Durham based Cree signed a deal Tuesday to supply more than 4,200 lighting fixtures to the Pentagon.

According to a press release, the recessed luminaires will be installed as part of the renovation of Wedge 5 of the Pentagon.

Cree said the luminaires have been tested extensively and should result in a 22% reduction in energy usage compared with comparable fluorescent fixtures.

A "payback analysis" by Cree said the installation should result in payback in four years. According to Cree that analysis considered energy savings, lifetime maintenance savings, savings from reduced load on the HVAC system, and elimination of hazardous waste disposal fees for mercury-laden fluorescent bulbs.

The company also estimates the LED lights will save 140 tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year.

According to a press release, Cree chairman and CEO Chuck Swoboda  said, "The U.S. federal government is taking a leadership role in energy efficiency for federal buildings both through existing mandates, as well as President-elect Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, which calls for the renovation of public buildings to make them more energy efficient."

"Installations of highly efficient, low-maintenance LED lighting, like these in the Pentagon and in the U.S. Federal Reserve, demonstrate that the future of energy-efficient lighting is here today," Swoboda is quoted as saying.

 Click here for the entire press release.