Newport News Public School District in Virginia recently installed more than 185 Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE) LED exterior luminaires, becoming the first Virginia school district in the area with a significant LED lighting installation. The district selected Cree THE EDGE® security, area and parking structure luminaires to illuminate the exteriors of seven schools: General Stanford Elementary, Greenwood Elementary, Lee Hall Elementary, Palmer Elementary, Crittenden Middle, Booker T. Washington Middle and Denbigh High.

“These energy efficient lights virtually eliminate maintenance, provide the district with dramatic energy savings and also reflect the community’s commitment to sustainability,” said Keith Webb, executive director of plant services for the Newport News Public School District. “The LED lighting furthers our goal of enhancing and bettering the learning environment, while saving money for the schools and tax payers.”

In 2008, Newport News School District spent $5.6 million on energy costs. In the past four years, the school district has implemented a number of energy-saving projects, including the installation of Cree LED luminaires. Officials estimate the LED lighting upgrade resulted in significant annual energy savings of 139,000 kWh and reduction in annual lighting energy costs at the seven facilities by 65 percent, reducing carbon emissions by 191,000 pounds. Officials also estimate a payback of three years for the installation and expect ongoing operational savings due to the extended lifetime of Cree® luminaires and the reduced maintenance needs.

THE EDGE luminaires replaced 189 high-pressure sodium and 150 incandescent fixtures, delivering enhanced color quality, uniformity and optimized illumination performance to each of the school’s exteriors. The parking lots at all seven schools now meet the sustainable illumination requirements of each school, which helps reduce energy and maintenance costs for the district and tax payers.

Energy-efficient and long-lasting, Cree THE EDGE area, parking and security luminaires illuminate exterior corridors, walkways and entryways and provide increased visibility around the building perimeters. The high-performance lights provide added safety and security for the school district’s students, parents and staff during nighttime activities and events.

“Cree leads the industry in providing energy-efficient and reliable lighting for outdoor applications,” said Christopher Ruud, vice president global sales, Cree lighting. “Using THE EDGE luminaires with BetaLED® technology, Newport News Public School District demonstrates the financial and performance benefits of switching out incandescent and high-pressure sodium lighting for energy-efficient LEDs.”