What does a lighting design involve, step by step?

By Zane Wylie, Sales Representative, Raylinc Lighting

A lighting design starts with the light level a space needs and the standard it has to meet. From there it moves to drawings, calculation points and a first layout. Then come rounds of adjustment until every point is covered with as few fittings as possible.

The steps

Zane Wylie prepares lighting designs for engineers as part of his role. This is the order he works in:

1. Set the light level and the standard. A pathway, for example, might need to be lit to category PP1 or PP5 under AS/NZS 1158.3.1, the standard for pedestrian areas. The category decides what can light it: post top fittings, or bollards.
2. Get dimensioned drawings. You need to know how big everything is and where fittings can physically go.
3. Place the calculation points. The standard sets how far apart the points sit, where they go and where they can be removed. Spill light calculations, for light leaving the site, start here too.
4. Make a first guess. Zane places every calculation point first, then puts fittings where he expects them to end up.
5. Find the gaps and close them. Where points fall short, there are three fixes: move fittings around, change the optics to send light where it’s needed, or add fittings.
6. Add a render. Zane includes a simple render with most designs, so the person reading it can see the space as well as the numbers.

The fewest fittings that do the job

The easy answer to any design is a light everywhere. It may comply, but it reflects on the engineer who submits it.

“It might have taken 10 fittings, and if you had designed it better, you could have done it with four,” Zane says. If someone else checks that design and finds the four fitting version, the engineer wears it. “We want to do a design that makes them look good.”

Energy limits shape the fitting choice

Energy efficiency rules cap how much lighting power a design can use. Too many fittings and the design stops complying.

That pushes designers toward efficient fittings with optics that achieve wide spacing. “You start getting squeezed by the standards,” Zane says. Choosing the optic becomes as much a compliance decision as a lighting one.

Frequently asked questions

What is the first step in a lighting design?

Work out the light level the space needs and which standard applies. For outdoor pedestrian areas in Australia, that is usually a lighting category under AS/NZS 1158.3.1.

What are calculation points in lighting design?

They are the grid of points where the design software measures light levels. The relevant standard sets their spacing and placement.

How do you reduce the number of fittings in a lighting design?

Move fittings to cover the gaps, and change optics so each fitting sends light further or where it’s needed. Add fittings only once those options are used up.

Can a lighting supplier prepare a design for me?

Yes. Raylinc’s team regularly prepares designs for engineers, often for those newer to lighting, using products from the ranges Raylinc distributes.

Zane Wylie is a sales representative at Raylinc Lighting, working with engineers in Townsville, Cairns and Brisbane. He holds a Graduate Certificate in Lighting and is a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society.

Contact the Raylinc team to start a lighting design for your next project.