Light Pollution Simulator: Browser-based light simulation using real photometric data

What it does

Light Pollution Simulator is a browser-based tool for simulating and analyzing light distribution from streetlights and luminaires. Users upload photometric data files in standard formats (LDT/EULUMDAT, IES LM-63, Oxytech, ATLA-S001) and run design calculations against international lighting standards including EN 13201, ANSI/IES RP-8, CJJ 45, and IES-IDA MLO. The platform renders urban scenes in 3D, showing how specific luminaires behave in real environments, including their contribution to sky glow.

Who it is for

Lighting engineers and urban planners who need to design or assess streetlight installations. The tool serves professionals working with photometric data who currently rely on desktop software or manual calculations. It targets users in markets following different lighting standards (Europe, North America, China).

Pricing

The site does not show prices.

How it stands out

Most lighting design happens in specialized desktop applications or through manual calculation against standards documents. This tool brings photometric simulation to the browser with real-time 3D rendering. The addition of sky-glow visualization addresses a specific environmental concern that traditional design software may not emphasize. By accepting multiple photometric file formats, it removes friction from workflows where engineers work with luminaires from different manufacturers or regions.

What a founder should check

First, investigate the incumbent landscape. Desktop lighting design software (AGi32, Dialux, Photopia) has deep integration with CAD workflows and decades of installed bases. A founder building a rival should verify whether browser-based access alone justifies migration, or whether the tool needs tighter CAD integration to compete.

Second, assess switching costs. Lighting designers often embed calculations into larger project files tied to specific software. Check whether the tool can export results in formats that integrate into existing workflows, or if it only works as a standalone analysis step.

Third, examine the moat around photometric data formats. The tool accepts multiple file formats, which is convenient, but file format support is rarely defensible long-term. A founder should verify whether the real differentiation lies in the simulation accuracy (determined by photometric science), the speed of iteration, or something about how results integrate downstream into construction or procurement processes.

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