Recommendation for lighting planning (tool, service)

Hello everyone,

the topic of lighting design is coming up soon and we have been thinking about it for quite some time, but we haven’t really made much progress. I can still manage a basic/simple lighting plan like one lamp per room on the ceiling, but we want to work a lot with indirect lighting and rather set light accents. This is significantly more difficult because it gets creative here and with good lighting design you can enhance a house or "devalue" it if it is not done well.

Are there possibly service providers who do this and if so:
1. Which ones can you recommend?
2. What does something like that cost?

So far, I have only come across the software DIALux, with which you can carry out the planning.

Best regards
CK

Most lighting planners work with DIALux. For my colleagues in the lighting department, it's daily routine, but they also only do office planning.

A program is good, but it doesn't replace a lighting planner. They often have great ideas and can already say from feeling where and how many luminaires. Near us, there is a luminaire dealer who now also offers lighting planning. Maybe there is something like that with you too.

Yes, the tool would be a last resort if we want to plan something ourselves, but as you already said, it does not replace a lighting planner. We had hoped that there might be capable offerings on the internet that could be recommended.

There will be at least one renowned lighting store in every larger city, which also maintains a planning department. When the specialist advisor then combines a basic planning with a concrete luminaire presentation on site, this is on the one hand more illustrative for the client than an (expensive) 3D visualization. On the other hand, the lighting store usually charges the planning fee when the luminaires can be delivered later.

Such a basic consultation will cost between €500-700 for a single-family house if it is not charged. In addition, there are lighting planners as specialist engineers of [Technische Gebäudeausrüstung]. They can also be hired, usually deliver a 3D plan including, and charge a fee between €2,000 - 4,000 depending on the size of the object and the requirements. Some lighting planners also reduce the fee if the luminaires are later ordered through them.

Until now, the first option has been sufficient for smaller but more demanding construction projects.

We met a service provider at the building fair, the initial consultation sounded really fair in terms of price. If you google "Lichtlandschaften", you will find him directly. Just don't know if it works that well from a distance, but that could be clarified beforehand.

There will be at least one renowned lighting company in every larger city that also has a planning department. If the specialist advisor then combines a basic plan with a concrete lighting presentation on site, this is more illustrative for the builder than an (expensive) 3D visualization.

This seems to me a good more-than-just-alternative to a concrete reference from acquaintances. I have already read quite a few lighting planning threads – unfortunately with the impression that many "lighting planners" basically just enter lamp shopping lists into floor plans without explaining different options to the builder or having any real knowledge of the ins and outs (uh, lux and lumens). That means you find some commercial planning software users who can't really inspire their clients as experts.