But new styles have brought track lighting back to a well-deserved prominence in lighting design schemes.

Track light designs generally use a thin, rectangular support with a channel down the center. That allows for a sturdy hold on the lamps while providing a means for moving them along the rail. That gives flexibility to direct the lights exactly where they’re wanted.

That directionality is key to using track lights well. Because of their nature, they don’t make for a good option for overall ambient lighting. But they’re perfect for their intended applications: accent or task lights.

‘Task lights’ are just what the phrase suggests. They’re lights to allow someone to accomplish a task that requires illumination. That can be anything from working at a bench to assemble a ship in a bottle to giving adequate light to make a large drawing.

Accent lights, by contrast, are intended to provide one or more spots to illuminate a wall, a work of art or a piece of furniture. Sometimes an accent light simply provides an atmosphere, where track lights provide a light display against an otherwise plain surface. In other applications they may highlight a fine stereo or direct light onto a decorative element on a wall or table.

Track lights can do all that. Today, they do it with more style choices than ever. Thanks to advances in CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lights), as well as better output and lower prices for LEDs, track lights are available in more options than in the past.

Not only do those bulb options create different lighting effects and save electricity, they produce much lower heat than incandescents or halogens. That opens up more design choices for shades and covers. When the bulb creates no risk of melting plastic or heating metal to a dangerous temperature, track heads can be smaller, use different shapes and materials, and offer a much larger array of design choices.

Still, many traditional design principles of good track lighting continue to apply.

Since their purpose is chiefly accent or task lighting, track lights should be placed about 18-36 inches above the surface to be highlighted. If they’re directed downward, it’s important to keep them angled away from viewers eyes. If they’re predominantly angled up, they have to be close enough to bounce ample light without being so close as to create just a bright spot. The figure recommended is a comfortable compromise, adjust it for your particular application.

Keep in mind that, depending on the exact circumstances, deep shadows can result from track lights. That may be just what is wanted in particular applications, or it may not. Every individual room will require using good taste to get the lighting scheme just right. Fortunately, that never goes out of style.

Where an interior room angle is, say, 90 degrees the outside corner is also thought of as 90 degrees. But, measured the same way, it’s actually 270 degrees. That difference produces just one of the many wrinkles inherent in an exterior lighting scheme. Add to that the presence of bushes, trees, few if any enclosed hallways or spaces and you have a decidedly different environment to illuminate.

Security is one of the most basic concerns in many exterior lighting schemes though it’s rarely the first.

Deep shadows produced by nooks, bushes, trashcans and other common outdoor home features present a challenge. But flood lamps are designed to solve that exact problem. Place them on both corners of a wall, angled inward and there will be very few places for potential home invaders to hide.

Add motion sensors near points of entry – low windows, small garage doors, the front and rear entrances and so on – and you can have a system that saves energy and looks more low key, but still covers your home. Many come with timers or other features that allow you to ensure they don’t come on during the day or at other undesired times.

All of the above may be categorized under the heading of ambient lighting. Clearly, though, the outdoor scheme is very different than providing general room illumination indoors.

But home protection isn’t the only reason to add lights to the exterior. Convenience can be important, too. That’s where task lighting comes into play.

You drive up onto the driveway then walk up to your front door. That journey might be sufficiently illuminated by street lights. But trees, rural neighborhoods and other factors may cause them to be absent or inadequate. A child’s toy on the sidewalk can be a hazard. Finding keys and the front door lock can be annoying without good coverage of the walkway and entrance. So, task lights that give adequate light to the driveway, walkways and front door become important.

There are times when you’ll need to do minor repairs when it’s dusk or dark. A broken window may not wait until morning. Dusk may be the only time you have to finish a section of garden. Good task lighting can provide you with permanent or mobile solutions.

But when people think of exterior lighting, accent lights are usually uppermost in mind. Giving the home that finished look is often best accomplished by placing lamps at a dozen spots around the house.

The lawn is a popular spot, since both grass and walkways can be covered by the correct choice and placement of lawn lights. Small solar-powered lamps have become an often selected option, and for good reason. Solar lawn lights allow for wire-free, easy installation that never requires batteries.

Wall accents are another frequently found feature of exterior lighting schemes, thanks to their ability to provide focus. Small indirect spots can give a home that ‘looks like a quality TV commercial’ touch. Exterior wall sconces come in a hundred different designs. That makes it easy to integrate them with the rest of the home design or add decorative accents that suit any individual taste.

