well, probably the best idea is to figure out how to script a lighting grid of point lights given an object.  one to make rectangular grids with n x m dimensions and y spacing, and one for objects where you can set them at every vertex.  and each having central control for color, turning shadows on and off, and intensity.  and of course using bagginsbill's inverse square falloff material.

but the IBLGenerator trick doesn't work half bad.