Outdoor spaces are getting even greener with eco-friendly LED lighting, and thanks to their many benefits, they’re becoming more popular.

Angie’s List talked with some highly-rated service providers about LED lighting.
Light emitting diodes or LEDs are praised for their low-energy consumption, long lamp life and low heat generation. The downside to purchasing LED as opposed to the conventional halogen or xenon bulbs, is the initial cost.

A LED fixture can cost 40 percent more than other low-voltage options, but highly-rated lighting professionals on Angie’s List tell us the savings will become greater as the cost of energy continues to rise.

“They consume 90 percent less electricity than traditional low-voltage lighting systems and the lamps last between 15 to 20 years,” says Mark Hanson, owner of highly rated Touchstone Accent Lighting in Long Lake, Minnesota.

The LED bulbs are also a favorite because they don’t get hot. “If a kid touches them, it won’t burn them,” Hanson says. However, this can also be a down- side in colder climates since the lights won’t melt the snow. Lighting designers are beating this obstacle by placing the lights inches higher off the ground than usual.”

The biggest benefit Jim Duerr’s customers have noticed is the lack of maintenance. Duerr, owner of JRD Landscape Lighting & Design in Champlin, Minnesota has already installed a few LED systems in the Twin Cities. “If you have a LED down light in a tree, you won’t have to climb a ladder and change the bulb for 15 years,” Duerr says. “That’s pretty exciting.”