Lighting · CEC Section 30 & Low-Voltage Rules

Outdoor Lighting Load Calculator

Size your low-voltage 12V landscape transformer and wire gauge to prevent dim lights and voltage drop across garden, path, and patio runs.

Path Lights (3W LED each)

Spotlights / Uplights (6W LED each)

Deck / Step Lights (1.5W LED each)

Total Cable Run Length (ft from transformer)

12V Landscape System

TOTAL LANDSCAPE WATTAGE

78 Watts

MINIMUM TRANSFORMER SIZE

100 Watt Transformer

RECOMMENDED LANDSCAPE CABLE

12/2 Direct Burial Cable

System Sized OK: 100W Transformer provides healthy headroom (under 80% maximum load).

12V Low-Voltage direct burial landscape cable (12/2 or 10/2) can be buried shallow (6 inches cover per CEC Class 2 rules).
120V line-voltage outdoor lighting (floodlights, post lights) requires NMWU cable buried 600 mm (24 in) deep or in conduit.
Always connect 12V transformers into a GFCI-protected weatherproof outdoor receptacle with an "in-use" bubble cover.