Voltage Drop

The gradual loss of voltage along a cable run that dims fixtures farthest from the source.

Voltage drop is the gradual loss of electrical voltage as current travels along a cable, caused by the natural resistance of the wire. In a low-voltage system it is the most common cause of uneven lighting: fixtures near the transformer run bright while those at the end of a long run look dim and shift toward a duller color. Designers manage it by using thicker-gauge cable, keeping runs reasonably short, splitting the load with hub-and-spoke wiring, choosing efficient LEDs that draw less current, and using higher voltage taps on the transformer. Done right, every fixture across a property looks identical in brightness and color. We engineer wiring to hold voltage steady from the first fixture to the last.

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