Extend Playtime, Eliminate the Grid
Across the country, outdoor courts are busier than ever. Evening pickleball leagues, basketball games, and weekend tennis matches are bringing people together in parks, schools, and community centers. But without reliable lighting, these spaces often go dark just when demand peaks.
Grid-tied lighting is rarely a practical solution. It’s expensive to trench, time-consuming to permit, and impossible to deploy quickly in remote or built-up areas. And when the power fails, so does the safety of your recreational assets.
That’s where solar lighting makes a difference. With full-performance lighting powered 100% by the sun, Fonroche SmartLights are built for courts that need dependable, maintenance-free lighting—without wires, outages, or delays.
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Why Grid-Tied Lighting Doesn’t Work for Rec Courts
Lighting an outdoor court sounds simple—until you try to bring power to it.
Traditional wired lighting systems depend on utility access, which is rarely close to the play surface. Trenching through fields, sidewalks, or landscaped park zones can drive up project costs and timelines, disrupt community use, and introduce safety hazards during construction. In school districts, even minor upgrades may be delayed until summer or holiday breaks to avoid disrupting campus operations.
Common barriers with grid-tied lighting:
- High trenching and conduit costs — often 40% or more of total install budget
- Long utility coordination timelines — 6–12+ months for approvals and hook-ups
- Disruption to fields, surfaces, or programming
- Recurring maintenance costs for electrical cabinets and wiring
- Outages and grid failures that leave courts dark when needed most
Fonroche Solar Lighting – Built for Active Spaces
Fonroche SmartLights aren’t just solar lights—they are engineered systems tailored for real-world performance in high-use recreational environments. Every component is designed for durability, efficiency, and reliability in demanding conditions.
Unlike consumer-grade solar products, Fonroche systems are purpose-built for infrastructure-scale deployment. That means brighter courts, longer service life, and zero reliance on the power grid.
Key features that make Fonroche ideal for court lighting:
- 365 Nights of Light per Year
Powered by the proprietary Power 365 energy management system, each light stores enough solar energy to operate year-round—even through cloudy winters or extended bad weather. - High-Output LED Lighting
Delivers up to 80W of programmable, glare-controlled illumination, meeting recreational lighting standards for visibility and safety. - Smart, Maintenance-Free Operation
With embedded controls and Fonroche Connect for remote monitoring, crews can track performance, make adjustments, and avoid diagnostics trips. - Fast, Trench-Free Installation
Units can be installed in less than 45 minutes per pole—no electrical cabinets, no permits, no copper wire theft.
From tennis and basketball to skateparks and multi-use fields, Fonroche makes it easy to light up play zones safely, sustainably, and without delay.
Long-Term Value and Sustainability
Choosing Fonroche solar lighting isn’t just a smart move for today’s play spaces—it’s an investment in long-term resilience, sustainability, and operational savings.
Why parks departments, engineers, and school districts prefer Fonroche:
- No Utility Bills, Ever
Powered entirely by the sun, Fonroche SmartLights operate without monthly electrical costs or connection fees. - 10+ Years of Maintenance-Free Operation
With industrial-grade batteries, sealed electronics, and corrosion-resistant hardware, the system requires zero service for a decade or more. - Eliminates Risk of Copper Wire Theft
All wiring is above-ground and self-contained, removing one of the most common causes of lighting failure in public spaces. - Supports Sustainability and Equity Goals
Systems are over 90% recyclable, and battery components are 98% recyclable. Their grid-free nature makes them ideal for underserved and remote communities that can’t afford long lead times or trenching. - Qualifies for LEED, ESG, and Resilience Funding
Many Fonroche projects contribute toward green building certifications and city climate action benchmarks.
This is lighting that pays for itself—and then keeps giving back, year after year.
Lighting Courts Without Compromise
Recreational spaces deserve lighting solutions that match the energy, creativity, and resilience of the communities they serve. Whether it’s a neighborhood pickleball court, a school basketball area, or a city skatepark, lighting should extend usability—not complicate the process.
Fonroche Lighting offers a clean break from the limitations of traditional infrastructure. No trenching. No utility coordination. No delays. Just bright, reliable, off-grid lighting that works every night of the year—no exceptions.
As cities expand recreational access, and as parks departments work to modernize under pressure, solar lighting is no longer a niche solution—it’s the new standard for speed, safety, and sustainability.
Ready to see what off-grid performance can do for your courts?
Contact a Fonroche Lighting America Team Member to start your next solar project today!