Lighting Costs Are Surging — But Cities Have Options
Across the U.S., municipalities are being hit hard by rising utility rates and infrastructure delays. In Florida, FPL is pushing a $10 billion increase through 2029 — the largest in U.S. history. In the PJM Interconnection region, covering Ohio and 12 other states, electricity auction prices have spiked more than 830% in just two years. For cities, this means higher bills with little control, as utilities continue to pass along costs for storms, fuel, and infrastructure expansion.
Street lighting makes the impact especially visible. It’s often one of the largest line items in a municipal energy budget, running more than 12 hours per day, every day of the year. That level of demand leaves cities exposed to every rate hike and surcharge, with no way to stabilize costs under the traditional grid model.
Fonroche Lighting America offers a different path. With off-grid solar street lighting, municipalities gain: reliable illumination every night of the year, zero monthly utility bills, and systems designed to withstand storms and outages. In short, lighting that is no longer tied to volatile energy markets — but to performance cities can count on.
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Why Lighting Is the Smartest First Move Off the Grid
Not every infrastructure upgrade can be done quickly — but street lighting is one of the fastest, highest-impact places for cities to start cutting ties with the grid.
Why lighting is the smart first step:
- Highly visible: Residents and decision-makers see the results immediately.
- Energy intensive: Street lighting runs dusk to dawn, consuming more energy than most other city services.
- Essential for safety: Well-lit streets, parks, and school zones reduce accidents and improve community trust.
Challenges with traditional, grid-tied lighting:
- Requires trenching, cabling, and utility cabinets
- Involves months of permitting and coordination with utilities
- Vulnerable to outages, wire theft, and rising rates
The Fonroche alternative:
- 100% off-grid — no trenching, wiring, or utility hook-ups
- Installed in days, not months
- Guaranteed 365 nights of lighting per year with Power 365 energy management
- Resilient during storms and outages
By starting with street lighting, cities gain a fast, visible win in resilience, safety, and sustainability — without waiting on utilities.
Fonroche Lighting in Action
Cities across the U.S. are already proving that off-grid solar lighting isn’t just viable — it’s better.
In Florida:
- Utilities are pushing record-breaking rate hikes.
- Fonroche systems are already deployed in coastal and inland areas.
- Designed to withstand heat, humidity, storms, and salt air.
- Keep operating during outages — when communities need lighting most.
In Beachwood, Ohio (PJM region):
- For decades, residents pushed for neighborhood lighting.
- Grid-tied solutions were too costly and slow.
- In 2025, the city installed 29 Fonroche SmartLights in just 2 days.
- No trenching or utility coordination
- Reliable winter performance with Power 365
- Remote monitoring and adaptive brightness via Fonroche Connect
The results:
- Residents got safer, brighter neighborhoods without waiting years.
- The city eliminated utility dependency — and recurring lighting bills.
From Florida’s storm zones to Ohio’s winters, Fonroche delivers proven, resilient lighting wherever cities need it.
The Fonroche Difference — Why Cities Trust This Technology
Fonroche isn’t new to solar street lighting — it’s the global leader, with more than 250,000 systems installed in over 50 countries. What sets Fonroche apart is a blend of innovation, durability, and proven process.
At the core is Power 365, a proprietary energy management system that guarantees 365 nights of lighting per year. Paired with long-life, recyclable NiMH batteries, it ensures reliable performance even in extreme heat, humidity, or winter cold. Cities don’t have to worry about outages, fuel volatility, or seasonal performance dips.
Every project follows Fonroche’s Calculate – Test – Validate approach:
- Local weather and solar data inform system design.
- Photometric modeling ensures compliance with IES and AASHTO standards.
- Climate chamber testing validates real-world resilience.
Add in Fonroche Connect, a remote monitoring and diagnostics platform, and municipalities gain total visibility and control over their lighting — without depending on utility response times.
The result is infrastructure-grade lighting that works on day one and keeps performing for the next decade — without grid ties or recurring utility bills.
Why Act Now — The Cost of Waiting
For cities, staying tied to the grid means accepting rising costs and ongoing uncertainty. Utilities are locked into cycles of rate hikes, surcharges, and infrastructure delays — all of which fall hardest on essential services like street lighting.
The hidden costs keep adding up: higher bills every year, storm surcharges passed directly to municipalities, months of permitting and coordination, and the constant risk of outages. Lighting, which must run every night, gives cities no room to cut back or wait for relief.
By choosing off-grid solar lighting, municipalities lock in stability. Fonroche systems deliver guaranteed performance, independence from utility pricing, and resilience during storms or blackouts. The longer a city waits, the more expensive and uncertain grid-tied lighting becomes. The sooner they act, the faster they gain control.
Take the Lead Now
Connect with a Fonroche Team Member today to see how your city can deploy resilient, off-grid street lighting that delivers 365 nights of reliable illumination — with no utility bills, no delays, and no compromises.