Exterior lighting is the strategic use of outdoor light to keep people safe, secure your property, highlight your landscape and architecture, and make your building easier to find and use after dark—all while managing energy costs and protecting the night sky.
In this guide, we’ll discuss together these key ideas:
- Why exterior lighting is so important for safety, security, and everyday usability
- How Dark Sky ordinances and light pollution are changing the future of night lighting
- Practical ways to make your lighting Dark Sky compliant without sacrificing visibility
- How landscape lighting can boost curb appeal and property value for homes and commercial sites
- The role of exterior lighting in advertising and business operations
- Core design and installation considerations: efficiency, light trespass, winter safety, and more
- Why LED technology is the best choice, and how Relumination helps you plan and implement energy-efficient solutions
By the end, you’ll see how the right LED exterior lighting can help you save up to 90% in lighting energy costs, keep people safer, increase property value, and still help restore our beautiful night skies.
Why Exterior Lighting Matters More Than You Think?
Exterior lighting might not be something that all business owners or homeowners consider first. But having outdoor areas with appropriate lighting can positively impact your property in numerous ways.
For businesses and organizations, exterior lighting provides:
- Security – Having exterior lighting around your structure can deter criminals before they even consider entering your facility’s grounds. Customers are more likely to find a business approachable if it appears to be safe for them and their families.
- Safety – Owning and operating your own business or organization can often mean long hours and late nights. Having exterior lights around your property means added safety for you and your employees or volunteers as you lock up and walk to your cars after dark (and even in the early morning hours).
- Practicality – Outdoor lighting enhances your ease of movement around the grounds. Whether you are locking or unlocking doors and gates, or simply loading items into and out of vehicles before sunrise or after sunset, exterior lighting helps make these processes easier, as you don’t have to fumble around with keys and search for things in the dark.
- Advertisement – As people drive home from work or social events in the late hours, what better way for them to see your business or organization’s name than to have it in a spotlight? Lights deter burglars and vandals, but they also draw the right kind of attention and direct it where it needs to be—on your sign(s) and the services offered.
For homes, exterior lighting is a major part of curb appeal and perceived value. A well-lit house is a welcoming and beautiful house. It helps guests and buyers see where they are going, and it immediately signals that the property is cared for, inviting, and safe.
In short: whether you’re lighting a home, apartment community, office building, or commercial site, exterior lighting isn’t a luxury—it’s part safety system, part marketing, part user experience.
Dark Sky Ordinances and the Future of Night Lighting
If you’ve ever had the opportunity to gaze at the stars in a truly dark sky, you know what an awe-inspiring experience it is. But the sad truth is, most Americans have never enjoyed such an occasion. Not because they haven’t looked up at night, but because what passes as a “dark sky” in modern society is, in reality, far from actually dark.
Growing population centers and the accompanying artificial lighting are the primary reason for this lack of inky delight.
Even areas usually considered remote are feeling the effects of an overabundance of indiscriminate incandescence.
The National Park Service is taking serious note of the problem of light encroachment and its effects on wildlife and tourists alike, and through its Night Skies Program, is undertaking the protection of nighttime resources in our national parks.
Population doesn’t have to be synonymous with light pollution, however. Cities and counties do have that power in the form of night lighting ordinances—reining in light from signs, parking lots, and even their own street lights—and can significantly reduce the light footprint of a community.
And, in fact, with estimates that up to 50% of exterior night lighting is energy wasted as it simply escapes into the increasingly illuminated night sky, many municipalities are putting forth Dark Sky Ordinances to conserve energy and combat light pollution simultaneously.
So what do these types of ordinances mean for future lighting? Are we relegated to stumbling around in dark, unsafe conditions?
Decidedly not.
Technological advances in energy-efficient lighting, such as high-quality LED lights and Dark Sky Compliant fixtures, offer a full array of choices that not only embrace the spirit of night sky preservation and save up to 90% in lighting energy costs but also provide many other advantages.
How to Make Exterior Lighting Dark Sky Compliant?
Exterior lighting provides tremendous benefits when it comes to safety. At the same time, outdoor lighting can contribute to light pollution if not installed correctly. Excess light pollution is attributed to health problems in humans, in addition to being disruptive to wildlife.
