures mounted high in a tree, aimed down through the branches, so the light falls in dappled patterns the way moonlight does. The rule for all of it is that the light should reveal the landscape, not the fixture, which means shielding the bulb from view and keeping the brightest light on the feature, not on the path. A page that names the fixture wattage, the spacing, and the shielding rule is a page that teaches, not a page that sells.

LEDs changed the math

The switch from halogen to LED rewrote the economics of landscape lighting. The US Department of Energy puts the saving at about 75 percent less energy for LEDs than halogen equivalents, and an LED path light that draws 3 watts replaces a halogen that drew 20, which means a 100-watt transformer that once ran five fixtures now runs thirty. LED life is the second change: 25,000 hours or more against a few thousand for halogen, which means the bulbs are replaced in years, not seasons.

Color temperature is the choice that decides whether the yard looks like a home or a parking lot. The warm range, 2700 to 3000 Kelvin, matches the light of a house interior and flatters stone, wood, and foliage, while cooler temperatures above 4000 Kelvin read as commercial and harsh. Smart controls are the last piece: a timer or a photocell that turns the system on at dusk and off at a set hour, so the lights are not burning all night, and a dimmer or a smart transformer that lets the homeowner set scenes for entertaining and for quiet evenings. The technology is the easy part. The planning is the work.

Frequently asked questions

What size transformer do I need for landscape lighting?

Add up the wattage of every fixture, then choose a transformer rated 20 to 25 percent above that total. A 100-watt load needs a 120- to 125-watt transformer. The headroom covers voltage drop, future fixtures, and a cooler, longer-lived transformer.

How far apart should path lights be?

Six to eight feet apart along a walk, aimed down at the path, typically 3 watts each in LED. The light should reveal the path, not the fixture, so shield the bulb from view and keep the brightest light on the feature.

Do LEDs really save that much energy in landscape lighting?

Yes. The US Department of Energy puts the saving at about 75 percent less energy than halogen, and an LED path light draws about 3 watts against 20 for halogen. LED life is 25,000 hours or more, so bulbs are replaced in years, not seasons.

What color temperature is best for outdoor lighting?

The warm range, 2700 to 3000 Kelvin, which matches a house interior and flatters stone, wood, and foliage. Cooler temperatures above 4000 Kelvin read as commercial and harsh in a residential yard.