SolarOne Solutions

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.

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

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

• Solar street lighting
• Outdoor solar lighting
• Grid-independent lighting
• Solar bollard lighting
• Pathway solar lighting

Headquarters

HQ city

Framingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers5 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Fonroche Lighting (International)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational 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

Direct 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

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/solarone-solutions-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SolarOne Solutions