Dark spots and glare
Layouts drawn by rule of thumb leave uneven areas, shadows under the poles and glare that is only found on site, when moving anything is expensive.
Lighting engineering · DIALux evo
See the light before you buy it
We supply the ALKAN® luminaires and we are the engineers who calculate them. Every layout is modelled with the real photometric data of the product, so you receive calculated values you can verify, not promises.
- Real LDT/IES photometry
- Checked against the applicable EN standard
- ALKAN® luminaires, ready to order
Illustrative simulation in DIALux style, using a simplified point-source model and a maintenance factor of 0.8. It is not a DIALux output; project values come from the calculation report.
Maintained illuminance ĒUniformity (Emin/Ē)Minimum illuminanceLuminairesIlluminance targets metCalculatingMaintenance factorTargetWork planeOne luminaireBoth luminaires combinedLight distributionIllustrative simulationin view
The problem
A catalogue lists lumens. It cannot tell you where the dark spots are.
Lumens, watts and beam angles describe a luminaire, not a space. Whether a car park is even, a pitch reaches its class or a desk is free of glare depends on geometry, mounting height and surfaces, and it only shows once the poles are in the ground.
Paying for light nobody needs
Without a calculation, the safe choice is to over-specify. The extra luminaires are bought once and paid for in energy every year.
Disputes at handover
A tender, an inspector or a client asks for evidence. A product table is not evidence; a calculation report is.
Our answer: calculate first, with the luminaires we supply, and order only what the numbers justify.
How the calculation works
From a drawing to a verified layout
Every luminaire is described by its light distribution curve. We place it in a model of your space and add up its contribution at every point of the calculation grid.
- 1
Brief and drawings
You send plans, heights, surface finishes and the use of the space. We agree the target class and the values it requires.
- 2
Model and photometry
We build the space in DIALux evo and load the LDT/IES files of the ALKAN® luminaires under consideration. Where a file is missing, the result is labelled as an estimate.
- 3
Calculation
The software sums every luminaire’s contribution at every grid point and applies the maintenance factor, returning illuminance, uniformity, glare and luminance.
- 4
Optimisation
We vary spacing, mounting height, aiming and output until the layout meets the standard with the fewest luminaires and the lowest installed load.
- 5
Report and supply
You receive the report, the plots and a luminaire schedule. The layout we calculated is the one we quote and deliver.
What the numbers tell you
Six values we calculate and report
Each value is calculated on the grid the standard defines and compared with the required limit.
Illuminance
The average light level on the task surface, in lux, after applying the maintenance factor for ageing and dirt.
Uniformity
The ratio of the lowest to the average illuminance. It shows whether an area is even or whether dark patches hide between bright ones.
Glare
UGR indoors, GR on sports fields and TI on roads. Each measures how disturbing the luminaires are to the eye, and each has a limit.
Luminance and vertical light
Road-surface luminance for the M classes, and vertical illuminance on faces and walls, which matters for recognising people and for television.
Installed load
Total connected power and power density in W/m², so layouts and luminaires can be compared by what they will cost to run.
Maintenance factor
Allowance for luminaire ageing and dirt, set for the environment and the product (0.8 in the examples on this page), so the values hold after years of use, not only on day one.
Calculated to the right standard
Different spaces, different rules
Offices, schools and industry
EN 12464-1 sets illuminance, uniformity, glare limit and colour rendering by task. A typical office is held to:
- 500lxmaintained illuminance
- 0.60uniformity Uo
- ≤19UGR limit
Roads and streets
EN 13201 assigns each road a class by traffic, speed and surroundings, then sets luminance or illuminance targets for it. Class P2, for pedestrian and residential areas, requires:
- 10lxmaintained average
- 2lxmaintained minimum
Sports fields
EN 12193 sets illuminance and uniformity by sport and competition level, from training to top-level competition. For an outdoor football pitch, Class II (mid-level competition) requires:
- 200lxmaintained illuminance
- 0.60uniformity U2
Emergency lighting
EN 1838 requires light to remain on escape routes and in open areas when the mains supply fails. It demands at least:
- 1lxon the escape-route floor, border strips excluded
- 0.5lxin the core of open areas (0.5 m border excluded)
What you receive
A report your client, inspector or investor can sign off
Plots, tables and renders prepared for tenders, permits and design reviews, updated whenever the layout changes.
Illustrative examples in DIALux report style; every project is calculated individually.
- Calculation report (PDF)Standards check, results tables, luminaire data sheets and maintenance factors.
- Isolux & false-colour plotsPlan views with iso-lines and value grids for every calculation surface.
- 3D rendersViews for presentations, investors and approvals.
- Luminaire schedule & BoQQuantities, positions, aiming angles and ALKAN® product codes ready for ordering.
Why it matters who calculates
The luminaires and the engineering come from one company
A calculation is only as good as the data behind it, and only useful if someone is accountable for the result.
Photometry from the source
We work with the manufacturer’s LDT/IES data for ALKAN® luminaires, not generic stand-ins.
The calculated layout is the offer
Luminaires, quantities and aiming angles in the report are exactly what we quote, so the price matches the proof.
Changes are recalculated, not argued
If the architect moves a wall or the client changes the target, we update the model and the report.
Controls and commissioning in the same hands
DALI and KNX control, installation support and commissioning are available from the same team, so the scenes we calculated are the ones that get programmed.
Start your project
Send us the drawings. We return a calculated proposal.
No obligation. Send what you have and we will ask for the rest.
Request a lighting calculation →- A plan or CAD drawing: rooms, road profile or pitch size
- Ceiling or pole heights and surface finishes
- How the space is used and the target class, if known
- Existing luminaires, if this is a replacement
Keep exploring
Related solutions
Planning tools
ASTRO selectorHow many ASTRO floodlights does your pitch need?Enter the pitch size and the EN 12193 class for a first estimate of quantity and installed power.Open the ASTRO selector →Energy savings calculatorWhat would an LED upgrade save?Compare annual energy, cost and CO₂ of your existing lighting with an LED replacement, using your own inputs.Open the energy calculator →
Montenegro and Europe
DIALux lighting calculation for stadiums, roads, industry and interiors
Powersense prepares DIALux evo calculations with the real LDT/IES photometry of the ALKAN® luminaires it supplies, to EN 12193 for sports, EN 13201 for roads and EN 12464-1 for workplaces. The report gives illuminance, uniformity and glare values and isolux plots, so designers, contractors and procurement teams can compare options before ordering. Send plans, field size or a road profile to start.
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