Aquila Environmental

What Aquila Environmental does

Aquila Environmental is a Fort Worth, Texas-based energy services company founded in 2015 that delivers turnkey LED lighting retrofits as prime contractor to K-12 school districts, colleges, and large private-sector commercial landlords across Texas and the broader Southwest. The company manages projects cradle-to-grave, covering facility audits, system design, installation and project management, warranty administration, and measurement and verification (M&V) of energy savings. Its core technology is LED retrofit hardware and lighting system design, supplemented by four specialized service modules: lighting control design, bond-funded new-construction lighting procurement, high-output sports lighting conversions, and a project finance program that arranges municipal loan financing (3–5% interest, 5-year amortization) to enable cash-flow-positive retrofits with no upfront capital outlay.

The business model is project-based services revenue combined with financing facilitation. Aquila acts as prime contractor and bypasses Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) to eliminate 5–7 layers of markup, importing fixtures directly to control unit costs. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting institutional and large commercial buyers, with 100% of business sourced from customer referrals rather than paid marketing. Reported customer outcomes include a 63% reduction in lighting electricity costs, 18–25% ROI on project costs, 17–20 year maintenance-free system lifespans, and 10-year product warranties. Notable customers include TCU, Mansfield ISD, Fort Worth ISD, General Motors, National Oilwell Varco, Blackstone, and Four Seasons Hotels.

Name

Aquila Environmental

Legal name

Aquila Environmental

Website

https://aquilaenv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aquila Environmental, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a prime-contractor energy services firm delivering turnkey LED lighting retrofits to K-12 school districts, colleges, and large commercial landlords across Texas and the Southwest, pairing installation services with an in-house municipal project finance program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Lighting Services

NAICS

Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Lamp/Bulb/LED Module Replacement & Upgrades (Retrofits) (HSAIAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lighting Controls & Building Integration (Drivers, sensors, dimming, lighting control panels, networked lighting) (IMAGAIAI), Outdoor & Area Lighting (Street, Roadway, Parking, Flood, Sports/Architectural exterior) (IMAGAIAB)

Keywords

• LED lighting retrofits
• Commercial lighting services
• Energy efficiency upgrades
• Lighting controls design
• Turnkey lighting installation

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Worth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. LED Lighting Retrofit Services: One-time project-based LED lighting conversions for K-12 school districts, colleges, and private sector facilities. Projects include facility audits, system design, installation, warranty management, and M&V services.
2. Project Finance: Municipal loan financing provided to customers for project costs. Company brings municipal loans at 3-5% interest rate with 5-year amortization. Customers use approximately 70% of energy savings to pay principal and interest annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Aquila Environmental provides turnkey LED lighting retrofit services, managing projects end-to-end from facility audit through installation, controls design, warranty management, and measurement & verification of energy savings. The company acts as prime contractor, importing fixtures directly to control costs, and serves K-12 schools, colleges, and private commercial properties (hotels, manufacturing, real estate) primarily across Texas and the Southwest.

Product overview

Aquila Environmental is a services company offering a single integrated product: turnkey LED lighting retrofit services for K-12 school districts, colleges, and private sector clients. The core offering encompasses facility audits, system design, project installation, warranty management, and measurement & verification of energy savings. Four supplementary service modules extend the core: Lighting Control Design and Implementation (for optimized lighting control), Bond Project Lighting Procurement (for bond-funded new construction), Sports Lighting Conversion (for athletic facilities), and the Project Finance Program (municipal loan financing enabling cash-flow positive retrofits). All services are delivered directly by AE as prime contractor, with no subcontractor markup layers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Turnkey LED Lighting Retrofit Services
• Lighting Control Design and Implementation

Quantifiable outcome

• 63% reduction in lighting electricity costs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Energy Focus: LED lighting and controls company focused on commercial and institutional retrofits including schools. Comparable as an LED retrofit specialist targeting similar cost-reduction outcomes.
• FSG (Facility Solutions Group): National commercial lighting and electrical services provider executing multi-site LED retrofits across education, retail, and hospitality. Directly comparable business model and customer overlap with Aquila.
• Orion Energy Systems: Public LED lighting retrofit company delivering turnkey lighting upgrades to commercial, industrial, and educational facilities. Closely comparable as a specialized LED retrofit provider serving similar end customers with a project-based delivery model.

Emerging players

• Musco Lighting: Specialist in sports and large-area LED lighting solutions for athletic facilities. Comparable as a niche player competing with Aquila in the sports lighting retrofit segment the company explicitly targets.

Broad incumbents

• Acuity Brands: Large North American lighting manufacturer expanding into turnkey retrofit services for education and commercial customers. Overlaps on product portfolio and end-customer base, though much larger scale.
• ENGIE Services: Global energy services arm of ENGIE with extensive U.S. K-12 lighting and energy-efficiency retrofit work. Larger incumbent with national footprint and integrated financing capability.
• Honeywell Building Technologies: Building automation and energy services business that delivers lighting controls and efficiency upgrades to K-12 and commercial customers. Comparable as an incumbent integrating lighting with broader building controls.
• Trane Technologies: Global HVAC and building services company that delivers energy-efficiency projects including lighting upgrades to K-12 districts. Comparable as an incumbent bundling energy retrofits alongside broader facility services.
• Ameresco: Large public ESCO offering comprehensive energy efficiency services including LED retrofits to K-12 and higher education. Broader incumbent with deeper capital and existing K-12 framework agreements.
• Schneider Electric (Energy & Sustainability Services): Global energy management leader with a U.S. ESCO-style services practice that delivers LED and controls retrofits to schools and commercial customers. Overlaps with Aquila's solution set as part of a much broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 Aquila Environmental