To Get more Insights,  Request A Free Sample 

 Unlocking Next-Generation Value Streams Beyond Simple Illumination and Efficiency

The future of the Lighting as a Service market lies in integrating value-added services that transform lighting infrastructure into a multi-functional platform. Two key opportunities are emerging:

• Light Fidelity (Li-Fi) Integration: LaaS providers can embed Li-Fi technology into their luminaires, offering clients secure, high-speed wireless data transmission through light. Unlike Wi-Fi, Li-Fi does not use radio frequencies, making it ideal for environments sensitive to electromagnetic interference, such as hospitals and manufacturing facilities. It also provides an additional layer of data security. Offering data as a service alongside light creates a powerful new revenue stream and a compelling competitive differentiator for industry players.
• Disinfection as a Service (DaaS): The growing focus on health and safety in public and commercial spaces presents another significant opportunity. Providers can incorporate automated UV-C lighting into their LaaS packages. These systems can be scheduled to perform disinfection cycles during off-peak hours in offices, schools, and transit hubs. Selling sanitized spaces as a quantifiable, subscription-based service alongside illumination meets a critical market need for verified cleanliness and enhances the overall value proposition of the Lighting as a Service market.

New Research on Key Market-Defining Aspects

Powering the Future of Food with Agricultural Technology

The Lighting as a Service market is fueling a revolution in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). For vertical farms and greenhouses, lighting is a primary operational expense, making the LaaS model an ideal financial solution. By 2025, the North American indoor farming market is expected to reach a value of 8.70 billion dollars. In Canada, the harvested area for greenhouse lettuce grew from 34.4 hectares in 2022 to 35.8 hectares in 2023, a clear indicator of the sector's physical expansion. The value of this specialized approach is substantial; Louisiana's agriculture and natural resources sector, which includes CEA, had a total economic impact estimated at US$ 12.95 billion in 2024.

LaaS providers are enabling this growth of the lighting as a service market by offering specialized, high-efficiency horticultural lighting without the significant upfront capital investment. In 2024, the hardware segment, which includes these advanced luminaires, represented a commanding 91.4% share of the horticulture lighting market's offerings. Vertical farms are set to expand at a rapid 19.6% compound annual growth rate, a trajectory heavily dependent on advanced lighting solutions. Adopting efficient LED systems can slash energy expenses by up to 60 percent, a critical saving for operators. As of 2024, the total global horticulture lighting market was valued at 6.31 billion dollars. It is forecast to grow to 7.51 billion in 2025. These figures underscore the immense opportunity for LaaS providers who can deliver both the technology and financial model needed to sustain this agricultural transformation.

Creating Intelligent Buildings with Integrated Lighting Networks

The demand for Lighting as a service market is increasingly driven by its role as the central nervous system for smart buildings. Modern systems based on Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology are revolutionizing building infrastructure. The IEEE 802.3bt standard now allows for up to 90 watts of power per port, sufficient for a wide range of smart devices beyond just lights. The latest PoE lighting solutions illuminate more than 1 billion square feet of commercial space globally. This technology streamlines installation, with one analysis indicating labor requirements can be reduced from 90 hours per floor to just 18 hours for typical commercial setups.

These connected lighting networks become invaluable data sources for building management. A single intelligent lighting system can generate vast amounts of information; globally, IoT devices were estimated to have generated 120 zettabytes of data in 2023. Signify alone manages over 114 million connected light points worldwide, highlighting the scale of data collection. This data feeds into digital twins—virtual replicas of physical buildings—enabling advanced simulations and operational optimization. As of 2025, it is projected that approximately 70% of major technology leaders are actively investing in digital twin initiatives. By 2028, over 59% of executives across industries plan to integrate digital twins into their operations, firmly establishing the lighting network's role as a critical component of next-generation smart building management.

Segmental Analysis 

Smart Luminaires and Controls Propel Unmatched Market Growth

The dominance of luminaires and controls as the largest component segment of the lighting as a service market is fundamentally tied to the hardware being the direct engine of value. Advanced LED luminaires deliver immediate energy reductions, while integrated controls unlock deeper operational savings, making them the tangible core of the service. Businesses see a clear return, with intelligent lighting controls capable of generating annual savings between $0.60 and $1.00 per square foot. The financial case is compelling, with rapid payback periods in various settings, including just 2.3 years for open-plan offices and an impressive 0.8 years for warehouses. A 33% decrease in the cost of smart LLLC systems has further accelerated adoption.