So what’s the answer? You don’t need to give up lighting—you just need to control it better.
Here are a few ideas from your content to ensure your landscape and site lighting is Dark Sky friendly so that you can enjoy its benefits without causing unnecessary damage to the environment:
Use Fully Shielded, Downward-Facing Fixtures
An excellent way to avoid overly lighting up the night sky is to use fixtures that shine directly at the ground rather than upward. Choose light fixtures with openings only on the bottom rather than at the top and bottom. That way, you’ll avoid sending any unneeded light into the atmosphere, but will still be able to illuminate the areas you use most often after dark.
Add Motion-Sensing Lights Where Possible
Motion lights are very helpful at preserving the night sky because they shine only when they are needed. As a result, you could also notice a great deal of savings on your energy bill. Consider placing motion lights near your garage, outdoor shed, patio, or front porch to reduce the amount of outdoor light transmitted by your fixtures.
Motion-sensing lights are also very important for maintaining security in commercial areas at night. Installing these light fixtures outside your business can help discourage theft and break-ins by providing instant, attention-grabbing light when someone approaches.
Use Timers and Schedules
If motion lights aren’t feasible, consider placing your lights on a timer instead. This helps reduce light pollution by allowing you to turn lights off when unnecessary. For example, you may not need to have the front area of your business lit up all night for safety, so you could time the lights to go off whenever traffic dies down. This is yet another money-saving idea that is also earth-friendly.
Choose Softer, Earth-Tone Colors Where Appropriate
Colored lights are less likely to emit light pollution than very bright white or yellow ones are. Consider adding colored bulbs to your existing features—earth tones tend to produce just the right amount of light, yet are not overly brilliant. Used carefully, they can help blend your lighting into the environment rather than overpower it.
Want more environmentally friendly landscape lighting ideas? That’s exactly the kind of design Relumination can help with.
Why LED Technology Is the Best Choice for Exterior Lighting
As Dark Sky ordinances spread and energy costs rise, LED lighting stands out as the clear technology of choice.
At Relumination, we specialize in providing energy-efficient LED lighting solutions so that you can cut down on your own company’s energy costs and improve the quality of your exterior light at the same time.
Here’s why LEDs are such a strong fit for exterior lighting:
- Energy savings up to 90% – LED lighting contributes to energy savings and sustainability by improving working conditions through deliberately directed light and lowering the energy needed to power lighting fixtures. You can save up to 90% on all your energy costs and lower your electricity bill while reducing operating costs.
Long life and durability – LED light bulbs last far longer than incandescent or fluorescent alternatives, which means you will spend less money and time on bulb changes. Fixtures are designed for harsh outdoor conditions and are sealed against moisture, dust, and insects. - Environmentally friendly – LED lights are free from harmful materials such as mercury and are recyclable. They have a low operating temperature, so they will not heat your office or outdoor gathering spaces.
- High-quality, stable light – LEDs consistently provide pleasing lighting color for over 50,000 hours. The lights do not degrade or discolor sharply over time and do not damage the objects and surfaces that they illuminate.
- Comfort and safety – LED lights do not emit infrared or ultraviolet rays. Unlike incandescent and fluorescent lights, LED lighting is far less likely to cause sore eyes and headaches, making your outdoor spaces more comfortable to use at night.
Instant-on and dimmable – LEDs are instantly on, and they are fully dimmable. That makes them perfect for motion sensors, timers, and daylight-responsive controls without flicker or warm-up delays.
If you are concerned about how safe LED lights are, you shouldn’t be. Used with the right fixture design and controls, they are one of the safest, most controllable, and most efficient options for exterior lighting available today.
Landscape Lighting and Property Value
Property value is measured beyond an actual dollar amount. The appeal of a property and its ability to draw many people are of the utmost importance to any property owner. One very important way to increase this appeal is to highlight the best aspects of the property’s exterior.
Whether you’re selling a home, a rental property, or a commercial building, landscape lighting can significantly boost curb appeal.
Highlight Entrances and Front Doors
The entrance of a property is a huge selling point. Property owners want to make sure the front door is highlighted as a focal point. Ensuring that it is well-lit and features a clear doorway can give the property a real wow factor.