Invest in exterior lighting and you’ll be more secure, walk and work with confidence, and add a beautiful illuminated look to your home.

Actually Edison didn’t invent the light bulb. He improved it, devising one in 1879 that burned for 40 hours, achieving 1,220 hours a year later (a number a little better than modern incandescent bulbs, 750-1,000 hours). GE patented tungsten-filament bulbs in 1906.

But all these still require a source of electricity. Batteries made the situation better, but they still have to be replaced periodically. They’re also not great for certain applications, such as the lawn where sprinklers can get them wet.

Enter: solar-powered lawn lights.

Though the initial cost is sometimes a bit higher than other lawn lamps, they make up for it in several ways. Since they’re stand-alone units, no wiring is required. No need to dig trenches and plug into the house current. They also outdo battery-powered units because, as noted, there’s no risk of internal decay. They’re well sealed.

With that degree of independence and functionality, solar lawn lights can be placed anywhere. If you later decide to expand the lawn, adding more is a snap. Just shove them into the new ground and you’re good to go. Ditto, if you decide to turn part of the yard into a walkway or patio. Pulling up solar-powered lawn lights entails no risk of hitting the wires and no need to re-wire an existing design.

That flexibility makes it ultra-easy to move lights. It makes it just as easy to replace them. They can last for 10,000 hours or more (that’s almost three years if they burn 10 hours a night, every night). But ultimately the batteries will need to be replaced. That’s super easy since you just pull one up and insert the new ones. With the rate at which people move houses today, they may well last as long as you own the house.

The Ni-Cad or NiMh batteries used in these units today have little or no ‘memory’ so they’ll recharge fully over and over again, even when the light doesn’t run out of power before dawn arrives. That can be an issue in certain Northern climates where, during the summer, there’s only a few hours of darkness.

By the same token, there may not be enough sunlight hours to fully recharge the batteries. The lights may not burn all night. But many people set a timer on wired lights to turn off well before dawn. So, as with any option, solar lighting is an individual choice.

There’s no need to turn them off and on, or even to set a timer. Sensors cause them to charge as long as there’s sunlight and to come on when the ambient light dips to levels at dusk. Most modern solar lamps will produce almost 7 watts for 8-10 hours. They can achieve that because most use highly efficient, low wattage consumption LEDs instead of incandescent bulbs.

They’re a great option, durable and attractive. Give solar lawn lights a try.

Even such a simple act as parking the car and walking into the house can be compromised by poor lighting design. Bumping into low shelves, tripping over toys and many other common garage accidents could be avoided with proper lighting.

But how can you achieve that?

The process starts by first recognizing the difference between wattage and illumination. A 100-watt incandescent bulb draws 100 watts of power from the electrical outlet. That’s how the number gets assigned. The bulb consumes 100-watts. That’s only indirectly related to how much light is given off, measured in lumens.

A standard 100-watt bulb gives off about 1,740 lumens. By comparison, a pair of 4-foot 54-watt fluorescent bulbs, the type commonly found in garage lighting fixtures, can provide anywhere between 5,000-8,800 lumens, depending on the design. That’s a considerable difference in efficiency, which is one of the major reasons fluorescent bulbs are so much cheaper to use.

In many garages, that ordinary 2-bulb fluorescent fixture may well be adequate, but usually just barely. Any garage with shelves, corners, or – most especially- a workbench will need much more.

As in any other area of the home, there are three types of lighting: ambient, task and accent. Accent lights are just what they sound like, lights used to highlight some feature, such as a decorative wall painting. Ambient light provides the overall illumination for the room. Task lights are especially important in a garage that is used for anything more than just to store the car.

Even something as simple as storing tools and tool boxes, gardening supplies and the like will benefit greatly from task lights. Imagine going into the garage to pull out the right chemical and grabbing weed killer instead of plant food. That means a trip back to the garage for the right stuff. Grab a flat head screwdriver instead of a Phillips head and you have the same problem.

Good ambient light is still important, though. No one should have to feel their way around the garage to avoid bumping into things. Slips and falls are more common in the garage than they are on indoor floors, even though both are about equally slick. Installing lights that provide good ambient light are a small investment to minimize that risk.

