Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE) has illuminated the Walmart Neighborhood Market in Mt. Pleasant, WI with energy-efficient LED lighting.

Cree® interior lighting products, including more than 400 CS18™ LED linear luminaires, will fully illuminate the Neighborhood Market – from the sales floor and pharmacy to restrooms, vestibules and backroom areas. Cree LED lighting will also be installed in the parking lot and exterior areas of the store.

Walmart estimates that the CS18 luminaires, designed for low maintenance and long life, will save approximately 30 percent in energy costs compared to interior fluorescent lighting. Cree interior and exterior lighting fixtures offer an industry-leading long service life and are backed by a 10-year limited warranty. This substantial product lifetime enables significant maintenance reductions and energy savings for the Neighborhood Market.

Recently ranked fifth on the 2012 Newsweek rankings for greenest U.S. retailers, Walmart’s deployment of Cree LED lighting will help the company achieve its sustainability goals: to be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy, to create zero waste and to sell products that sustain people and the environment. According to Walmart, the retailer used enough renewable energy last year to power 78,000 homes and is keeping 80 percent of its U.S. waste out of landfills.

The high-efficiency CS18 suspended LED linear luminaire uses approximately 30 percent less energy and lasts over three times longer than standard fluorescents. The CS18 luminaire will bring an extraordinary combination of performance, aesthetics and optimal light distribution to the sales floor of the Mt. Pleasant Walmart Neighborhood Market.

“Cree LED lighting will help us advance our sustainability goals while reducing the cost of operations and also giving our customers a pleasant shopping experience,” said David Redfield, senior vice president for Walmart operations. “Reducing energy consumption is the right thing to do for our natural environment, for our customers and for our business. Ultimately, the cost savings allows us to deliver on our commitment to Everyday Low Price.”

“Cree has a long-standing relationship with Walmart and the continued deployment of energy-efficient lighting further establishes LEDs as the superior lighting option for retailers everywhere,” said Christopher Ruud, Cree vice president, global sales, lighting. “The Mt. Pleasant location will be a great showcase of the benefits of LED lighting for the full customer experience – from the parking lot to the aisles. We’re proud to support the new Neighborhood Market right in our own backyard.”