Glance around your home and you’ll notice most light fixtures connect directly to the line voltage of your electrical system. Line voltage, also called high voltage or household current, is the standard 120 volts found in outlets and junction boxes in the U.S. Line voltage fixtures cover most traditional lighting, including ceiling fixtures and sconces.

Low voltage lighting runs on far less, typically 12 or 24 volts. It got its start in American homes in the 1950s, developed first for landscape lighting before moving indoors. Today it’s common in recessed lighting, track lighting, under cabinet lighting, strip and tape lighting and more.