The evolution of these components from simple light sources to data-collecting nodes is expanding the capabilities of the market. An incremental cost of just $60 for a smart fixture with IoT capabilities is a minor investment for the wealth of data it provides. Such systems can amplify energy savings by 40 percent or more compared to LEDs alone. This potent combination of accessible advanced hardware and significant, measurable savings solidifies the leadership of the luminaires and controls segment within the modern Lighting as a Service market.

• The incremental cost for a "Clever-hybrid" system that includes energy monitoring capabilities is approximately $55 per fixture.
• Projects in facilities with long operating hours and fluctuating occupancy often achieve a return on investment in under 7 years.
• The incremental cost for a basic, non-IoT "Clever" Luminaire Level Lighting Control system stands at about $43 per fixture.

Indoor Applications Secure a Commanding Market Share Through Efficiency

Indoor applications overwhelmingly dominate the lighting as a service market by capturing the highest market share because they offer controlled environments where the benefits are most pronounced and measurable. Commercial spaces like offices and retail stores have predictable schedules and high luminaire density, creating ideal conditions for maximizing energy and maintenance savings. The impact on human capital is also a significant driver; optimized indoor lighting can reduce eyestrain and headaches for 84 out of 100 employees, directly boosting productivity. General lighting for these indoor spaces constitutes the vast majority of all industry projects.

The strategic value of intelligent indoor lighting extends far beyond illumination, transforming fixtures into a network for building analytics. In corporate offices, LLLC systems provide granular data for precise space utilization analysis, helping businesses optimize their real estate footprint. The growth in constructing new commercial buildings is a primary factor fueling the expansion of the indoor market. Given that a single office building can house thousands of individual light points, the opportunity for large-scale, impactful savings makes the indoor lighting as a service market the most lucrative application segment.

• Retail environments leverage specialized lighting to enhance product aesthetics and actively influence customer purchasing decisions.
• Indoor industrial facilities depend on highly durable, low-maintenance lighting systems to ensure safe, continuous 24/7 operations.
• Hospitals and healthcare facilities are adopting tunable lighting systems to improve patient recovery cycles and staff alertness.

Commercial Sector Leadership Stems from Powerful Financial Drivers

The commercial end-use sector is the undisputed leader in the lighting as a service market, driven by an acute focus on operational expenditure and corporate sustainability goals. The service model's primary appeal is its ability to bypass huge upfront capital investments, converting a major upgrade into a manageable operating expense. This financial restructuring allows businesses to become cash-flow positive from the very first day of implementation. The savings are substantial, as commercial LED systems can slash energy use by up to 80% and last 25 times longer than traditional bulbs, leading to drastically lower utility and replacement costs over the contract's lifetime.

This financial logic is powerfully combined with the growing corporate imperative to meet stringent ESG targets and green building certifications. The model provides a turnkey solution for companies to reduce their carbon footprint without needing specialized in-house expertise. As smart building technology becomes standard in commercial real estate, integrated lighting is a critical component. The Lighting as a Service market is perfectly aligned with this trend, offering a comprehensive package that addresses cost, efficiency, and sustainability. The move towards data-driven facility management, using insights from luminaires, further solidifies the dominance of the market in the commercial sphere.

• The core financial benefit for commercial clients is the conversion of a large capital expense into a predictable monthly payment.
• Key drivers for commercial adoption include escalating government incentives and regulations that mandate higher energy efficiency standards.
• Automated scheduling and daylight harvesting are among the advanced control strategies that yield the greatest benefits for large-scale commercial buildings.

Regional Analysis 

North America's Dominance Is Fueled by Public Investment and Smart Infrastructure

North America commands the Lighting as a Service market with over 43% market share, driven by a wave of ambitious public sector projects and a mature commercial real estate sector. The U.S. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a significant catalyst, providing grants to over 250 communities in 2024 through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program for upgrades, including lighting. At the municipal level, large-scale deployments are becoming standard. The City of Chicago's modernization program involves the replacement of 270,000 light fixtures. Similarly, Syracuse, New York, is in the process of acquiring and converting its 17,500 streetlights to smart LED technology.