Landscape lighting can effectively highlight the most beautiful aspects of your home or building. Lights can help guests find their way in the dark or can bring attention to your front door. Lighting welcomes visitors to your home and makes it feel like a warm and inviting place.
Beyond the great presentation, a lit entryway is also less likely to be burglarized and therefore much more secure.
Illuminate Walkways and Paths
Walking paths leading to a door or around the side of a home or commercial property are also opportunities for additional lighting. There are several walkway lighting options available to highlight this area specifically. It also adds a level of depth to the overall light concept, featuring all these extras in the landscape design.
For homes, lighting your sidewalk or walkway leading to your front door not only helps guests see where they’re going, it gives a strong sense of organization and care. For businesses or apartment communities, this kind of lighting becomes a safety must-have.
Showcase Hedges and Plantings
If you’re going to showcase the hedges or other landscaped areas around the building itself, ensure that they’re kept manicured and looking their best. Clean lines and attention to detail in this area can be a real showcase for any property, so providing additional lighting is crucial for adding value.
As always, strategic planning with a landscape professional is the best way to optimize your budget and maximize value. Exterior lighting is a top priority for buyers and tenants, so having the right concept is important.
Value, Security, and ROI for Homeowners
The statistics on burglary and home invasion can alarm any homeowner. A house that is brightly lit at night is less attractive to burglars. While these lights can be a fantastic crime deterrent, leaving them on all night is wasteful and will likely annoy your neighbors, so consider investing in lights with a motion sensor. When the sensor is triggered, the lights will turn on, scaring off any potential intruders and alerting you to their presence.
Adding exterior lighting can offer a huge return on investment. For a few hundred dollars and a few hours of work, you can boost your curb appeal and make your house worth more. Even if you aren’t planning on selling your house any time soon, it’s always a smart idea to keep improving your home. When it does come time to sell, you’ll be glad you made small changes.
Exterior Lighting for Business: Safety, Security, and Daily Operations
For commercial properties, exterior lighting is not just about looks—it’s deeply practical.
Security and Crime Deterrence
Lighting can provide an atmosphere of safety. Criminals are less likely to approach individuals or even attempt to break into a business when there is sufficient lighting in the outdoor areas. Well-lit entrances, loading zones, and parking areas make it harder for intruders to hide and easier for security cameras to capture usable footage.
Lighting around signs and building facades helps keep vandals and opportunists away, while ensuring customers can see your brand even at night.
Safe Movement for Staff, Customers, and Tenants
As the days get shorter and the nights longer, having exterior lighting is more important than ever. Whether you own an office building or an apartment building, you need to make sure that office workers or apartment tenants stay safe. People will be leaving work when it’s dark, and ice and snow can create dangerous situations in winter.
Good exterior lighting should:
- Be placed along all walkways around your building, by steps, and near the entrance. Having lights near the entrance will make the building look more welcoming.
- Cover the parking lot, so that people can enter and leave their cars safely, and so that they can see where they are going—around one in five collisions occur in parking lots.
- Be installed all around your building, especially near any entrance points, to keep your building safe at night from intruders.
An additional perk of having outdoor lighting for a business is making the conduction of business a more simple process. Whether it be in the early mornings, dusk, or at night, having proper lighting in the parking lot and around the buildings makes deliveries, opening and closing, and loading for customers a much simpler process. This not only makes customers feel invited but also makes them more likely to desire to return in the future and recommend the business to their friends and family members.
What are Key Design Considerations for Exterior Lighting?
Good exterior lighting isn’t just about adding more fixtures. It’s about smart design that balances cost, performance, safety, and environmental impact.
1. Light Efficiency Relates Directly to Cost
When it comes to cost, the efficiency of your lighting system is highly relevant. Efficient lighting systems not only significantly reduce the amount of electricity necessary, but they also tend to have light bulbs that last much longer, reducing the cost of maintenance.
Consider installing a system that turns the lights on and off based on the current amount of natural light available. A lot of energy is wasted on lights that are not programmed to turn on and off according to the constantly changing lighting schedule.
2. Avoid Light Trespass and Glare
Light that inadvertently leaves your property can often cause problems. According to Discover Lighting, “Light trespass is the light that leaves the area for which the lighting system was designed and ‘trespasses’ onto the neighboring property.” To minimize this effect, the light from an installation must be controlled with a combination of luminaire optics, pole placement, and overall light levels.
