Outdoor lighting: function, design and implementation

Adequate lighting makes sense not only indoors, but outdoors too. More and more people are recognising the importance and aesthetic value of well-designed outdoor lighting for properties and gardens, especially along important routes. Terraces and balconies, where people spend a lot of time, also need functional and atmospheric lighting. The entrance area of the house also needs appropriate outdoor lighting.

The most important function of outdoor lighting is to provide safety for anyone walking around the site in the dark. Therefore, path lighting plays a central role; with proper outdoor lighting, expensive liability claims due to accidents are virtually eliminated. Secondly, outdoor lighting increases the comfort of evening gatherings in the garden. When it comes to planning garden lighting, you are spoilt for choice: the range of options is almost endless. Aesthetics are also important, as beautiful outdoor lighting enhances the overall visual impression of an outdoor space, not just when the sun goes down.

When designing outdoor lighting, it is important to consider the IP ratings that each luminaire must meet, depending on its exact location. Brightness and light colour should also be carefully considered. Power connections and ease of operation also need to be considered.

What outdoor lighting? The main decision criteria at a glance:

• Purpose: path lighting, entrance lighting, house and grounds illumination, decorative lighting for garden parties, etc.
• IP device class: What level of weather protection is required?
• Brightness: What light output (measured in lumens) should the outdoor lighting provide?
• Light colour: What colour temperatures in Kelvin (e.g. neutral white) are appropriate?
• Power supply: Plan for secure wiring or opt for solar lights.
• Ease of use: Should it be possible to control outdoor lighting from inside the house? Are motion detectors or twilight switches an advantage?

The choice of outdoor lighting is now so great that it is advisable to get an overview first. There are different ways of categorising outdoor lighting, for example, front door lighting, path lighting and pond lighting, depending on the intended use. Outdoor lighting can be categorised as follows:

Types of outdoor lighting at a glance

• Outdoor ground lighting: Generic term for any outdoor lighting that rises from the ground - from small globe lights on a stand to lamp posts over two metres high.
• Outdoor wall lights: Usually provide a decorative zone and orientation light.
• Outdoor lanterns: Available in countless designs, from classic wall lanterns to modern garden lanterns.
• Outdoor spotlights: Deliver targeted direct light. Wide range from discreet recessed spotlights to powerful façade spotlights.
• In-ground recessed luminaires: Sits flush with the ground, taking up no space. Can be used for both security and decorative purposes.
• Path lights: Installed at the edge of paths to provide safety. These are usually lamp-posts or bollards.
• Lamp Posts: Multi-flame lanterns/lamp posts. Usually over two metres high and therefore able to illuminate a wide area.
• Lamp Posts: Rise high and vertically.
• Bollard luminaires: Half-height (max to waist height) luminaires, often rising vertically.
• Pedestal luminaires: Usually lower than bollards. Particularly suitable for eccentric positions such as pedestals, wall towers, landings and other projections.
• Motion sensor outdoor lights: The sensor switches the light on and off automatically and fully as required.
• Outdoor lights with socket: Useful for plugging in garden tools.
• Solar lights: No electricity bills as they recharge with sunlight during the day.
• Decorative outdoor lights: For example, LED fairy lights for tree decorations and beautifully shaped globes for the garden pond.
• House number lights: Illuminated house numbers improve orientation.
• Underwater lights: Are so well insulated that they can be used underwater.

Where possible, outdoor lighting should be included in the planning of any building work, as the installation of many outdoor wall lights and other outdoor luminaires requires work to be carried out on walls and floors. Last but not least, you should think carefully about what decorative outdoor lighting you want to incorporate in addition to the necessary safety lighting. Of course, all garden lighting should match the style of the existing décor.

What IP rating do outdoor luminaires need?

The IP rating of any outdoor luminaire indicates the weather conditions it can withstand and how well it is protected against being touched, for example by curious children's hands. IP' is short for 'Ingress Protection'. The IP class of equipment has two digits, the first referring to solid foreign bodies and the second to water and other liquids. In most cases, an IP rating of 44 is sufficient.

The most important IP classes at a glance:

• IP23: Protection against solid objects > 12.5mm and water sprayed at an angle of up to 60 degrees. E.g. for outdoor wall luminaires under projecting canopies.
• IP44: Protection against solid objects > 1mm and splashing water. E.g. for path lighting.
• IP65: Protection against dust and jets of water. E.g. for recessed ground luminaires under canopies.
• IP67: Dust-tight and protected against temporary immersion. E.g. for recessed ground luminaires outdoors.

What brightness is appropriate for outdoor lighting?

How many lumens are needed for garden lighting is, of course, not something that can be said across the board. As a guide:

• 40 watt incandescent bulb: approx. 400 lumens
• 60 watt incandescent bulb: approximately 600 lumens

For a nice outdoor wall light, 400 to 600 lumens is usually enough. However, depending on the size of the house, a powerful outdoor spotlight used to highlight parts of the façade may need to produce more than a thousand lumens!

Light colour and insect screen

Warm white light (colour temperature < 3,300 Kelvin) has proved its worth in the home. However, neutral white (3,300 to 5,300 Kelvin) or even daylight white (> 5,300 Kelvin) light is often required, especially outdoors. Particularly energy-efficient LED outdoor luminaires offer the greatest variety. Another advantage of LEDs is that they do not emit ultraviolet or infrared light, which attracts pesky insects!

Power connections

When you want to illuminate parts of your property, you often need to run cables for garden lighting. For safety reasons and to keep them out of sight, these should be special underground cables for garden lighting etc. Outdoor luminaires with a socket in the housing are very practical, as they can also be used to power gardening tools. There is also a wide range of versions with more sockets.

Using a solar panel for garden lighting is a new and promising method of providing garden lighting without electricity. This is supplied with most outdoor solar lights; either inside the light, as with globes, or on the outside, which has the advantage of more flexible positioning. Solar garden lights that recharge during the day with free solar energy are classified as garden lights with batteries. In many cases, these are garden lights with a ground spike, which makes it easy to anchor outdoor lights in the ground.

Practical operability

When it comes to ease of use, there are more ways to maximise convenience. Garden lights with remote controls can be operated from the comfort of your sofa. Outdoor lights with motion sensors offer even more freedom: The sensor detects human movement according to the detection angle and range parameters, which can be adjusted on many models, and the lighting duration can usually be set to suit your needs.

Tip: LED lamps can withstand most switching cycles! Garden lighting with a twilight switch switches the light on and off continuously depending on the ambient brightness.

LED wall lights for outdoors

Lamps with LED technology can be used in a variety of ways outdoors: They are particularly popular around the front door, garage or near balcony and patio doors. By illuminating certain areas, especially entrances, they increase safety and help with orientation. But LED outdoor lighting is not just about functionality. They can be used to create atmosphere, decorate the front of a house or set the scene for an area. LED wall luminaires in particular can be used to great effect. If you don't have a continuous power supply outdoors, you can also use solar-powered LED wall lights and save energy at the same time.

Outdoor lighting checklist: Have you thought of everything?

• What outdoor areas do you want to illuminate?
• What is the purpose of the outdoor lighting?
• Do the luminaires need to withstand any particular stresses, such as heavy rain at an angle or frequent dust clouds? Therefore: What IP ratings are required?
• How bright do you want the garden lights to be?
• What light colour do they need?
• Which bulbs (incandescent, energy saving, LED) do you prefer?
• How will the outdoor lighting be powered?
• How will the lights be switched on and off (e.g. remote control, twilight switch or motion detector)?
• Have you really thought about all the outdoor lights?