Finally, though it’s not often considered very much, a garage too creates a mood. Compare the dark hole of many home garages to the well lit atmosphere of a professional car dealership garage. Safety is one factor. But having lights to lift the spirits is just as important, especially since many garages have few or no windows.

Design a lighting scheme for the garage with the same attention to goals as you would any other room in the house. If you spend time there, it’s worth lighting right.

Depending on the shape and style of your deck you can provide just a few accents, or you can go the whole way with post lights, recessed lighting and broad illumination for the whole area.

Post lights are just what they sound like – lamps or bulbs that fit on or in a post. There are a hundred different designs. Many top a post with a stylish housing that adds the perfect finishing look to your deck. Others are actually embedded into the side or top of the post. Still others may simply attach to the side to provide illumination for the deck area and an illuminated accent to the post.

Recessed lights are similar to what you may have seen in some movie theaters, along each side of the aisle at the base of the seats. They may be placed along the base of posts, or just line a section of the deck where it meets the house. More commonly, they will outline the entire deck to provide both practicality and beauty. There, they can show where the edge of the deck is to prevent accidents and add color and design to the overall look.

Ambient light to cover the surface of the deck and the area above it can be provided in several ways. Even the long-familiar wall sconce or lamp is now far from just a mundane utilitarian device. As they give light, they add style and a certain look to the whole deck area.

Outdoor wall lamps come in every conceivable design, from Victorian to ultra-modern, from a metal shade on a swinging arm to Disney characters. Whatever your desired look to add a touch of elegance or personal style to the deck, there’s a wall lamp design available to suit.

Accent lights are similar. But their goal is less to provide overall illumination even when it’s also a style element. They use light itself to create the style. Certainly the cover design plays a role in what the final result looks like. But the accent is there to do just that: provide an accent to the house or deck, not to draw attention to itself.

They may be the more-or-less standard indirect, up-the-wall accent of the sort that might just as often be seen indoors. But they can also accent other exterior features. The deck itself might be stained a cedar color, calling for highlights provided by accent lights. Or, accent lights might provide a small spot of illumination to the point at which the post meets the deck or cap. In this way, they can overlap the function of post lights.

Whichever component you choose to implement, and a good deck lighting design can easily incorporate them all, keep a consistent style across all elements. Your deck can be a showplace with a look all its own.

In this article we shall discuss some important factors to keep in mind while purchasing the outdoor lighting system as well as the necessary techniques to employ while buying and installing the outdoor lighting system you have chosen.

Before buying the outdoor lighting system one should carefully decide upon one’s specific needs and wants. It is important to decide all the details of the budget, lighting, power and design requisites.

It is important to decide upon the lighting system on the basis of the function expected of the outdoor lighting systems. The average purpose of an outdoor lighting system is to aid in visibility.

It is used for lighting up pathways and garden areas. Outdoor lighting systems offer a variety of potions such as lighting up the entire expanse of the garden or even lighting up specific areas of the garden, in order to highlight particular features.

It is important to be specific of the purposes you want your outdoor lighting system to serve as most people wish to derive more than a single use out of their lighting system. However, it is important to prioritize between the tasks you wish your outdoor lighting system to perform as it can play an important role in determining the lighting system.

Being able to choose the correct lighting system is imperative. Taking the design style of your house and garden into consideration is important. There are various design options available such as certain traditional and conventionally aesthetic or funky bright colored lights which jazz up the entire atmosphere with a party-like feel. There are some techniques which have to put into use to achieve maximum efficiency out of the lighting system.

One of these techniques is that of Silhouetting. In this technique the lights are focused on a level, perpendicular surface which are placed behind the subject which is meant to be highlighted by the lighting system. For example, one can use an outdoor lighting system to highlight interestingly placed trees to give the effect of trees with a sunset in the background. The technique of Shadowing is in direct contrast to the technique of Silhouetting.

In this technique, the lighting fixture is positioned in front of the subject so that intriguing shadows are created on a vertical surface behind the object, adding an element of mysterious appeal to the visual setting. Another technique is that of Spot Lighting in which the lights are placed at a distance in front of the object to be emphasized. This helps in lighting up the entire subject and thus making it attention catching and appealing.

The Printed Circuit Board has two sides, referred to as the first and second side respectively. The Printed Circuit Board can be operated via the means of a connection with a light emitting diode.

