New brand name completes its transformation to the US division of Fonroche, global leader in off-grid solar street lighting
Needham, Massachusetts. October 6, 2020. Fonroche Lighting America announced today that it is changing its brand name from SolarOne to Fonroche Lighting, as part of Fonroche’s acquisition of SolarOne Solutions in August, 2019. This shift reflects much more than a name change, according to company leaders. “We’re taking an exciting next step in our company’s transition,” says Niels Van Duinen, COO of Fonroche Lighting America. “We already bring exceptional value and reliability to solar street lighting. Now we can be an even more recognized player in our industry—disrupting and growing the solar lighting market.”
Leveraging the strengths of an international leader
Based in Roquefort, France, Fonroche has installed more than 100,000 solar street lights throughout the world. With its transition complete, the US division—based in Needham, MA—can leverage significant innovations and organizational strengths from Fonroche. “We can invest in innovation, including game-changing new battery technology, to raise the efficiency and reliability of our Smartlight street lights even higher,” says Van Duinen. “Along with our partners, we can provide field-tested expertise and responsive service to our customers. And we can take on projects and initiatives of any size, from local to international.”
Bringing solar street lighting to all
Fonroche Lighting America will continue to sell to its core customers—municipalities, federal and military facilities, tribes, commercial properties, and developers. “Our current customers and partners trust us to deliver the full promise of solar lighting,” says Ilze Greene, marketing director of Fonroche Lighting America. “Now we can explore opportunities to help new customers use solar street lighting to bring much-needed light to key areas, from parks to parking lots, roadways to tribal lands.”
Smartlight street lights offer significant advantages over other solar lighting options, according to Greene. “Our Smartlights serve as a smart, simple, and sustainable alternative to installing more grid-based lighting,” she says. “And they’re a much more advanced, durable and reliable choice over low-quality solar solutions.”
The message is clear: the time for solar street lighting is now
Fonroche Lighting America sees solar lighting at an important inflection point. “Our customers, the market for solar street lighting, and the world—they’re all changing rapidly in the current environment,” says Van Duinen. “We’re changing too, becoming even more focused on delivering the full potential of solar street lighting to our US customers—from lowering environmental impact and energy costs to boosting reliability and resilience.”
For more information: Contact Ilze Greene, Director of Marketing.