December 01, 2025

Turn on outdoor night lights

Having lights on around the outside of your house is great for several reasons. It lights up the way when you walk outside, it lights up the driveway, it deters trespassing, and it looks great.

Use cases

Daily Lighting

Driveway Illumination - Light the way when coming home after dark
Pathway Safety - Prevent trips and falls on walkways
Curb Appeal - Your home looks welcoming and well-maintained

Special Occasions

Holiday Lights - Automatically control seasonal decorations
Landscape Lighting - Showcase landscaping features
Security Deterrence - Well-lit homes discourage trespassing

Products needed

Essential Equipment

Smart Lights (any type)

Options:
• Smart outdoor light fixtures
• Smart plugs for existing lights or holiday lights
• Smart light switches controlling outdoor circuits
• Smart bulbs in weatherproof fixtures

Optional Enhancements

Illumination/Lux Sensor

Measures actual light levels instead of relying on sunset time
More accurate for cloudy days and seasonal variations

Motion Sensors

For motion-activated exterior lighting in addition to scheduled

💡 Sunset vs. Lux Sensor

Using sunset/sunrise times will be good enough for most cases, but not all. The amount of light varies significantly based on the time of year and current weather conditions. Using an illumination sensor that measures how light it is greatly improves the precision.

Basic automation setup

IF time is one hour before sunset THEN turn on outdoor lights

Automation 1: Turn on at dusk

Triggers

An hour before sunset
OR Sunset time
OR Lux drops below 200 (if using lux sensor)

Conditions

None (always turn on at dusk)

Actions

Turn on outdoor lights

Automation 2: Turn off at dawn

Triggers

Sunrise time
OR Lux rises above 300 (if using lux sensor)

Conditions

None

Actions

Turn off outdoor lights

Platform-specific examples

Home Assistant

Trigger sun.sun goes below horizon (offset: -01:00:00 for hour before)

Action Turn on outdoor light group

Note: Create second automation: sun rises → Turn off outdoor lights

SmartThings

IF Time is at sunset (or offset)

THEN Turn on outdoor lights

Note: Create second routine for sunrise turn-off

Hubitat

Trigger Sunset with optional offset

Action Turn on outdoor light group

Setup: Use Simple Automation Rules or Rule Machine
Note: Create paired rule for sunrise

Apple HomeKit

When Sunset (with offset if desired)

Do Turn on outdoor lights scene

Note: Repeat for sunrise turn-off

Alexa

When Sunset

Action Turn on outdoor light group

Note: Separate routine for sunrise

Google Home

When Sunset

Action Turn on outdoor lights

Note: Create companion sunrise routine

Advanced features

Lux-based control

More accurate than time-based control:

Install lux sensor outdoors (shaded from direct light)
Trigger when lux drops below 150-250 (dusk)
Turn off when lux rises above 300-500 (dawn)
Accounts for cloudy days and seasonal variations

Time-limited operation

Keep lights on for specific hours only:

Dusk to specific time: On at sunset, off at 11 PM
Specific window: On at sunset, off at midnight, on at 6 AM, off at sunrise

Holiday light scheduling

Special handling for seasonal decorations:

Add date-based conditions (Nov 15 - Jan 5)
Create "Holiday Lights" virtual switch
Toggle switch to enable/disable season

Motion-enhanced lighting

Combine scheduled and motion lighting:

Dim baseline: Scheduled at 30%
Motion detected: Increase to 100% for 5 minutes
Entry path: Driveway sensor triggers path lights

Multiple zones

Different areas, different schedules:

Front yard: Full brightness, off at 11 PM
Backyard: Lower brightness, off at 10 PM
Pathway: Dim level, all night

Common issues and solutions

Lights turn on at wrong time

Problem: Incorrect time zone, sunset offset, or daylight saving issues.

Solutions:

Verify time zone settings
Check sunset time is calculated correctly
Test with manual trigger first
Use lux sensor for more accuracy

Lux sensor triggers inconsistently

Problem: Sensor placement in direct sunlight or shadows from trees/buildings.

Solutions:

Place in north-facing location (northern hemisphere)
Avoid direct sunlight on sensor
Position in open area representing general light level
Adjust threshold values based on testing

Lights don't turn off in morning

Problem: Sunrise automation not created or conflicting rules.

Solutions:

Create explicit sunrise off automation
Check for conflicting rules
Add failsafe: Turn off if on past 8 AM
Verify no manual override active

Holiday lights on outside of season

Problem: Date condition not set or virtual switch left on.

Solutions:

Add date range condition
Use virtual switch for easy enable/disable
Create calendar reminder to update
Use separate automation for holiday lights

Best practices

Light selection

LED: Energy efficient
Warm white (2700-3000K): For ambiance
IP44+ rated: Weatherproof
Dimmable: Flexibility for different scenarios

Placement

Entry points illuminated
Pathways visible
Not aimed at neighbor windows
Avoid light pollution upward

Energy efficiency

Optimize runtime for savings:

Don't run all night if not needed
Use lower brightness after midnight
Motion-activated for less-used areas
LED lights consume minimal power

Neighbor considerations

Be courteous with outdoor lighting:

Direct light downward
Avoid shining into neighbor windows
Consider dimming after 10 PM
Use warm colors (less intrusive)

Related automations: