SolarOne Solutions
SolarOne Solutions, founded in 2004 in Framingham, Massachusetts, deploys solar lighting and harvester systems to college campuses, government laboratories, and municipalities, serving institutional and public-sector buyers through project-based, quote-driven sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersFramingham, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What SolarOne Solutions does
SolarOne Solutions is a privately held solar lighting systems company founded in 2004 by entrepreneur Moneer Azsam and headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts. The firm deploys lighting and harvester systems to institutional and public-sector end markets, with disclosed customer segments including college campuses, government laboratories, and municipalities. SolarOne operates at a small scale — headcount in the 11-50 range — and pursues a project-based, quote-driven commercial model targeting long-cycle institutional procurement.
The company's growth path to date has been supported by a mix of venture and grant capital and one inorganic move: a Series 2 financing on 2008-04-04 totaling $1,500,000 led by FreshTracks Capital with TSG Equity Partners as a co-investor, an $88,779 grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center on 2014-04-07, and the acquisition of Inovus Solar on 2017-02-16 for an undisclosed consideration. The Inovus acquisition is the only documented M&A event in the company's history and signals SolarOne's preference for capability extension through tuck-in deals rather than top-line venture scaling.
The broader operating context in which SolarOne is positioned includes solar lighting operations under the Fonroche Lighting Group umbrella — covering 250,000+ deployments worldwide across US, UK, France, Spain, and Italy — with US headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas. SolarOne's contact infrastructure (phone number 339-225-4530, a Massachusetts overlay area code) overlaps with this US operating entity, suggesting an operational linkage across the SolarOne and Fonroche US networks. The company's revenue model is a blend of one-time hardware sales (solar streetlights, bollards, pathway studs, mounting equipment) and professional services (consultation, site analysis using PVsyst software with Meteonorm solar data, project planning, and ongoing support), with quote-based, multi-year contract pricing that is not publicly disclosed.
SolarOne Solutions firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SolarOne Solutions
- Legal name
- Fonroche Lighting America, Inc.
- Website
- https://solarone.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SolarOne Solutions, founded in 2004 in Framingham, Massachusetts, deploys solar lighting and harvester systems to college campuses, government laboratories, and municipalities, serving institutional and public-sector buyers through project-based, quote-driven sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SolarOne Solutions industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Solar Outdoor Lighting Equipment
- NAICS
- Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351)
- SIC
- Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Solar Roofing & Roof-Mounted PV Systems (IMADAFAO)
Keywords
Where SolarOne Solutions is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Framingham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
SolarOne Solutions business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Solar Lighting Hardware Sales: One-time sale of solar lighting systems including SmartLight streetlights, solar bollards, pathway studs, and associated mounting hardware. Systems are pre-wired and modular for simplified installation. Revenue generated from product sales to municipalities, commercial developers, and government entities.
- Professional Services: Design consultation, site analysis using solar data software, project planning, and implementation support services. Includes ongoing support and maintenance services backed by Fort Worth headquarters and wireless monitoring network.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
SolarOne Solutions product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SolarOne Solutions deploys solar lighting and harvester systems to college campuses, government laboratories, and municipalities. The company sells grid-independent solar street lighting systems (SmartLights line including HELIA, NEW ART, BELLE EPOQUE, OPERA, and ESSENTIAL models), low-profile architectural solar lighting under the Nowatt sub-brand (BRUT, FOLLOW, FOLLOW UP, OKO bollards and CRYSTAL STUD pathway lights), and the Fonroche Connect wireless remote monitoring network with the NOWATT Lighting App. Offerings are sold as pre-wired, modular hardware with design consultation, site analysis, and implementation support services.
Product overview
Fonroche Lighting America offers two primary product lines: SmartLights (grid-independent solar streetlights) and Nowatt (architectural solar lighting). The SmartLights line includes five streetlight models: HELIA, NEW ART, BELLE EPOQUE, OPERA, and ESSENTIAL, designed for roads, streets, parking lots, and municipal applications. The Nowatt sub-brand provides low-profile architectural solutions including BRUT, FOLLOW, FOLLOW UP, and OKO solar bollards plus CRYSTAL STUD pathway lights for parks, landscapes, and pathways. Both product lines are supported by FONROCHE CONNECT wireless monitoring network and the NOWATT LIGHTING APP for remote management. The portfolio is designed for sectors including municipalities, schools, residential developments, federal/military facilities, tribal communities, restaurants, and retail centers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SmartLights: Grid-independent solar street lighting systems
- Nowatt
- Fonroche Connect
- NOWATT Lighting App
Products and services
- HELIA Solar-powered streetlight designed for road and street applications, featuring grid-independent operation and smart energy management. Targeted at municipalities, commercial developers, and other outdoor lighting buyers.
- NEW ART Solar streetlight model with decorative styling for urban and suburban road applications, sold to municipalities and developers seeking aesthetic plus grid-independent operation.
- BELLE EPOQUE Decorative solar streetlight featuring elegant period-inspired design for municipal road and street lighting applications.
- OPERA Solar streetlight designed for parking lot, area, and street applications with robust weather-resistant construction.
- ESSENTIAL Essential-grade solar streetlight providing reliable off-grid illumination for road and street applications.
- SmartLights Grid-independent solar street lighting systems with smart energy management, designed for road, parking lot, and municipal applications. Features include no trenching, no wiring, no electricity bills, and up to 10+ years of maintenance-free operation. Encompasses the HELIA, NEW ART, BELLE EPOQUE, OPERA, and ESSENTIAL models.
- BRUT Low-profile architectural solar bollard for park, pathway, and landscape lighting applications.
- FOLLOW Architectural solar bollard providing pathway illumination with low-profile design for parks and landscapes.
