Why Smart Landscape Lighting Belongs in Your Landscape Design Plans
By: Gerad VandenBussche, VP of Vanden Bussche Irrigation
There’s no question that high-quality landscape lighting can transform just about any outdoor space. It can make a walkway safer, highlight the shape of a tree, and turn a patio into a place your clients want to use every evening. When you add smart landscape lighting to your design plans, you give clients control, efficiency, and flexibility that older systems just can’t match.
As a contractor or designer, you’re always looking for ways to add value to your projects. Smart lighting is one of the simplest ways to deliver that value while making your work stand out.
What Is Smart Landscape Lighting?
Smart landscape lighting combines professional-grade fixtures with controls your clients can manage from their phones or tablets. They can turn lights on and off, adjust brightness, set schedules, and create zones without leaving their porch.
This lighting uses LED technology for energy savings and pairs with smart controllers or apps. It’s an easy upgrade that adds convenience to daily life and helps clients get the most out of their outdoor spaces.
Key Features: Timers, Dimming, App-Based Control, Scheduling
Clients love the control that smart landscape lighting gives them. It’s about more than lights turning on at dusk.
With smart systems, your clients can:
- Use timers so lights turn on only when needed.
- Dim lights for evenings on the patio or gatherings.
- Control lights from anywhere using an app.
- Create schedules to match seasons or specific events.
- Manage zones for different areas of their property.
For contractors, these features are a selling point. They add sophistication to your lighting projects while saving your clients' energy and giving them more control.
Why Smart Lighting Is Gaining Popularity
Smart lighting is becoming a must-have in many projects because it blends convenience, efficiency, and aesthetics.
Convenience: Clients can control lights without extra switches or timers. They can manage everything from their phone, making adjustments as needed.
Efficiency: LED fixtures paired with smart controls reduce energy use and lower utility bills.
Aesthetics: Lighting design can shift with the season, holiday, or mood. Clients can change lighting scenes for entertaining, relaxing, or showcasing gardens at night.
Smart lighting helps clients use and enjoy their outdoor spaces more often while keeping energy costs under control.
Ideal Use Cases: Walkways, Accent Lighting, Gardens, Outdoor Entertaining Areas
Not every area needs the same lighting. Smart systems let you design and adjust for each zone.
Walkways: Use pathlights with dimming for safety that adjust to the time of day.
Accent Lighting: Highlight trees, sculptures, or architectural features with uplights and spotlights.
Gardens: Light garden beds without washing out colours, adjusting intensity as plants grow.
Outdoor Entertaining Areas: Add ambient lighting to decks and patios, with brightness that shifts for dining or social gatherings.
With smart lighting, clients can adapt these spaces for different uses throughout the year.
Top Smart-Compatible Fixtures from Vanden Bussche Irrigation
Although we do offer a wide variety of fixtures that can be adapted to any of your landscapes or projects, a few that have proven to be most popular include:
FX Luminaire MU Uplight
The FX Luminaire MU Uplight offers sleek, durable construction for accent lighting. It’s perfect for trees, statues, or architectural features that need clear, focused light. The MU pairs well with smart controllers, allowing dimming and scheduling to reduce energy use while showcasing key landscape features.
WAC Wall Wash Light
The WAC Wall Wash Light spreads light across wide surfaces. It’s ideal for illuminating facades, privacy walls, or garden backdrops without harsh shadows. Pairing this light with a smart system allows you to create dramatic effects while adjusting light levels to suit the occasion.
WAC Balance Pathlight
For walkways and garden paths, the WAC Balance Pathlight provides safe, consistent lighting with a clean design that blends into the landscape. This fixture works seamlessly with smart systems for timed operation and dimming, giving your clients reliable path lighting that can adapt to different uses and seasons.
How to Choose the Right System for Your Project
Choosing the right smart landscape lighting system depends on your project goals, your client’s preferences, and the property’s size.
Ask yourself:
- What areas need lighting, and how will they be used?
- Is your client interested in energy savings and automation?
- Does the system need to integrate with existing home automation?
- Will your client want to adjust scenes for gatherings or seasons?
At VBI, we help you match the right fixtures and controllers to your project. We can walk you through smart controller options and explain which fixtures will give your client the most value.
Working with a Supplier Who Understands Smart Tech
You need a partner who understands the technology and can provide you with quality fixtures and support. At VBI, we don’t just sell lighting; we help you design systems that work for your projects and your clients’ needs.
We also provide access to FX Luminaire’s MyDesign tool, which lets you map out and visualize lighting designs on-site or remotely. This tool can save you time during the planning phase and help your clients see exactly how their space will look when the lighting is installed.
Check out MyDesign to see how it can simplify your workflow.
Why Smart Lighting Belongs in Your Plans
Smart lighting is no longer just for high-end projects. It’s becoming standard in many landscape designs because it’s practical and cost-effective while adding a polished look to any outdoor space. Here are some benefits:
- Clients get control over their lighting and energy use.
- You get to add a premium feature to your service offerings.
- Smart systems adapt to different seasons, uses, and schedules.
- Outdoor spaces become usable and enjoyable long after the sun goes down.
When you include smart landscape lighting in your design plans, you deliver a modern, efficient, and user-friendly solution that makes your projects stand out.
Build Smarter, Beautiful Spaces with Confidence
Lighting is one of the final touches that brings a landscape to life. With smart lighting, you can give your clients a system that’s easy to use, energy-efficient, and adaptable.
At VBI, we’re here to support your projects with reliable products and practical expertise. Whether you’re lighting a backyard patio or a large public space, we have the fixtures, controllers, and planning tools to help you deliver your projects on time and on budget.
Discover how smart lighting can transform your next landscape project. Contact us at VBI to explore reliable, tech-forward lighting options that balance design and control.
FAQs
Q: What is smart landscape lighting?
A: Smart landscape lighting uses professional fixtures paired with app-based or remote controls for easy management. Clients can adjust brightness, set schedules, and control zones from their phones or tablets. This system helps them save energy while enhancing the look and function of their outdoor spaces.
Q: How does smart landscape lighting save energy?
A: Smart lighting systems use LED technology and allow for dimming, timers, and scheduling to reduce energy use. Lights can turn on only when needed and adjust brightness to suit the activity or time of day. This helps clients lower their utility bills while maintaining a beautiful landscape.
Q: What are the benefits of adding smart lighting to landscape design plans?
A: Smart lighting adds convenience, efficiency, and aesthetic flexibility to outdoor spaces. Clients can manage lighting for walkways, patios, and gardens to match seasons or events. It also helps contractors deliver a premium service that stands out.
Q: What types of outdoor areas work best with smart landscape lighting?
A: Smart landscape lighting is ideal for walkways, accent lighting for trees or sculptures, gardens, and outdoor entertaining areas. Clients can adjust settings for each zone to create the right mood and safety for gatherings or relaxation. It makes outdoor spaces more usable after dark.
Q: Can smart landscape lighting integrate with existing home automation systems?
A: Many smart landscape lighting systems can integrate with existing home automation setups for seamless control. Clients can manage their outdoor lighting along with indoor lighting, security, and other systems. This integration makes managing home comfort and efficiency easier.