This connection enables light flashing and also allows for a switch which is sensitive to vibrations. This switch is used for controlling the light emitting diode. This motion sensitive switch is affixed on the first side of the Printed Circuit Board.

The Printed Circuit Board is also attached to a strip of metal. Between this strip of metal and the Printed Circuit Board there is a dry battery placed. The dry battery is positioned between the metal strip and the second side of the Printed Circuit Board.

There is often a buckle attached to the shell which allows for the work light to be attached to an object of choice, for example an article of clothing or perhaps a show. Now that we have observed the structure of portable work lights, let us now look into the application of these appliances and the necessity of the invention. With increasingly varied youth culture, activities such as skateboarding and basketball and roller skating have become extremely popular amongst young adults.

Even though these sports have become wildly popular, there are few, if any specifically constructed places where children can indulge in these pastimes in an environment that is safe and protected. Hence, more often than not, teenagers take to the streets in order to pursue their interests. And most often, these sports are played in the evening or at night, when it is dark and the visibility is poor.

This poses a threat not only to the children, from vehicles but also to the drivers of automobiles as well, as they are unable to see the players clearly. While many people have tried using flashlights to signal an ongoing sport on a dark street, it is not convenient to do so as these flashlights cannot be attached to shoes, nor can they transmit a strong beam of light.

Out of this necessity for a lighting system that is easily attachable to apparel, does not fall off and can be affixed firmly, and emits a strong and eye catching beam of light arose the invention of portable light systems. Another example of portable work lights would be that of portable desk lamps. These lamps are much like ordinary lamps, except that they are compact, fold easily into a small shape, have a wire that can be wound easily around the frame of the lamp and despite the small size have a powerful light.

These lamps are extremely convenient as they allow the user to carry the light source along with him and due to the small size these lamps can easily be fitted into hand luggage. With the availability of electric sockets at most places, portable lamps are an easy to use and easy to transport appliance.

Under water lighting is another type of lighting which is mainly used either  for decoration purposes,  or for underwater explorations and related tasks.  In swimming pools,  which are very deep,  provisions are made for under water lights for the safety of the swimmers.
In Ponds, Fountains,  etc.  the underwater lighting is done in order to decorate the interior and also to entertain the people.  There are many fountain shows held, eg:  One in an Indian Temple,  in which Under water lighting plays a crucial role in creating the various effects in water. Various lights dancing in water can really create excellent forms of images,  like Fire,  Heaven,  Hell,  in water and keep the public glued.

Apart from decoration and entertainment purposes,  underwater lighting is also required for various other purposes.  Divers,  who dive deep into the sea for exploration purposes need a very good source of light which delivers bright light,  as it is very dark underwater.  For such purposes,  light sources or bulbs which have a very high Luminosity,  or provide very high intensity of light are required.  But such sources should be compact, and small and should not be very heavy, or they may pose a problem to the divers.  Also,  Some divers require those lights which can get fitted on their Safety helmets,  as they need to carry other stuff like camera, etc. in their hands.

Hence for similar works,  LED, Xenon or HID underwater lights can be used.

These lights have the following advantages over others:

1)    Very Light as compared to other big sources of Underwater lights.
2)    Provide Intense light beams,  that is,  provide ample light to make sure under water visibility is possible.
3)    Since these lights are also available in small sizes,  they can be attached to the helmet or other gear,  easily and thereby reducing the load of carrying them separately.
4)    They can provide intense bright light for a long duration of time.

Apart from Divers,  Submarines,  Underwater ships and Boats also require underwater lightning up to a great extent.  Ships and submarines meant for rescue operations must have a very good underwater lighting system.  They should have lights which could provide high intensity bright lights over long distances and that too for long periods of time.

Research submarines, which go into deep oceans for a long time need long lasting underwater lights.

Also,  The underwater lights meant for rough purposes like research and rescue operations should be very durable.  They should have a hard covering and should not break up upon one collision with under water Rock or animal.

The Underwater lights should also be able to produce Glare.  In case of an attack by sea animals,  they can be switched on and the animals can be chased away.

Track lighting is a method of making long continuous chains of lights.  In this method, Light devices or fixtures are attached to a long track device.  This track device should be continuous.  All the lights which are joined to the continuous track device are connected to each other and to the source through a conductor (usually wires).  Hence from this method,  Many lights can be connected together and lighted from the same source or power supply,  instead of lighting each light separately.
Once the tracks are prepared, they can be put in layers on Railings,  or can be hung down from tall buildings to create a beautiful effect of Lights.  If put at a correct height,  it can create a perfect halo effect which is very beautiful.

