Leadsun Solar Lighting System with EZYfoot Selected for the 2026 IES Industry Progress Report

The Illuminating Engineering Society's Industry Progress Committee recognized the system as a unique and significant advancement to the art and science of lighting. 

Ontario, CA, August 14, 2026 

The Leadsun Solar Lighting System with EZYfoot Installation Technology has been selected for the 2026 IES Industry Progress Report. James Highgate, Director of Sales and Strategy, accepted the certificate on behalf of Leadsun, Inc. at IES26: The Lighting Conference in Denver, Colorado. 

The Industry Progress Report is compiled annually by the IES Industry Progress Committee, which tracks developments in the art and science of lighting worldwide and evaluates each submission through an impartial judging process against three criteria: uniqueness, innovation, and significance to the lighting industry. Selected submissions are presented live at the conference, published on the IES website and in LD+A Magazine, and presented at IES Section meetings through the year. 

"Concrete footings have been treated as a fixed cost of outdoor lighting for as long as anyone has been installing it," said Matt Pollard, CEO of Leadsun, Inc. "Excavation, spoil removal, and a multi-day cure before a pole can even be set. None of that is inherent to the work. It is inherited. EZYfoot removes it, and the pole and solar engine are engineered around that removal rather than adapted to it." 

EZYfoot replaces poured concrete with driven steel micro-piles, enabling a structural install in under 60 minutes per pole with no excavation, no spoil removal, and no cure time. The system carries a rated load capacity exceeding 10 tons and is configurable across wind categories and soil types, including sandy ground, made-up ground, and contaminated soils where conventional footings are difficult or prohibited. U.S. installations are evaluated against the International Building Code, the California Building Code where applicable, ASCE 7 wind load criteria, and AISC and AISI standards for structural and cold-formed steel design, with site-specific soil and wind review on every project. 

The pole is specified as part of the system rather than sourced as a generic mount. Panel area, fixture weight, and mounting height together determine wind load, so each pole is engineered against the configuration it carries. EZYlift hinged poles allow crews to complete assembly at ground level and raise the fixture into final position with one or two people, reducing lift equipment, site disruption, and time on site. 

Among the configurations the system supports is Mono360, a vertical solar architecture that departs from the flat, tilted panel common to off-grid lighting. The Mono360 column captures sunlight from every direction rather than a single fixed orientation, holding collection across changing seasons and sun angles and continuing to perform in low-light conditions where flat panels fall off. The platform spans 410 Wh in Mono360 Prime through a modular 820 Wh to 2,048 Wh per pole in Mono360 Ultra, pairs with Freedom PLUS luminaires from 30W to 80W, is rated to 160 mph wind load, and is Dark Sky Approved. 

Taken together, the system addresses the four conditions that most often stall municipal and commercial lighting projects: trenching, utility service, permitting, and cure time. 

"The committee looks at whether something actually moves the industry, not whether it markets well," said Highgate. "Standing in that room in Denver, with this group of people, was a good moment for everyone who built this." 

About Leadsun 
Leadsun, Inc. designs and manufactures commercial and municipal off-grid solar lighting systems. Its products operate entirely on solar power, install without trenching or utility service, and are engineered as complete systems, from solar engine and battery through luminaire, pole, and foundation. The global Leadsun platform spans 40 patented products and more than 400,000 installations worldwide. U.S. operations are based in Ontario, California, with a second location in Zephyrhills, Florida. 

About the IES 
Established in 1906, the Illuminating Engineering Society is the recognized technical and educational authority on illumination, with a mission to improve the lighted environment by bringing together those with lighting knowledge and translating that knowledge into action that benefits the public. 

Media contact 
Corrina Spelts, Marketing Manager, Leadsun, Inc. 
corrina.spelts@leadsun-us.com | (909) 476-0900 

Assets and links 
Poles: leadsun-us.com/products/poles 
Mono360: leadsun-us.com/products/mono360 
EZYfoot datasheet:
IES Industry Progress Report: progress.ies.org