In practice, that means:
- Using shielded fixtures aimed only where light is needed
- Carefully planning pole height and location so light reaches walkways and parking bays without blasting into windows
- Choosing appropriate lumen levels and beam spreads rather than simply oversizing fixtures
You also don’t want the lights to be too bright and end up shining through the building’s windows. The outside surroundings usually don’t reflect light as much as indoor furniture. This can cause the light to shine heavily on one area without lighting up other areas. You want the light to cast a glow over a large swath of land, not create harsh hotspots and dark gaps.
3. Prioritize Security Zones
In many outdoor lighting systems, security at night is a top priority. This is especially true if the lighting will be used in an area with many businesses or automobiles. Although the aesthetics of a lighting system are essential, light coverage in areas vulnerable to thieves is a strong crime deterrent. Such areas should be illuminated to the full extent that the scope of the design allows, while still respecting Dark Sky principles.
4. Plan for Future Landscaping and Underground Lines
For commercial exterior lighting, you should also think about the landscape and infrastructure around your site:
- Future changes to your landscape – Ideally, outdoor lighting plans will be made after all the elements of your landscaping are already in place. That way, you can determine which features you would like to highlight at night, and then plan your lighting arrangements accordingly. If you are considering adding new plants, be sure to share this information with a lighting designer in order to ensure your fixtures will continue to work well in the future.
Where will lines be buried? – Burying electric wires can be disruptive to other utility lines. To ensure no lines are present, you should call 811 at least three days prior to digging a trench to house landscape wiring in. You’ll also need to determine whether or not lines will need to run underneath sidewalks or other concrete structures so that you can attempt to reroute them if possible. - Prior authorization – If you currently lease your space, you could be restricted on how and where exterior lighting is placed. Likewise, the addition of certain fixtures could require you to obtain a building permit as well.
You’ll also need help from an experienced exterior lighting specialist. That’s where Relumination comes in.
How to Choose the Right Company: How Relumination Helps
If you are looking for exterior lighting solutions for your growing business, you should look no further than Relumination. We are a company that specializes in providing energy-efficient lighting solutions.
We help you:
- Reduce energy costs by choosing LED fixtures, controls, and layouts that minimize wasted light and power.
- Lower maintenance expenses with durable, long-life fixtures that stand up to outdoor conditions.
- Decrease your environmental footprint by using sustainable, recyclable LED technology and Dark Sky conscious designs.
- Improve your quality of light so your site feels brighter, safer, and more welcoming at night.
Our process includes:
- Assessing your existing exterior lighting, safety needs, and Dark Sky or local ordinance requirements
- Designing LED-based solutions using shielded, efficient fixtures and practical controls (timers, motion sensors, photocells)
- Installing the system safely and efficiently, coordinating around your business operations
- Helping you understand and access any rebates or incentives for energy-efficient upgrades
The best lighting company is one that provides energy–efficient solutions and understands both the technical and human sides of lighting. That’s the niche Relumination fills.
Conclusion
Exterior lighting is much more than a few lamps on poles. Done right, it:
- Keeps people safe as they walk, drive, and work after dark
- Deters crime and protects your buildings, assets, and residents
- Makes your business easier to find and more attractive to new customers
- Boosts curb appeal and property value for homes and commercial sites
- Minimizes light pollution and preserves our shared night sky
- Controls operating costs, especially when you choose efficient LEDs and smart controls
Dark Sky ordinances and rising energy prices are not threats to good lighting—they are invitations to do lighting smarter. With LED technology, Dark Sky compliant fixtures, motion sensors, timers, and thoughtful design, you can create exterior lighting that is bright where it needs to be, dark where it should be, and efficient everywhere.
Relumination is dedicated to helping commercial and residential clients reduce energy costs, lower maintenance expenses, decrease their environmental footprint, and improve their quality of light through energy-efficient lighting solutions.
If you’re ready to save energy costs, protect people and wildlife, increase property value, and help restore our beautiful night skies, contact Relumination and let us help you design and implement your next exterior LED lighting project. The future of responsible outdoor lighting is here—and it can start at your property.
