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Sep 07, 2023

Pilot Flying J Sees the Lighting

DURHAM, N.C. -- Pilot Flying J has signed an agreement with Cree Inc. for the

DURHAM, N.C. --Pilot Flying J has signed an agreement with Cree Inc. for the company to install indoor and outdoor LED lighting at some of the retailer's travel centers. The agreement provides for a retrofit of interior and exterior lighting, to include parking lot canopies, downlights and area luminaires for new and existing travel centers.

Using Cree's LED lighting with SmartCast technology, the company anticipates that the project will generate significant energy savings and eliminate nearly all lighting-related maintenance costs over the duration of Cree's 10-year warranty.

The program is underway, with Cree LED lighting retrofits completed at nearly 100 Pilot and Flying J Travel Centers to date and plans to roll out dozens of new stores annually over the next five years.

"Cree's canopies, troffers and area LED lighting provides better light that enhances customer experiences at the pump and inside our travel centers," said Bryan Martin, Pilot Flying J energy manager. "As Pilot and Flying J Travel Centers are open 24 hours each day, this upgrade will also generate long-term energy reductions and material maintenance savings due to avoiding ballast and lamp change outs."

Travelers will experience enhanced color quality and vibrancy in the stores with Cree's CR Series of LED downlights and in select locations Cree's ZR Series LED troffers with SmartCast Technology, the company said. As Cree's intelligent lighting solution, the SmartCast-equipped ZR Series LED troffer provides a combination of extreme energy productivity and a personalized light experience. The CR Series of dimmable LED lights provides higher efficacy and longer life than compact fluorescent lamps, said the company, with the color quality that customers demand. LR6 downlights deliver efficacy up to 100 lumens per watts to maximize energy savings.

"Cree believes better light changes everything, and deploying better LED technology can generate more than 50% energy savings while unlocking tremendous business potential," said David Elien, Cree senior vice president of lighting. "Pilot Flying J is the leader in making life better for drivers, including well-lit travel centers and parking lots, and continues to lead in business innovation by tapping the value of LED technology from Cree."

Outside, OSQ Area and Flood luminaires will provide even light distribution that blends extreme optical control, advanced thermal management and modern clean aesthetics. Cree's high-power CPY Series of canopy fixtures will offer slim, low-profile aesthetics that will lower operating costs while providing safe and visually appealing lighting.

Cree is a leading provider of lighting-class LEDs, lighting products and semiconductor products for power and radio frequency (RF) applications. Its 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.

Knoxville, Tenn.-based Pilot Flying J, the largest operator of travel centers and travel plazas in North America, has more than 650 retail locations, 52 Goodyear Commercial Tire and Service Centers (Wingfoot) and 44 Boss Shops. The Pilot Flying J network provides drivers with access to more than 70,000 parking spaces for trucks, 4,800 showers and more than 4,400 diesel lanes offering diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) at the pump.

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