When Halogen lights are used in the track lightning system,  the process is called Halogen track lightning.  These days,  Halogen lights are being preferred over others due to various reasons as discussed below.

1)    The Halogen light are cheaper as compared to others.  They employ superior technology which over the years has made halogen lighting much cheaper compared to other alternatives.

2)    They provide a lot of bright light,  which can be dimmed upon connecting it to an appropriate dimmer.  On using an appropriate resistance,  you can achieve the desired effect you want.

3)    The halogen lights have a long and better life, than other local CFL lights.  Due to better technology than normal bulbs,  they do not burn out as quickly and have a longer time span.

4)    Halogen lights are easily available,  than other fancy lights.  They have become a household item and are available at every supermarket and shop.

A track lighting device may or may not have a second conductor.  The purpose of having a second conductor in the circuit is to control the lighting of the system in a better manner,  as two circuits will then be controlling the lighting in the same track lighting system.  This also allows for the burden of the electricity to be shared by two circuits rather than one circuit which reduces the chances of a burnout or short circuit.  It also allows for the circuit to continue working if one conductor fails,  this is a real bonus.

The most popular track lighting system these days,  is the Cable Lighting track. In cable lighting track, lights or fixtures are simply hung from a big insulating wire, connected by thin connecting wires,  which run on the inside of the insulating wires.  These wires carry low voltage across their ends.  The fixtures are basically the sockets where lights can be attached.  In these sockets, halogen bulbs can be attached  according to our needs,  to get the desired variation of light.

We can also attach dimmers to our track lighting system which can produce flickering of light.

Many adapters are available to combine together the features of track lighting and other lightnings.  We can hang many such sockets or fixtures from the track wire to decorate the interiors.  When the track is stable and made up of a good insulating material then the track itself can also be hung from buildings and from it we can have sub tracks containing more lights.  Hence Nesting of Track wires can also be done.

Thus,  Halogen track lighting is a modern feature available to us today,  using which we can create rows or columns of track lights,  and also many other fancy lights according to our shape and design.

Landscape lighting Is more used for decoration and aesthetic purposes than for the sole purpose of Lighting.  Since its main use is in decoration,  a lot of care and importance should be given while selecting the color,  design and the position of such Landscape fixtures,  while decorating.

For example: While decorating a garden,  the colors and the design should blend in with the aura of the garden.  That is, For decorating the plants and leaves, appropriate colored lights should be chosen,  which should be bright in color resembling the color of the flowers and for decorating the Garden gates and walls, other colored lights,  which are not as bright can be selected.

Other light sources,  Like other LED lights,  etc.  should be kept dim and their brightness should be minimal so that they remain in accordance with the landscape lighting.  The main reason for keeping other light sources dim is that they should not cause light pollution or glare, and also the beauty of the landscape lighting remains maintained.

Near the cooking and Eating areas,  fancy candles can be used for decoration.  Other small temporary means of lights like small lamps and shades,  small candles,  etc.  can also be used.

Using deep blue light for decorating the Pool,  water fountain may also look neat and creative.  The light level indoors should not be the same as the level outdoors, in order to observe the real beauty of Landscape lighting.  The light levels should be varying.  Indoors,  it could be dim,  while outdoors,  it could be made bright,  or vice versa,  according to our needs.

The landscape lighting sources should be kept obscure from the visitors and must be kept near ground levels,  for the purpose of safety of the people.

Many such small lights, placed and decorated beautifully near yards or gardens can really create a warm,  flamboyant and inviting atmosphere.

Solar lighting or low voltage lighting are easily available in the market and are not very expensive.  These can be easily purchased and installed.  Where as the exterior lightnings,  which gets powered by the household current itself,  are very expensive to purchase and install and consume a lot of electricity.

But, whether you use exterior lights or low voltage lights,  you also have to purchase the wires, accessories and other lighting tools and fixtures for the purpose of establishing a lighting circuit outdoors.  And you must decorate and fix the light outdoors in presence of a professional,  experienced and qualified lighting installer,  and must follow all the general safety norms especially if you want to power the lights through the household electric current.