How much electricity does a yard light use?

The amount of electricity a yard light uses depends on several factors, including the type of light bulb, its wattage, how long it's on each day, and the type of power source. Here’s a breakdown to help you understand how much energy a typical yard light uses.

1. Type of Bulb

• LED Yard Lights: LED lights are the most energy-efficient option for yard lighting. They typically use between 5 to 30 watts depending on the brightness and size of the light. For instance, a 10-watt LED bulb could produce as much light as a traditional 60-watt incandescent bulb.
• Incandescent Bulbs: These are less efficient and typically consume more power. A typical incandescent yard light can use between 40 to 100 watts.
• Halogen Bulbs: Halogen yard lights use 35 to 70 watts, but they are less efficient than LEDs and generate more heat.
• Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs): CFLs are more energy-efficient than incandescent bulbs, using 13 to 30 watts to produce the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb.

2. Daily Usage

• Yard lights typically run for 6 to 12 hours a day depending on whether they’re on a timer, dusk-to-dawn sensor, or manually operated. If you leave your light on all night, it will consume more electricity.

For example:

• A 10-watt LED bulb running for 8 hours a day would consume:
  • 10 watts x 8 hours = 80 watt-hours (or 0.08 kilowatt-hours, kWh) per day.
  • Over the course of 30 days, this would amount to 2.4 kWh per month.
• If you have a 60-watt incandescent bulb running for 8 hours a day, it would consume:
  • 60 watts x 8 hours = 480 watt-hours (or 0.48 kWh) per day.
  • Over the course of 30 days, this would amount to 14.4 kWh per month.

3. Cost of Running Yard Lights

To calculate the cost of running a yard light, multiply the energy consumed by the local electricity rate (which varies by location). For example:

• If your electricity rate is $0.12 per kWh:
  • For an LED light using 2.4 kWh per month: 2.4 kWh x $0.12 = $0.29 per month.
  • For an incandescent light using 14.4 kWh per month: 14.4 kWh x $0.12 = $1.73 per month.

4. Power Source

• Solar-Powered Yard Lights: If you’re using solar-powered lights, the electricity cost will be minimal since the energy comes from the sun. However, these lights often require an initial investment for installation, and their performance can vary depending on sunlight availability.

Conclusion

Yard lights can be quite energy-efficient, especially if you choose LED lighting. A typical LED yard light will use about 0.08 to 0.48 kWh per day depending on the bulb wattage and usage time, which is relatively low in terms of energy consumption. Solar-powered lights offer a great option for no electricity cost, but LEDs are also an affordable and efficient option for bright and reliable yard lighting.