Smart Landscape Lighting & Automation
What Smart Control Adds to a Low-Voltage Lighting System
On a low-voltage landscape lighting system, smart control is a layer added at the transformer and controller. The fixtures stay the same, and the control runs from a central point, letting you program when each zone turns on, how bright it runs, and how it responds to time of day or season. The controller connects the outdoor lighting to a phone, a voice assistant, or a whole-home platform so the entire system can be managed without walking to a switch or a timer. Smart controls build on the low-voltage equipment, transformers, and techniques behind a landscape lighting installation.
How Smart Controls Run the Lighting
Lights follow the season
The schedule follows sunset and sunrise year-round, so fixtures come on as the sky darkens.
Zones dim on a schedule
Nothing depends on a switch
Manual control stays available
Scene & Zone Control Options
The control layer on a landscape lighting system breaks down into three practical functions, each handling a different part of when and how light runs across the property.
Scenes for Different Evenings
A scene is a saved combination of zones and brightness levels that can be activated with a single tap or voice command. For a dinner party, one scene might bring the patio, walkway, and yard to full brightness. On a quieter evening, another can dim everything except the facade and the entry path. Once a scene is built, it is stored and ready to customize or recall at any time.
Schedules That Run on Their Own
Set schedules tell the system when to turn on, when to dim, and when to shut off without anyone touching a switch. Seasonal adjustments can be made from a phone.
Zone-by-Zone Control
The property is divided into lighting zones, with each zone covering a specific area such as the front facade, a walkway, a patio, or the backyard. Each zone has independent control and can be turned on, dimmed, or shut off separately. One area of the property can be lit at full brightness while another stays dark or runs at a reduced level.
Working With Alexa, Apple Home & Google Home
Landscape lighting can be set up to work with the major smart home platforms in the house, placing the outdoor system on the same device used for the rest of the home’s controls.
Amazon Alexa
The lighting responds to voice commands and routines through Amazon's ecosystem.
Apple Home
The lighting is controlled from the Home app on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and through Siri.
Google Home
Scheduling and voice control run through Google Assistant and the Home app.
Whole-home platforms
Savant, Lutron, Control4, and Crestron are supported for properties with dedicated automation systems.
When outdoor audio is part of the project, lighting and sound can integrate through Control4, Savant, Crestron, Google Home, Apple Home, or Alexa, so a single saved scene can adjust both at once.
Landscape Lighting Transformers & Smart Controllers
The hardware behind a controlled landscape lighting system is planned around the zones the lighting plan requires. A typical installation includes:
Landscape lighting transformer
The transformer is mounted on the home or on a post near an exterior GFCI-protected outlet, above anticipated snow levels. Capacity is determined by the total fixture load, kept under approximately 80 percent of the unit's rating. Larger properties may require more than one transformer, each placed near the areas it serves to shorten wire runs.
Smart controller
The controller manages zone output, scheduling, dimming, and communication with the smart-home platform the system is set up to work with.
Low-voltage wiring
Direct-burial cable carries power from each transformer to its zones through narrow trenches, joined with outdoor-rated waterproof connectors.
Exterior outlet
A proper GFCI-protected outlet is required for each transformer. Where one is not available, Blue Hour Lighting can provide it as part of the project.
Fixture locations, transformer locations, cable paths, and zones are specified in a detailed lighting plan. After the plan is reviewed and approved by the homeowner, fixtures are ordered and an installation date is scheduled. Smart-controlled systems follow the same installation process as every Blue Hour Lighting project.
Adding Smart Control to a System You Already Own
Smart control can be added to a low-voltage landscape lighting system already in the ground, even one running on a basic timer or manual switch. The scope depends on the equipment already in place, and a dedicated professional evaluates that during the free on-site consultation. A typical addition involves:
Assessment
The existing transformer, wiring, and fixtures are evaluated for compatibility with smart controllers.
Installation
A new controller and, where needed, a replacement transformer are installed to support the zones and scheduling the property requires.
Configuration
The system is set up with the platform already in the home, and scenes, schedules, and zones are programmed.
Blue Hour Lighting also services and repairs existing landscape lighting systems, including systems installed by other providers. For ongoing care, an optional maintenance plan with two visits a year, in spring and fall, is available to keep fixtures adjusted, lenses clean, and controls tested.
Security Lighting That Runs on Its Own
- Clear sight lines. Path, facade, and perimeter zones illuminate approaches and transitions where visibility matters most, with fixtures aimed to keep glare down.
- Quiet deterrence. A well-lit property discourages uninvited visitors.
Properties Suited to Automated Lighting
Multiple outdoor areas
Properties with several outdoor living spaces, each needing its own schedule and brightness level.
Timer upgrades
Homes where the lighting already runs on a timer and the owner wants dimming, seasonal adjustment, or phone access.
Smart home integration
Homes already managed through Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, Savant, Lutron, Control4, or Crestron, where the landscape lighting should be part of the same system.
Combined lighting and sound
Projects that include both landscape lighting and outdoor sound, where a single scene should coordinate both.
Seasonal or weekend homes
Properties where the lighting needs to follow a schedule with no one on site.
Service Areas in New York & Connecticut
Certified, Licensed & Insured
Blue Hour Lighting is licensed and insured and holds county and state licenses where required:
WC-32147-H19
Dutchess County, NY
Owner Jarod Halstead is a Certified Outdoor Lighting Designer with the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals and holds certifications from CAST Lighting and Infinity Lighting. The firm is a Gold Level Kichler LightPro contractor, a CAST Lighting certified installer, a Unique Lighting Systems installer, and a Sonance authorized dealer and installer.
Request a Free Consultation
To plan smart controls for your landscape lighting, share a few details about the property and how you would like the system to work. Homeowners receive a free on-site consultation, where the property is evaluated and the right setup is determined.
Frequently Asked Questions About Smart Lighting Controls
What does a smart controller add to a landscape lighting system?
Can smart features be added to an existing low-voltage system?
What size transformer does a controlled system need?
What does a smart lighting setup cost?
There’s no set price for a smart lighting setup, since every property requires a different scope of work based on the homeowner’s wants, needs, and layout. The estimate depends on factors like how much of the property is lit, fixture count and placement, transformer capacity, wire run length, material grade, trenching conditions, and the number of zones needed. During a free on-site consultation, the team reviews these details in person to prepare an accurate estimate. Commercial properties begin with a paid lighting assessment.
Do maintenance visits cover the smart controls?
Are the lighting and outdoor audio controlled from separate apps?
Does Blue Hour Lighting install smart lighting controls near me?
Yes, Blue Hour Lighting installs smart lighting controls across Westchester County and the surrounding counties in New York, plus Greenwich and portions of Connecticut. To get in touch, call 845-202-3369 or email info@bluehourlighting.com.