Urban Solar

Name

Urban Solar

Legal name

Urban Solar

Website

https://urbansolarcorp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Transit Infrastructure Lighting and Digital Displays

NAICS

Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (33513)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Road Lighting & Visibility Safety Systems (Street Lighting, High-Mast, LED Upgrades, Solar Beacons) (TLAJAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

On-Street Bus Stops, Shelters & Interchanges (THAIALAE), Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB)

Keywords

• Solar transit lighting
• Off-grid bus stop systems
• E-paper transit displays
• Bus shelter lighting
• Solar powered amenities

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaverton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

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. Transit Infrastructure Products: Urban Solar generates revenue through the sale of solar-powered bus stop lighting systems, e-paper digital displays, and shelter lighting. Products are sold directly to transit agencies with options for cooperative purchasing contracts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Urban Solar designs, manufactures, and supplies solar-powered and battery-powered off-grid amenities for public transit bus stops. Its hardware portfolio includes transit pole lighting systems (PV Stop+, PV Stop MAX), solar-powered bus shelter lighting (RMS 80F), and vandal-resistant battery-powered e-paper digital displays for real-time passenger information. The company also provides complementary professional services including lighting studies, custom power systems, structural engineering, site inspections, and installation support, sold primarily to public transit agencies across North America.

Product overview

Urban Solar is a North American market leader in off-grid solar-powered and battery-powered transit amenities, providing a comprehensive portfolio of hardware products and services for public transit bus stops. The core product line consists of solar-powered lighting solutions (Transit Pole Lighting including PV Stop+ and PV Stop MAX models, and Bus Shelter Lighting including the RMS 80F system) and battery-powered digital display solutions (E-Paper Displays in 13" format with various mounting options including flag mounts). These products work together to provide transit agencies with real-time passenger information, enhanced rider safety, and modernized transit infrastructure without requiring grid power connections. The offering is complemented by a suite of professional services including lighting studies, custom power systems engineering, structural engineering, site inspections, and installation support, plus cooperative purchasing programs to streamline procurement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PV Stop+ Transit Pole Lighting 20W solar-powered pole-mounted transit lighting with rider push-button activation, AGM batteries rated to -40°C, designed to install within minutes on standard transit poles. Targeted at public transit agencies needing on-demand rider-activated illumination without grid power.
• PV Stop MAX Transit Pole Lighting 40W solar-powered transit pole lighting system with increased solar generation and battery storage capacity for longer illumination periods during peak winter months and scalable network deployment. Targeted at transit agencies operating in northern climates with long dark winters.
• RMS 80F Solar Shelter Lighting Retrofit solar-powered LED bus shelter lighting system engineered for improved safety, visibility, and ease of deployment at existing transit shelters. Targeted at transit agencies wanting to add security lighting to existing shelters without grid power connections.
• Solar-Powered Bus Shelter Lighting System Solar-powered security lighting for nearly any new or existing bus shelter, keeping riders safe and visible without the need for grid power connections. Targeted at transit agencies installing or retrofitting bus shelters.
• 13" Vandal-Resistant E-Paper Display Battery-powered vandal-resistant 13-inch e-paper display delivering real-time bus arrival information, service alerts, and rider messaging with 5+ year battery life. Fully battery-powered, requiring no solar or grid power. Targeted at transit agencies needing passenger information displays at locations without grid power.
• 13" 4-Button E-Paper Display with APS User-friendly e-paper display providing real-time bus arrival information, route maps, and network updates with a braille ring and text-to-speech function for accessibility. Deployed at pedestrian-friendly 7-foot height. Targeted at transit agencies serving visually impaired riders in compliance with ADA.
• Double-Sided Flag Mount Display with APS Technology Double-sided battery-powered e-paper display mounted at pedestrian-friendly height with Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) giving visually impaired passengers indication to engage with the display, supporting ADA compliance. Targeted at transit agencies needing accessible dual-sided passenger information signage.
• Lighting Studies Professional assessment of lighting needs and solar viability for transit stop installations. Service for transit agencies planning lighting deployments.
• Custom Power Systems Engineering Custom engineering solutions for power systems at transit stops. Service for transit agencies with non-standard deployment requirements.
• Structural Engineering Solutions Engineering analysis for secure transit pole installations including wind and snow load requirements. Service for transit agencies needing verified structural design at their stops.
• Site Inspections Free site inspections ensuring adequate sun exposure for reliable solar system operation. Service provided free of charge to transit agencies evaluating deployments.
• Installation Support Free installation support for every installation, ensuring smooth and hassle-free deployment. Service provided free of charge with hardware purchase to transit agencies.
• Cooperative Purchasing Contracts Cooperative purchasing contracts (e.g., through CALACT) that enable transit agencies to procure Urban Solar products through streamlined, compliant purchasing processes. Service for US transit agencies using cooperative procurement vehicles.

