Dimmers have come a long way in recent years. You don’t need to replace the wall switch to dim a light fixture (unless it’s hard-wired into a fixed circuit). You can plug a light or appliance into a dimmer-switch plug. You can either dim the circuit with a hand-held slider/dial or do it via WiFi with your smartphone or Alexa. Many of the dimmer switches are suitable for exterior lighting.
Just keep in mind that not all light bulbs are dimmable. LED bulbs are by far your best choice (the most efficient and also the most long-lasting), but they’re not usually dimmable. Just be sure to shop for an LED bulb that explicitly states “dimmable” on the item description.
LED bulbs are strictly electronic devices. LED means “Light Emitting Diode,” which is a type of transistor that converts electricity into visible light. Solar panels use the same technology, converting light into electricity. Consequently, a more sophisticated electronic configuration is needed for the light-emitting diodes to emit visible light at different electrical charging levels.
P.S. It’s not difficult to change a regular wall light switch to a dimmable switch. Just be sure to turn off the circuit at the main breaker panel before doing so. If in doubt, get a handyman or electrician to do the job ~ and watch them carefully, if you may want to do it yourself the next time. (You’ll notice that they will always check the circuit with an inexpensive electrical test meter even after the breaker is closed, to be absolutely sure the circuit isn’t live ~ you can’t ever be too careful with electricity.)
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Excerpted from Going Green, available as an eBook at this list of eBook retailers online.