Canada is also contributing significantly through its Green Municipal Fund, which supported 121 approved projects in 2024. The federal government's Greening Government Strategy mandates energy-efficient retrofits across its 25,000 federally owned buildings. In the commercial sector, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a commitment of 40 million dollars in 2024 to support next-generation connected lighting systems. Utility programs remain a key driver of the lighting as a service market. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) in California provided incentives for over 2,000 commercial lighting projects in 2024. The state of Massachusetts also allocated 15 million dollars for its 2024 Municipal Energy Technical Assistance grants, while New York’s NYSERDA program funded energy audits for more than 500 commercial buildings to identify retrofit opportunities.

Asia Pacific's Rapid Urbanization Creates an Unprecedented Demand for Smart Lighting

The Asia Pacific region is a hotbed of growth for the Lighting as a Service market, propelled by massive national initiatives and rapid urban development. India's Street Light National Programme (SLNP) is a monumental undertaking, having installed over 13 million LED streetlights as of early 2025. These installations result in an estimated daily energy savings of 29.5 million kWh. In China, the government is supporting over 800 smart city pilot projects, a key channel for advanced LaaS adoption. The country's 14th Five-Year Plan targets retrofitting 400 million square meters of urban building stock for energy efficiency.

In more developed lighting as a service market, Japan’s Ministry of the Environment approved subsidies for over 3,000 commercial building energy efficiency projects in 2024, many involving lighting controls. Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative is advancing with a project to deploy sensors and cameras on over 100,000 smart lampposts. In Australia, regional councils are collaborating on upgrades; the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) is rolling out a program to replace 128,000 streetlights. South Korea's Green New Deal also earmarks funds for renovating 225,000 public rental housing units with energy-efficient technologies.

Europe’s Green Regulations Mandate a Continent-Wide Transition to Efficient Lighting

Europe's firm regulatory landscape and ambitious climate targets are accelerating the adoption of Lighting as a service market across the continent. The European Union's Renovation Wave strategy aims to renovate 35 million building units by 2030, creating a massive opportunity for lighting upgrades. In the UK, Phase 3 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme allocated over 500 million pounds in 2024 for projects, including LED retrofits in over 300 schools and 80 hospitals. At a city level, London's borough of Ealing is proceeding with a plan to install 10,000 new LED streetlights.

Germany's state-owned KfW bank supported over 5,000 energy-efficient retrofit projects for non-residential buildings in 2024 through its loan programs. France’s energy-saving certificate scheme (CEE) has incentivized more than 10,000 distinct energy-efficiency operations in the commercial sector in the past year. In Scandinavia, Copenhagen’s smart city plan involves a network of over 20,000 intelligent streetlights. The Netherlands is also a key market, with Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport completing a project to replace 15,000 luminaires with a circular, service-based model, underscoring the continent's commitment to both efficiency and sustainability.

Strategic Investments and Acquisitions Shape the Future of Lighting as a Service Market 

• UrbanVolt Secures Green Funding for Expansion (February 2024):  UrbanVolt secured €30 million funding for expansion of LaaS and solar services in Europe in early 2024.
•  SDCL through SEEIT has ongoing significant investments in UK energy efficiency projects, with reported activities and expansions continuing in 2024
• In April 2024, Orion amended its credit facility by adding a $3.525 million mortgage loan and borrowing base enhancements, providing sufficient working capital and growth support.
• Redaptive raised a total of approximately $250 million in its Series E funding round, aimed at expanding energy efficiency and smart building solutions. The funding round included investments from Linse Capital, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Honeywell, CBRE, and others. 

Top Companies in the Lighting as a Service Market

• Acuity Brands
• Cree
• Digital Lumens
• Eaton
• GE Current
• Honeywell
• Johnson Controls
• Legrand
• Lutron Electronics
• Osram
• Philips
• Schneider Electric
• Signify
• Sylvania
• Zumtobel
• Other Prominent Players

Market Segmentation Overview

By Component

• Software & Communication Systems
• Services
• Luminaries and Controls

By End Use

• Municipal
• Commercial
• Industrial

By Application

• Outdoor
• Indoor

By Region

• North America
  • The U.S.
  • Canada
  • Mexico
• Europe
  • Western Europe
    • The UK
    • Germany
    • France
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • Rest of Western Europe
  • Eastern Europe
    • Poland
    • Russia
    • Rest of Eastern Europe
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • Australia & New Zealand
  • ASEAN
  • Rest of Asia Pacific
• Middle East & Africa (MEA)
  • UAE
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Rest of MEA
• South America
  • Argentina
  • Brazil
  • Rest of South America