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% battery health after 1 year of operation, projected 9 years without replacements
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• TransLinkflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024TransLink selected Urban Solar as one of 4 winners from over 400 applicants in their Open Call for Innovation challenge. Urban Solar deployed rider-activated solar lighting across Metro Vancouver as part of a broader innovation initiative.
• NYC Department of TransportationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NYC DOT partnered with Urban Solar for Innovation Lab's 2024 Transit Tech Lab pilot program to trial cutting-edge battery-powered display technology for real-time bus arrival information.
• Tolar ManufacturingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTolar Manufacturing provides Sunset Shelters into which Urban Solar integrates its e-paper displays and solar lighting systems. The partnership enables seamless installation, consistent branding, and clean professional appearance across transit networks.
• AxentiacoreTechnology or IntegrationAxentia provides e-paper display technology integrated into Urban Solar's transit solutions. Their ultra-low power battery-powered displays are powered by Axentia and integrated with Urban Solar's solar power systems.
• CALACTcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCALACT (California Association for Coordination of Transit) cooperative purchasing contract allows California transit agencies to procure Urban Solar products through a streamlined, compliant purchasing process.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Cubic Transportation Systems: Cubic provides integrated transit technology solutions including real-time passenger information, fare collection, and traffic management. While focused on software and fare systems, its real-time information offerings overlap with Urban Solar's e-paper display business for large agencies.
• Signify (formerly Philips Lighting): Signify is the world's largest lighting company, offering connected LED street lighting, solar lighting, and smart-city lighting solutions. While not specialized in off-grid bus stop products, it competes for large municipal lighting contracts where Urban Solar also participates.
• INIT (Innovations in Transportation): INIT provides integrated ITS solutions for public transit, including real-time passenger information displays and fleet management. It competes for larger integrated transit technology procurements where Urban Solar's display products may also be bid.
• Acuity Brands: Acuity Brands is a major North American lighting and building solutions manufacturer with outdoor and roadway lighting product lines. It is a broad incumbent that competes for transit and municipal lighting contracts where Urban Solar also bids.
• Schréder Group: Schréder is a global incumbent manufacturer of outdoor and street lighting systems, including solar and connected lighting for roads and public infrastructure. It competes broadly with Urban Solar in the street/area lighting category, though it does not specialize in off-grid bus stop amenities.

Direct peers

• First Light Technologies: First Light Technologies manufactures solar-powered LED lighting for pathways, transit stops, and parking lots. It directly competes with Urban Solar in the off-grid solar lighting niche, particularly for transit and public-space applications in North America.
• Luminator Technology Group: Luminator supplies on-board and wayside passenger information displays and lighting for transit agencies worldwide. It overlaps with Urban Solar's e-paper real-time display product line for bus stops, serving the same transit agency customers.
• Carmanah Technologies: Carmanah designs and manufactures solar-powered LED lighting and signaling for transit, traffic, and rail applications. It is the closest direct competitor to Urban Solar, offering off-grid transit stop and wayside lighting solutions to similar North American transit agency customers.

Emerging players

• Tolar Manufacturing Company: Tolar Manufacturing designs and produces transit bus shelters and street furniture used by North American transit agencies. It is a partner of Urban Solar (integrates e-paper and lighting into shelters) and an adjacent competitor for the overall bus stop amenity budget.
• SEALITE (a Sealite International company): Sealite manufactures solar-powered marine, aviation, and roadway lighting including solar beacons and signage. It overlaps with Urban Solar's solar-powered lighting and beacon offerings, particularly for transit and roadside safety applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/urbansolarcorp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Urban Solar