Essential Lighting Solutions

What Essential Lighting Solutions does

Essential Lighting Solutions, Inc. is a privately held, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) headquartered at 18-A Brozzini Ct., Greenville, SC that delivers turnkey LED lighting retrofit and upgrade projects to commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities. The firm organizes its offering around three integrated phases — investment-grade Lighting Audits built on IESNA standards and a proprietary auditing software platform, customized Lighting System Design using AutoCAD, AGi32, LightMaster, VISUAL, Bluebeam and Microsoft Project, and full-lifecycle Project Installation & Management performed by directly employed crews — complemented by Controls & Automation integration and Post Project Services covering warranty management and commissioning. It targets facility managers, energy managers, and procurement teams across Education (e.g., Furman University, Greenville County School District, Texas A&M), Healthcare (Prisma Health, Atrium Health, HCA, Bon Secours, ECU Health, Novant Health), Distribution (QVC, Dollar General, Walmart, Grainger), Manufacturing (BMW, GE Aerospace, Timken, Berry Global, Curtiss-Wright, Stanley Tools), Food & Beverage (PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Lance, Dare Foods), Mining (Imerys, JM Huber), and Commercial Real Estate (JLL).

The firm operates on a project-based, custom-quoted revenue model: engagements begin with an audit-led assessment and convert into multi-month installation projects, with budget-neutral financing and rebate/incentive capture offered to make projects cash-flow positive for the customer. Go-to-market is consultative direct enterprise field sales supported by case-study-driven marketing; the firm does not use resellers or channel partners and does not subcontract installation labor. Notable differentiators claimed by the company include unlimited electrical contractor licensing across 31 states, SDVOSB status, LEED AP BD+C / IES / NFPA and LC/CLC/CLEP/CLMC certifications, 150+ combined years of lighting experience, and average team tenure above 10 years.

The company has operated continuously for nearly 30 years (founded circa 1996) under stable leadership, including President Ryan Boozer (40+ years industry experience), VP Jeff Dix (25+ years), Director of Auditing Mark Sanchez (3+ decades), Director of Field Operations Dustin Covington (20+ years), and Business Development Manager Jim Tully. Disclosed revenue, headcount trends, and capital structure are not provided in the available data; primary value capture remains concentrated in southeastern U.S. markets with licensing reach extending nationally.

Name

Essential Lighting Solutions

Legal name

Essential Lighting Solutions, Inc.

Website

https://essential-ls.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Essential Lighting Solutions is a private, SDVOSB LED lighting retrofit contractor in Greenville, SC delivering investment-grade audits, custom design, and turnkey installation — performed by directly employed crews — for enterprise and institutional customers across education, healthcare, distribution, manufacturing, mining, and commercial real estate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Lighting Retrofit Services

NAICS

Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Electric Lighting Fixture Manufacturing (335132)

SIC

Auto Controls For Regulating Residential & Comml Environments (3822)

akta.pro primary industry

LED Retrofit & Lighting Upgrade Installation (HSAOAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lighting Controls & Smart Lighting Systems (BPABAGAC), Lighting Design Services (BPAHAKAJ)

Keywords

• LED lighting retrofits
• Commercial lighting upgrades
• Lighting energy audits
• Lighting system design
• Industrial lighting installation

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. LED Lighting Installation Services: Project-based revenue from LED lighting retrofits and new installations. Revenue recognized upon project completion with typical lifecycle from audit through installation spanning several months. Budget-neutral financing options available for customers.
2. Lighting Audits: Investment-grade lighting audits that identify savings opportunities and form the foundation for project proposals. Typically provided as initial engagement leading to larger installation projects.
3. Lighting System Design: Customized lighting system design services using industry-leading software including AutoCAD, AGi32, LightMaster, VISUAL, Bluebeam and Microsoft Project. Design services are bundled with installation projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Essential Lighting Solutions delivers turnkey LED lighting retrofit and upgrade services for commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities. Its core offerings span three integrated service phases: investment-grade Lighting Audits using proprietary auditing software, customized Lighting System Design using industry-standard tools, and full-scope Project Installation & Management executed by directly employed crews. These are complemented by Controls & Automation integration and Post Project Services such as warranty management and commissioning.

