DURHAM, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE) expands the market-leading LS Series LED surface ambient portfolio with the introduction of the new LS-FD^™ High Efficiency linear luminaire. The new luminaire delivers excellent light quality and energy efficiency at 130 lumens per watt for greater savings and faster payback, and serves as an ideal replacement for linear fluorescent lighting in retail, industrial or commercial spaces. The LS-FD High Efficiency products provide customers more choices from Cree, adding to the original LS Series TrueWhite^® products, which offer exceptional 90-plus CRI color rendering for applications in which color accuracy is the driving consideration.

“Cree’s new LS-FD^™ High Efficiency surface ambient luminaire provides an optimal balance of energy savings and color rendering available with an attractive design, application flexibility and simplified installation,” said David Elien, Cree senior vice president and general manager, lighting. “Its versatile performance makes it easier than ever to make the switch to better LED technology.”

The LS-FD High Efficiency luminaire produces better light experiences for new construction and upgrade applications demanding extreme efficiency and application flexibility. Its slim design features a uniquely adaptive and elegant form factor that outshines box-like fluorescent strip and wrap luminaires. A full-length lens housing allows multiple fixtures to be quickly installed for seamless, uniform illumination. The luminaire also features new product enhancements that allow fast and easy installation for a no-hassle upgrade from fluorescent strip and wrap fixtures.

The new Cree^® LS-FD High Efficiency luminaire is DesignLights Consortium^® Premium qualified for maximum utility rebates and energy savings, often with a payback of two years or less. It also comes standard with best-in-class dimming to five percent, versus the 10 percent typical of fluorescent luminaires. Backed by an industry-leading 10-year warranty, the product offers exceptional longevity and performance with a 75,000-hour lifetime at 35 C.

The full family of LS Series products features a highly diffused lens that eliminates pixilation and is available in color temperatures of 3500K, 4000K or 5000K.

The Cree LS-FD High Efficiency luminaire is available now and sold through Cree lighting sales channels throughout the U.S. Please visit http://lighting.cree.com/ls-series to learn more.

About Cree

Cree is a market-leading innovator of lighting-class LEDs, lighting products and semiconductor products for power and radio frequency (RF) applications. Cree believes in better light experiences and is delivering new innovative LED technology that transforms the way people experience light through high-quality interior and exterior LED lighting solutions.

Cree’s product families include LED lighting systems and bulbs, blue and green LED chips, high-brightness LEDs, lighting-class power LEDs, power-switching devices and RF devices. Cree’s products are driving improvements in applications such as general illumination, electronic signs and signals, power supplies and inverters.

This press release contains forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated. Actual results may differ materially due to a number of factors, including the risk that actual savings and lifetimes will vary from expectations; the risk we may be unable to manufacture these new products with sufficiently low cost to offer them at competitive prices or with acceptable margins; the risk we may encounter delays or other difficulties in ramping up production of our new products; customer acceptance of our new products; the rapid development of new technology and competing products that may impair demand or render Cree’s products obsolete; and other factors discussed in Cree’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 26, 2016, and subsequent filings.

Please refer to www.cree.com for additional product and Company information.

Cree^® and TrueWhite^® are registered trademarks and LS-FD^™ is a trademark of Cree, Inc. DesignLights Consortium^® is a registered trademark of Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Inc.

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