Solar-Powered Street Lighting Increases Illumination for Fast-Growing Fort Worth
One of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. is also accelerating the adoption of solar-powered streetlights which will illuminate night skies even during storm-related and grid outages.
Global lighting supplier Fonroche’s U.S. subsidiary is contracted by the city of Fort Worth, Texas, to install more than 3,400 solar-powered streetlights as part of the city’s “Support the Neighborhood LED Streetlight Capital Project.” The initiative is funded through a $12 million award from the Biden-era American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Fort Worth is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area but historically has been overshadowed in population by its more famous neighbor. The city’s current growth, however, outpaces even Dallas recently with more than 23,000 new residents added in 2023 and 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The deal with Fonroche Lighting America will replace outdated and inoperable street lighting in 30 neighborhoods with high pedestrian activity or proximity to schools, parks and community hubs. The solar-powered streetlights will be off-grid and guaranteed to provide lighting 365 nights per year, including periods of power outage. They include Fonroche’s Power 365 battery systems designed to operate even in extreme cold or hot temperatures.
“We are transforming Fort Worth with Fonroche’s solar lighting, creating safer, more accessible streets while reducing maintenance costs and eliminating risks from wire theft and outages,” said Lauren Prieur, Public Works Director for the city of Fort Worth, in a statement. “Residents are embracing this off-grid solution, which ensures uninterrupted lighting and marks a major step toward sustainability and a brighter future for our communities."
The solar street light rollout is happening in phases since the original launch. So far, more than 1,100 traditional street lights have been swapped for solar systems in Fort Worth neighborhoods such as Eastland, Glen Park, Morningside, Near East Side, Rosemont, Ryan Place and South Hills.
The 2025 continuation will add at least another 1,000 solar-powered street lights in areas such as Overton South, Westcreek Central, Polytechnic Heights and Wedgwood East. The entire project is due to completion by 2026, a spokesperson said.
Fort Worth developers building new home subdivisions to keep up with population growth are adding solar-powered streetlights in other projects. Homebuilder Lennar has contracted Streetleaf to provide solar-powered streetlight services through the master-planned Eagles Crossing community. Streetleaf is installing 29 solar-powered lights in Eagles Crossing.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker has championed the adoption of next-gen energy and municipal infrastructure technology as the city grows exponentially.
“Fort Worth is one of the fastest-growing large cities in the country, and to support that growth, we must innovate by championing smart solutions that honor our community’s history while pushing us forward,” Mayor Parker was quoted as part of a story noting her interview in a recent Innovate Fort Worth podcast. “From forming strategic partnerships with industry leaders to adopting evolving energy technologies, our focus is on setting Fort Worth apart as a leader in innovation and opportunity.”
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas grid system has proven vulnerable to storm outages and grid resource challenges in the face of hurricanes, winter storms and summer heat wave peak load. The state’s legislature has allocated more than $5 billion toward energy resources including new gas-fired power and distributed energy capacity from solar, battery storage and microgrids.
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The potential for growing U.S. solar-powered streetlight adoption is such that Fonroche Lighting America decided to install its headquarters in southeast Fort Worth. The subsidiary is part of French-based renewable energy developer Fonroche, which initiated its work in off-grid solar photovoltaic lighting in 2012.
Traditional grid-connected city street lighting also has been threatened with vandalism from copper thieves. Cooper thieves stole about 33 miles worth of copper wiring in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a decade ago and rendered downtown street lighting dark for multiple months.
The adequacy of traditional street lighting certainly gained the negative attention of Fort Worth residents. In a 2023 community survey, only 40% of respondents expressed satisfaction with the current street lighting situation. On the same question, more respondents than not expressed dissatisfaction with the adequacy of security lighting in city parks.
