Our club house has a very large patio deck with string lights that needs replacing.

Currently there are 40 strings of lights that average 35' to 50' in length. The lights are spaced about 12" apart. The pear shaped bulbs are 9W each ... a lot of lights! Each string has a support wire running from an outside point to a center 'hub'. At the hub the transformers are located. The lights are permanently installed and turned on each night.

The lights were installed professional, but the transformer, when all the lights are on, gets REALLY hot. Not to mention the electric meter spins at lighting speed!

With the LED technology improving, we are wondering if LEDs would be a better option? If so, can someone explain what we should be looking for. We realize the transformers will need to be replaced should we go this direction.

We are looking for white wiring, clear bulbs, similar to the look that we have currently.

We need help with our searching, we don't know the terminology that should be used so that we can become better educated.

Since our lights are on for several hours each night, is there solar technology that we might want to consider. We are located in South Texas -- plenty of sunshine.

Any suggestions that will help get us on the right track will be helpful.

Here is a picture similiar to what we have, rows and rows of lights

Thanks in advance

Here is a link that might be useful: example