Types of efficient motion-sensing security lights

Q: Dear Jim: My family would feel more comfortable with some outdoor security lights, but bright floodlights will drive up my electric bills. Are low-cost, motion-sensing lights a viable alternative for security? - Bill F.

A: Dear Bill: Motion-sensing lights are an excellent choice for security at any home. The newer models are reasonably priced and have sensitive, controllable motion sensors and timers. By using motion-sensing security lighting, your annual electric bill savings can be more than $100 when compared to using just three 150-watt floodlights all night.

Nothing scares would-be thieves away faster than having a bright light come on and shine in their eyes. Not only are they instantly blinded, but they think the homeowner has detected them and switched on an outdoor light. With the bright light shining outward, the small motion sensor lens on the light fixture is impossible to see, so it looks like an ordinary security light coming on.

Not only does using motion-sensing lights instead of continuous floodlights reduce global warming, climate change and air pollution, it also reduces nighttime light pollution. Near population centers, the skies are never truly dark at night. This can negatively impact the habits and abilities of some species of birds to navigate the skies at night and thousand die every year as a result.

There are many styles and types of motion-sensing light fixtures from which to choose. The most common and reasonably priced style is the standard two-floodlight design. These look identical to a regular floodlight fixture except there is a motion sensor mounted between the two bulbs.

This style gives you the flexibility of pointing each of the two floodlights in any direction, independent of the motion sensor direction. You may want to point the motion sensor toward a spot where you think intruders may try to sneak through while lighting a different, larger area when motion is detected.

For even more security, some models include a tiny built-in camera between the two floodlights. The camera lens is mounted on the light fixture immediately below the motion sensor. The camera can be connected to a television or VCR to capture a video image of who or what triggered the motion sensor light. The

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model for black and white viewing is adequate for security, but models for color monitors are also available.

For a more stylish motion-sensing fixture, select a decorative lantern that mounts on your house wall or on a post. The motion sensor is built into the fixture itself, so it is not readily apparent that it is a motion-sensing light fixture.

Many of the lanterns are made of strong, lightweight cast aluminum and painted in one of several standard colors. More decorative fixtures are made of higher quality polished solid brass with true beveled glass. Although the motion sensor is built-in and not adjustable, it has a large range of coverage.

I use solar-powered motion-sensing security lights at my own house. They are simple to install and, with no electricity needed, you can locate them wherever you need the most security. The sun charges up a battery inside of the housing and the light can continue to switch on and off for more than 100 cycles on a single day's solar charge.

Motion-sensing models that use X-10 technology to turn on other lights and appliances inside your house are also available. Plug an X-10 module into a wall outlet and plug a light or appliance into the module, then set its code to the same as the motion-sensing light. It uses your home's wiring to carry the signal. When the outside light comes on followed by an indoor light and a radio or television, for example, a thief will be sure he was seen.

If you would like low-level accent lighting, but still want security, for when legitimate guests visit your home, choose a dual- output model. When you switch on the outdoor light, it comes on at 20 to 50 percent intensity of its full brightness. When motion is detected, the light switches on to full brightness for one to 20 minutes depending how you set the timer.

The angle of motion-sensing coverage and its range vary considerably among the various models. When selecting a light, determine the area of your yard you want to protect. Select a model with the appropriate motion-sensing angle (100 to 240 degrees) and range (30 to 100 feet) to cover the area. Most of the better-quality models will have adjustable distance sensitivity so that cars and pedestrians on the street will not trigger the light.

Write for (instantly download • www.dulley.com) Utility Bills Update No. 530 - buyer's guide of nine electric and solar motion-sensing light manufacturers (28 models) listing sensitivity (coverage angle/range), styles, wattages, bulb types and features. Please include $3.00 and a business-size SASE. James Dulley, Illinois Country Living, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244.

James Dulley is a mechanical engineer who writes on a wide variety of energy and utility topics. His column appears in a large number of daily newspapers.

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