Fonroche Lighting, a leading French manufacturer of solar-powered street lights, has officially opened its new U.S. headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas.
The 20,088-square-foot facility, located at 2224 SE Loop within the Campus Industrial Park, is a modern hub designed to support the company’s growing operations nationwide.
On January 22, the innovative lighting company celebrated the grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside partners Empire Holdings, the Fort Worth-based company that designed and built the cutting-edge facility. Soon after the opening, the company published a press release thanking all involved for the warm welcome to Texas.
Founded in 2011 in Agen, France, Fonroche has become a global leader in “autonomous” solar streetlights. In 2023, the company moved its headquarters from Boston to Fort Worth. Now, according to its official website, its solar-powered lights have been installed in more than 1,000 cities across 43 different states in the U.S.
The company’s flagship product is an off-grid solar lighting system that doesn’t require trenches, cables, or pricey electrical connections. Fonroche Lighting further claims that its streetlights are 25% more affordable than traditional grid-connected lights and provide longer-lasting, virtually “maintenance-free” lighting even in remote locations where traditional grid infrastructure is unavailable, impacted by severe weather, or just too expensive.
The upgraded Fort Worth office hopes to support the company’s growing footprint in America.
“This new U.S. headquarters signals our company’s long-term commitment to the U.S. market and our vision of reshaping urban infrastructure with renewable energy solutions,” Hocine Benaoum, head of Fonroche Lighting USA, said in the release.
Fonroche’s entrance into the American market showcases a more significant trend of renewable energy solutions gaining traction in urban planning within America.
According to a report from the World Resources Institute, in 2021, 155 local governments signed 290 renewable energy contracts, marking a 25% increase in cities and a 55% rise in deals compared to 2020. Of these local governments, 110 were first-time buyers of renewable energy alternatives.