At Gemstone Lights, we think permanent outdoor lighting is the future. Permanent lighting is useful for many reasons: it’s customizable, convenient, lights up your home’s best features, and creates safe outdoor spaces for people to enjoy at night.

But how did we get here? How did outdoor lighting evolve from darkness to gas lamps to super-bright LEDs? Let’s look at where we came from and why we think permanent lighting is the solution for the future.

The Roots of Outdoor Lighting

Let’s go back to the early 19th century. It was difficult for people to see and get around at night, and some professions (like laborers, for example) couldn’t work after dark, which was difficult for business owners. Gas lamps were standard in urban areas but were messy, costly, and challenging to maintain. This led inventors to seek more efficient ways to illuminate walkways and roads, improving public safety and accessibility and extending business hours.

There were other big steps at this time. As the demand for safer outdoor spaces grew, scientists worked hard to make outdoor illumination easier and more practical. Advancements in chemistry and engineering began to address the limitations of gas lighting and helped pave the way for what was to come.

The Electricity Replacement

Let’s move on to the early 20th century. Thomas Edison’s light bulb was all the rage back then, and the race to improve lighting was on. A dual development was happening at once, with something else becoming increasingly popular alongside the lightbulb: the automobile.

Improving outdoor lighting was key for safety reasons. Automobiles didn’t have lighting; instead, they used oil lanterns, which weren’t helpful for pedestrians despite the slow improvement in outdoor lighting.

So, you have two lighting developments happening simultaneously: vehicles and outdoor areas in cities began to light up at night using electricity. This was a huge development at the time. It made it so much easier for people to socialize in the evenings and completely changed how cities operate.

The Introduction of LEDs

After that, there were many big developments in outdoor lighting, such as mercury lamps and metallic salt-based lamps.

But let’s talk about LEDs. The question of where they came from is complicated. Every scientific achievement is built on the back of accomplishments that came before. But for the sake of simplicity, Oleg Losev, a Russian scientist, is known as the inventor of the first LED technology. He created it in 1927, though it was not practical for widespread use. In 1962, Nick Holonyak Jr. developed the first visible-spectrum LED that could be used practically. Both men paved the way for the LEDs we know today.

Once LED technology became more accessible, outdoor lighting only developed from there. The needs of both consumers and business owners have always driven the demand for reliable, fast, and easy-to-use outdoor lighting. The ability to enjoy outdoor spaces in the dark was always a driving factor behind the technology and remains so in lighting developments today, as LED lights have become more affordable and available than ever.

What Lies Ahead?

Now, homeowners and business owners are spoiled for choice when it comes to outdoor lighting. We can outfit our homes and businesses with track lights, flood lights, or both. We can install temporary lighting that we bring out for special occasions or permanent lighting that stays up year round.

At Gemstone Lights, we believe that the future is in permanent LED lighting. Given the history of lighting, this trajectory makes sense.

Pedestrians needed to see where they were going, and businesses wanted to stay open later: that’s why we had oil lamps way back in the 19th century. As the public demanded safer, more convenient, and more affordable lighting, gas lamps were replaced with electric lighting, which was brighter and easier to operate. And now, many incandescent and halogen bulbs have been replaced by LEDs, which are more energy-efficient, customizable, long-lasting, and lovely.

We think that permanent LED lighting will be the standard going forward. There are so many benefits: the ability to automate lighting, dim lights at a certain time, and change colors and switch up lighting for special occasions—all using an app on your phone. That personalization and individual control is where the future lies in outdoor lighting, and we’re excited to be part of it as this technology develops.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What makes LEDs superior to other types of lighting?

Answer: LED lights lose less energy to heat than other types of lighting. This is better from an environmental perspective and will save you money on energy bills.

Question: How long do permanent lights last?

Answer: If you run our lights for 6 hours a day, they should last for 23 years (or about 50,000 hours). That’s a lot of use in return for the initial time and money invested. And if a bulb breaks, it’s covered under your warranty.

Question: How much do they cost to run?

Answer: Running costs for an average-sized home come to around $4.34 per month (on average) if you run your lights for 6 hours a day. This means you won’t have to worry about a massive increase to your energy bill every month.

Want to Find Out More?

We’re excited to see what happens next with outdoor lighting: we’re working hard on app features like our automated sunset and sunrise timers and cloud syncing across multiple devices. We aim to make the most convenient and useful lighting system for home and business owners.

If you want to learn more about how permanent lighting can benefit you, contact one of our Authorized Dealers for a quote!