- FOLLOW UP Solar bollard with enhanced pathway lighting capabilities for landscape applications.
- OKO Architectural solar bollard designed for pathway lighting with low-profile aesthetics.
- CRYSTAL STUD Architectural solar pathway stud providing discrete pathway and landscape lighting with crystal-like appearance.
- Nowatt Low-profile architectural solar lighting sub-brand encompassing solar bollards, pathway studs, and decorative lighting systems for parks, landscapes, and architectural applications. Includes the BRUT, FOLLOW, FOLLOW UP, OKO bollards and CRYSTAL STUD pathway lights.
- Fonroche Connect Wireless smart lighting network and mobile application enabling remote monitoring and management of installed solar lighting systems, with anti-blackout battery management features (Power 365 Technology). Designed for customers deploying SmartLights and Nowatt products who need centralized monitoring and control without on-site maintenance for 10+ years.
- NOWATT Lighting App Mobile application for remote light monitoring and control of Nowatt architectural solar lighting systems including bollards and pathway studs.
Quantifiable outcome
- 25%+ less expensive than conventional lighting over lifecycle
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use SolarOne Solutions
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
SolarOne Solutions technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
SolarOne Solutions partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Fonroche Lighting (International)coreInternational parent company and sister operations across UK, France, Spain, and Italy. Fonroche Lighting America brings advanced solar street lighting technology from global operations to the US market with state-of-the-art research and established deployment track record of 250,000+ systems worldwide.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SolarOne Solutions competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sunna Design: French manufacturer of integrated solar street lighting systems with battery storage and smart controls. Direct competitor in the off-grid solar lighting space, particularly relevant given Fonroche's French parent heritage and similar target customers (municipalities, parking lots, pathways).
- Greenshine New Energy: US-based manufacturer and integrator of commercial solar LED street lights and area lighting systems. Directly competes for municipal, commercial, and parking lot solar lighting projects in the North American market.
- SEPCO Solar Electric Power Company: US manufacturer of solar LED lighting systems for streets, parking lots, pathways, and security applications. One of the longest-established US-based solar lighting specialists and a frequent direct competitor on municipal and commercial RFPs.
- Engoplanet (Econergy Solar Lighting): International manufacturer of all-in-one solar LED street lights and integrated solar lighting systems. Comparable integrated product approach (panel + battery + LED + controls) and competing for similar municipal and commercial projects globally.
Emerging players
- Soltech Energy: Provider of solar-powered street lighting and PV solutions targeting commercial and municipal customers. Comparable product set (integrated solar lighting with battery) and customer profile, though smaller scale and more limited US footprint.
- Anern Solar: Manufacturer of solar street lights, solar bollards, and integrated solar lighting products. Comparable product portfolio (streetlights, pathway lighting) though typically positioned at lower price points than premium US-focused competitors like Fonroche.
Broad incumbents
- Signify (Philips Lighting): Global lighting leader with a growing portfolio of connected and solar lighting solutions under the Philips and Signify brands. Broad incumbent with established relationships with municipalities and utilities, increasingly competing in the off-grid and solar street lighting segments.
- Acuity Brands: Large North American lighting and building solutions provider offering street, area, and outdoor LED lighting including solar-capable options. Competes for the same municipal, commercial, and federal outdoor lighting RFPs but as part of a much broader portfolio.
- Sol by Sunna Design iGuzzini: Architectural lighting specialist under the iGuzzini brand, increasingly offering integrated solar and off-grid architectural lighting solutions. Overlaps with the Nowatt architectural/bollard sub-brand on landscape, pathway, and urban design projects.
- Cree Lighting: Major LED lighting manufacturer with a portfolio of outdoor and street lighting solutions, increasingly addressing the off-grid and solar street lighting market. Provides the LED component and full fixture competition, particularly in commercial and municipal outdoor lighting.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SolarOne Solutions social profiles
Digital presenceSolarOne Solutions financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SolarOne Solutions leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
SolarOne Solutions funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SolarOne Solutions M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SolarOne Solutions
What does SolarOne Solutions do?
SolarOne Solutions deploys solar lighting and harvester systems to college campuses, government laboratories, and municipalities. The company sells grid-independent solar street lighting systems (SmartLights line including HELIA, NEW ART, BELLE EPOQUE, OPERA, and ESSENTIAL models), low-profile architectural solar lighting under the Nowatt sub-brand (BRUT, FOLLOW, FOLLOW UP, OKO bollards and CRYSTAL STUD pathway lights), and the Fonroche Connect wireless remote monitoring network with the NOWATT Lighting App. Offerings are sold as pre-wired, modular hardware with design consultation, site analysis, and implementation support services.
Is SolarOne Solutions a public or private company?
SolarOne Solutions is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was SolarOne Solutions founded?
SolarOne Solutions was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SolarOne Solutions based?
SolarOne Solutions is headquartered in Framingham, United States, in the North America region.
How does SolarOne Solutions make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Solar Lighting Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are professional Services.
Who are SolarOne Solutions's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sunna Design, Greenshine New Energy, SEPCO Solar Electric Power Company and Engoplanet (Econergy Solar Lighting). Emerging players are Soltech Energy and Anern Solar. Broad incumbents are Signify (Philips Lighting), Acuity Brands, Sol by Sunna Design iGuzzini and Cree Lighting.
Does SolarOne Solutions have an API?
No public API is recorded for SolarOne Solutions.
What industry is SolarOne Solutions in?
SolarOne Solutions's product category is Solar Outdoor Lighting Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMABAB, Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System), with a secondary code of IMADAFAO, Solar Roofing & Roof-Mounted PV Systems. Its NAICS code is 3351 and its SIC code is 3640.