KICKER NIGHTLIGHTING
By Kevin Smith
Rural area lighting U
rban and residential areas are usually prime targets for landscape lighting contractors. With increased awareness and desire for outdoor lighting, it is a given that more
populated areas will keep lighting professionals the busiest. Even though these more populated areas are predominant, I encourage you to remember the rural areas of our communities, especially now. Rural areas are a fast-growing relocation option
for many people who can now work from home. Get- ting out of the rat race is becoming a new goal for many people. Country living and renovations of old farmhouses and ranches are popular subjects for both DIY TV shows and social media posts. Tese areas need your lighting talents, too! For years, these more rural homes have been choice destinations for fami- ly gatherings and social events. Today, many of these rural properties are being turned into private event centers and rental properties.
As a lighting expert, it is always
Classic older farm- houses often have many rustic design
elements incorporated. The outdoor lighting on the structure and
around the area should reflect its charm.
important to provide a diagnostic check of the light levels on a prop- erty, regardless of the location. With most rural properties, ambient light from streetlights is likely nonexistent, but do the due diligence to verify any other potential ambient light source. Before designing the project, inves- tigate any existing fixtures around the area. Take note of the color tem- perature and account for that in your landscape lighting design. Classic older farmhouses often
have many rustic design elements in- corporated. Te outdoor lighting on
the structure and around the area should reflect its charm. Perhaps the original fixtures need to be refur- bished to keep the rich patina they would have had originally. For example, this may include converting an old 120V fixture to low voltage. It is important to consult with your licensed electrical contractor before doing a conversion. On the other hand, modern farmhouses usually
Kevin Smith is the national technical support and
trainer at Brilliance LED LLC, Carefree, Arizona, and can be reached at
kevin.smith@
brillianceled.com.
10 Irrigation & Lighting Spring 2022
take on classic, industrial or modern design elements. For these properties, lean toward fixture options that offer clean, straight lines. You may consider a bol- lard with a hidden light source or an L-shaped path light for traverse lighting. Both classic and modern farmhouse properties will require your expert skills in selecting the right effects to complement the archi- tecture and the landscape.
Perhaps the rural area you want to light has no
power in close proximity. If that is the case, consider professional grade solar lighting options. Te most recognized style of solar lights is onboard solar panels. Fixtures equipped with onboard solar panels
provide power to a series of rechargeable batteries. Typically, this kind of fixture is controlled by a small photocell that is built into the fixture or panel. Tese fixtures provide a quick and easy installation if there is no electricity to power a transformer. Remember, the sun constantly moves during the day, so it is im- portant to install these fixtures in areas with little or no shade. Professional grade onboard solar products can be equipped with high-quality panels that can be moved to face the sun in different seasons. Some products also use larger battery systems, which allow for longer run times. Te light sources in such profes- sional products as these allow for higher outputs and better color renderings. Remote panel systems are very similar to a stan-
dard low voltage lighting system. Tis style of system requires a solar panel, a controller, a battery and a fix- ture. All these components must be engineered for the run times and load requirements. Te solar pan- el needs to be attached to a pole with an adjustable mounting system, and it works best when facing true south and away from any shaded areas. Using a swivel mount allows contractors to adjust the panel for the proper latitude and longitude, as well as for different seasons during the year. Te size of the solar panels is determined by the
size of the battery required. Batteries for these sys- tems are specified by the amp hour rating. Amp hour ratings are an important factor when determining the amount of 12VDC load and the run time required for the system. In general, batteries for these systems are mounted in a weatherproof enclosure off the ground. Controllers for solar lighting systems are gener-
ally easy to program and are available in indoor and outdoor rated units. You can select fixtures according to the project’s requirements. Most of the low volt- age LED landscape lighting manufactured today will work on both 12VAC and 12VDC systems. Remote panel systems are a great solution for areas that are off-grid or too far from a standard power supply. If rural landscape lighting seems to be an un- tapped market in your area, perhaps a weekend ride to the country might be in order. Remember, as a light- ing professional, your job is to remind all potential customers (regardless of where they are located) that lighting is a necessity and not an option!
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