Product overview

Essential Lighting Solutions provides turnkey LED lighting upgrade services primarily for commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities. Their core portfolio consists of three integrated service phases: Lighting Audits (investment-grade assessments using proprietary auditing software following IESNA standards), Lighting System Design (data-driven custom designs using software including AutoCAD, AGi32, LightMaster, VISUAL, Bluebeam and Microsoft Project), and Project Installation & Management (full lifecycle execution from materials ordering through final walkthroughs). These services are complemented by Controls & Automation integration and Post Project Services including warranty support and commissioning. The company operates as a services firm rather than a product manufacturer, delivering energy savings, reduced maintenance, and improved lighting quality through LED retrofits and upgrades across diverse industries including healthcare, education, distribution, manufacturing, and commercial sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lighting Audits Investment-grade lighting audits following IESNA standards that assess current lighting systems, document fixtures, and identify energy savings opportunities for commercial, industrial, and institutional facility owners.
• Lighting System Design Customized lighting system design services using audit data and industry software (AutoCAD, AGi32, LightMaster, VISUAL, Bluebeam, Microsoft Project) to create tailored fixture specifications, controls, and layouts that maximize energy savings and lighting performance.
• Project Installation & Management Turnkey installation services with dedicated project management covering pre-construction planning, materials ordering, onsite execution by directly employed crews, quality oversight, and project close-out for LED retrofit projects.
• Controls & Automation Lighting controls and automation systems including occupancy sensors and flexible controls for various facility types that optimize energy usage after an LED retrofit is installed.
• Post Project Services Ongoing support services after LED installation including warranty management, operations and maintenance manuals, and commissioning services for installed lighting systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• 68% kWh reduction for Greenville County School District (125+ buildings, 134,893 fixtures)
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lime Energy (Willdan Energy Solutions): Lime Energy, now part of Willdan, delivers commercial and institutional LED retrofit programs including audits, design, installation and rebate administration — a comparable consultative audit-to-install business targeting similar public-sector and enterprise customers.
• SmartWatt Energy: SmartWatt Energy provides commercial and industrial LED retrofit and energy-efficiency services including audits, design-build installation and incentive management — comparable service portfolio and customer mix to ELS.
• Energy Systems Group (Switch): Energy Systems Group is a national LED retrofit and energy services provider delivering investment-grade audits, design and turnkey installation for healthcare, education and government clients — the closest direct comparator to ELS's project-based commercial retrofit model.
• Facility Solutions Group: Facility Solutions Group delivers multi-trade facility services including commercial lighting design, installation and maintenance for enterprise clients nationwide — overlapping with ELS in lighting audit, design and installation for large commercial accounts.
• Orion Energy Systems: Orion Energy Systems combines LED lighting manufacturing with turnkey retrofit services for commercial and industrial facilities, including audits, controls integration and incentive capture — comparable scope to ELS as a single-source LED retrofit provider.
• Performance Services: Performance Services is a design-build contractor specializing in LED lighting retrofits and mechanical/electrical upgrades for K-12, higher education and municipal clients — closely comparable to ELS's education and institutional vertical focus.

Emerging players

• Sealed: Sealed is an emerging home and building electrification/retrofit platform bundling assessment, design, installation and financing — encroaching on parts of ELS's market via a software-led, financing-driven approach that targets adjacent customers.

Others

• Musco Lighting: Musco Lighting is a specialty LED lighting manufacturer and project provider focused on sports, large-area and industrial lighting — adjacent to ELS through project-based LED lighting delivery to large institutional and industrial customers.

Broad incumbents

• Ameresco: Ameresco is a publicly traded ESCO that delivers a broad portfolio of energy efficiency and renewable projects, with LED lighting retrofits as a major service line across government, healthcare and education — a much larger incumbent that competes for the same institutional lighting upgrades ELS pursues.
• Dalkia US: Dalkia US provides commercial and industrial energy services including lighting upgrades and building optimization for large facility operators — a broader incumbent that competes for multi-site LED retrofit engagements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/essential-lighting-solutions-inc

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Essential Lighting Solutions