UPDATED July 28, 2022 The future of LEDs is bright. LEDs take the least amount of energy and are rapidly being perfected in brightness and appearance — evolving from their bluish/white glow into a variety of incandescent, warmer options. It’s no wonder they have gained dominance in the marketplace.
Whether you are interested in the quality of light or the energy-saving benefits, it’s time to start thinking in terms of lumens when it comes to how bright you want your outdoor space to be. How many lumens you need, depends on the use of the area you are lighting.
For commercial solar lighting applications, we recommend using Foot Candle (or Lux in the metric system) as the measurement to determine how illuminated a surface should be. For more on Watts, Lumens and Foot Candles in commercial solar lighting, see our Commercial Grade Solar Lights: Guide to Watts, Lumens and Foot Candles – Part 1 blog.
A lumen is simply a unit of measurement of visible light. When shopping for newer, energy-efficient LED light bulbs, understanding light output in lumens is essential. Not surprisingly, more lumens equal more brightness. If you are looking for the brightest LED bulb for floodlights for example, simply find the one with the most lumens.
Watts and lumens measure two different things. Wattage measures the amount of electrical power the light bulb consumes. In the old days, when we shopped for incandescent light bulbs, we loosely estimated the brightness of a bulb based on how much power it required.
Lumens, on the other hand, measure the actual brightness — regardless of how much power is needed. Buying a light based on lumens is actually a more accurate way to determine the brightness than buying a light based on wattage.
Nope. Not anymore. A long time ago, conventional logic dictated that a bulb with higher wattage would produce a brighter light but today, this isn’t always the case. Thankfully, advances in modern lighting allow us to produce more light using less energy. A 23-watt LED for instance, can produce the same amount of light (or lumens) as a 100-watt incandescent — and the technology is only getting better!
Whether it’s for saving money on electricity or being an environmentally aware homeowner, many people have already switched to energy-saving LED bulbs for their outdoor lights. Many have even switched to solar powered LED outdoor lights saving hundreds of dollars per year on their electricity bill while enjoying bright, highly durable and beautifully designed lights.
Because most of us are still used to thinking of light output in terms of watts, here is a cheat sheet to give you an idea of the average lumens needed for various outdoor LED lighting.
Generally, path lighting is considered decorative accent lighting. But it’s actually very useful for visitors to see the walkway. Solar LED pathway lighting has come a long way. Bollard lights are also a popular choice for effective solar path lighting. 80 lumens is considered bright enough for most walkways — including commercial properties. For garden lights used as accent lighting, 50 lumens is generally sufficient to add safety, dimension, color and interest in your yard.
Examples of Gama Sonic’s innovative and beautiful Solar LED Pathway lights include:
Solar Garden Light Shepherd Hook;
Contemporary Solar Path Light;
Premier Garden Solar Light;
Polaris Bollard Solar Light
Stainless Steel Bollard Solar Light with EZ Anchor
Landscape lighting varies in brightness. LED landscape spotlights which are generally accent lighting for shrubs, signs and architecture can range from 100 to 300 lumens. Solar powered LED spotlights have come a long way in clarity, duration and brightness.
Examples of Gama Sonic solar flood lights and solar spotlights include:
Solar Flood light;
Solar Spotlight
The best part of using solar-powered outdoor landscape lighting is that anyone can install them! Because outdoor solar lights don’t need to be wired, you don’t need to hire an expensive electrician or buy complicated tools to do the job. In fact, we at Gama Sonic feature an EZ Anchor system for our solar lamp posts which allows for easy installation in just minutes!
Today’s outdoor solar LED lights are continuing to improve in quality, durability and of course, brightness. Solar LED lights offer you clear, attractive lighting for your outdoor space. Outdoor solar lights also save energy and money! The future of LED lumens and solar energy is promising. Decorate and light up your home with various outdoor solar light options like solar lamp posts, solar post lights, solar path lights and more. As you get used to measuring light intensity by lumens, you will quickly be able to determine the best lights for your home and yard.
“They’re still around for now,” answers Matt. “But lumens are where the future is. It’s an actual measure of brightness, making it more accurate.”
“Ooohhh,” says Christina. “Ok, then how many lumens do outdoor landscape lights need?”
Matt shrugs. “This is where my knowledge stops. We can do what we did when looking up the best brands of outdoor lights and look on Google.”
“That,” -Christina fishes her phone from her purse- “is a great idea! Let’s go ahead and see what we can dig up.”
Here’s what the couple discovers: