How it's verified
Runnax computes illuminance with the point method, the same formula IES RP-8 uses: E = I(γ, C) · cos θ / d² · LLF, summed over every luminaire head. We check it against the tools engineers already trust, on real projects, and we publish where it falls short.
Parking: a real lot, point by point
A municipal sports-complex parking lot in South Dakota: 15 heads of a 75 W, 13,000 lm luminaire at 25 ft, 271 points on a 20 ft grid, light loss factor 1.0. We compared the engine with an AGi32 direct-light run of the same lot.
| Engine | AGi32, direct light | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum | 0.3949 fc | 0.3946 fc |
| Average | 1.2367 fc | 1.2366 fc |
| Maximum | 4.7935 fc | 4.7930 fc |
| Avg:Min | 3.1312 | 3.1337 |
The design actually delivered to that customer averaged 1.2159 fc with Avg:Min 3.1998, so the engine reads 1.7 % higher on average than the delivered file. Both pass the customer's criteria. The project's 25-test customer-acceptance suite passes 25 of 25, last run 2026-10-08. Read the case.
Roadway: area averages on real projects
| Reference tool | Zones | Difference in average illuminance |
|---|---|---|
| AGi32, project A | 3 | −0.62 %, −0.65 %, −3.61 % |
| AGi32, project B | 3 | +0.26 %, +0.69 %, −3.06 % |
| DIALux, 2 projects | 3 | −0.30 %, +0.12 %, −0.07 % |
Largest difference across all 9 zones: 3.61 %. Sidewalk zones agree within 0.69 %; the roadway zones read 3.06 % to 3.61 % low against AGi32, and we have not found the cause yet. Of the arrangements, only single-side poles have reached project-level validation.
Known deviations
- Roadway point values: on two 510-point comparisons with AGi32, median differences were 4.27 % and 4.47 %, and the worst points were 36.68 % and 40.83 %. We don't quote roadway point values on their own.
- Roadway minimum and uniformity: minimums differ by 8.47–15.48 % and Avg:Min by up to 22.71 % against AGi32. This is why the engine issues no roadway pass/fail yet.
- Opposite and median roadway arrangements calculate but have no independent validation; staggered is blocked.
The homepage demo
The lot on the homepage is synthetic: 300 × 200 ft, drawn before the run, with poles allowed only on the islands and curbs. The engine tried 24,904 layouts in 64 s and kept 8 poles of a 166 W Type III luminaire (measured IES) at 30 ft: minimum 0.25 fc, Max:Min 17.6 on 651 points, vertical minimum 0.11 fc. The in-browser sandbox uses the same IES table and point method and reproduces the engine's 651 values exactly.
What we don't claim
- No RP-8 or code-compliance statements. The engine compares results with the targets you set.
- No field verification yet: nothing has been compared with measured light levels.
- No inter-reflection, obstructions or shadowing: direct light only.