The low-voltage lighting industry was first developed in the 1940s to provide 12-volt lighting systems required by automobiles, recreational trailers, mobile homes and boats. There was a need for a tough electrical bulb that could take the bouncing and vibrations of vehicles on rough roads, while operating on a low-voltage system.

Low-voltage bulbs were designed to meet these requirements. The bulbs themselves were smaller than conventional 110-volt incandescents and were in uniform construction with shapes and sizes standardized for mass production. The first filaments in the bulbs were made shorter and thicker to resist vibration. But while shorter filaments made the bulbs tougher, the bulbs were also designed to produce light at levels comparable or superior to incandescent 110-volt systems.

Because energy was a cheap commodity in the 1940s, few applications for the tough, bright-burning and long-lasting bulbs were developed outside their automobile and recreational vehicle industry.

But by the beginning of the 1960s, things had changed. The recreational vehicle industry had split into trailer and mobile-home markets. The cost of hiring contractors had risen sharply, and energy costs were starting to increase. There existed a need for a less expensive way of adding decorative lighting for both the interiors and exteriors of residential and commercial units. Low-voltage lighting systems filled this need in many ways.

Low-voltage lighting systems operate in basically the same manner as conventional 110-volt systems, but have some important differences.

Conventional 110-volt incandescent lighting systems provide a set amount of light by consuming a fixed amount of energy. The bulbs are somewhat fragile and give off heat as well as a yellowish light.

A low-voltage system operates on a 12 volt system and produces more light for less energy used with no significant heat by-product.

Both systems use or burn energy at fixed rates. But while the 110-volt system uses a greater amount of energy, measured in watts, the light any incandescent bulb can use quickly reaches an upper limit.

Increasing the size of the bulb doesn’t mean an increase of light for slightly more energy consumed. The ratio of measured light output, lumens, is not a direct proportion to the wattage rating on the bulb. The energy the bulb uses must make the filaments of the bulb glow. The higher the rating of the bulb, the more energy it takes to make the bulb glow and the more it costs to operate.

A low-voltage system burns with a whiter light and produces more lumens per watt consumed than a conventional system. The cost of installing each system may be nearly the same, but substantial saving can be realized with a low-voltage system, depending on its application. Advantages of the low-voltage system are its ease of installation and flexibility.

Low-voltage systems are easy to install. Both residential and commercial applications usually only require a hand-dug trench. The systems are flexible because application can be changed to match the growth of favored shrubbery and trees, changed planting sites, a building addition or an owner’s whim.

A longer lift span is another advantage. Because the low-voltage light bulb filaments are thicker, they are not as fragile as conventional 110-volt incandescent bulbs.

Low-voltage lighting systems are far safer since they operate with voltage requirements approximately one tenth that of conventional systems. The human body should easily shake off the effects of a 12-volt shock, since human skin has a natural resistance above the penetration threshold of a 12-volt charge.

Add to these advantages lighting systems housed in all-metal fixture and you will have a low-maintenance lighting system that will provide low operating costs and beauty with long life. Applications include commercial and residential interior and exterior landscaping with light, to highlight exterior landscapes, individual trees, garden decorations, structures and other areas, making these areas showpieces with the proper use of light.