Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE) once again sets an LED industry performance milestone with the commercial availability of XLamp® XM-L2 LEDs. The new XM-L2 LED delivers up to 186 lumens-per-watt at 350 mA, 25°C, a level of performance only available in a lab setting just three years prior. Built on Cree's revolutionary SC³ Technology? next generation LED platform, the new XM-L2 LEDs double the lumens-per-dollar and deliver 20 percent more lumens-per-watt over the original XM-L LED - enabling lighting manufacturers to use fewer LEDs to deliver a better lighting system for less cost.

The new XM-L2 LEDs are designed for very high lumen applications such as indoor, high-bay and outdoor lighting. The high-performance XM-L2 LEDs are compatible with existing XM-L LED designs and leverage the 5mm x 5mm XM footprint - allowing customers to easily incorporate the XM-L2 LEDs into existing XM LED designs to shorten the fixture design cycle and improve time-to-market.

"We're excited that Cree has improved the performance of the XM package with the XLamp XM-L2 LED," said Jeff Rogers, vice president of sales and marketing, Musco Sports Lighting. "XM-L2 allows us to boost the performance of our existing XM-L designs without changing optics or drivers."

The XM-L2 LED offers the unique combination of very high efficacy at high drive currents, delivering an unprecedented 1198 lumens at 116 lumens-per-watt efficacy at 3A, 25°C. The XM-L2 is the eighth product built on Cree's SC³ Technology platform. The innovative platform leverages Cree's advanced silicon carbide technology, features advancements in LED chip architecture and phosphor and boasts a new package design to deliver the most advanced LED components in the industry.

"The XM-L2 LED efficiently delivers hundreds of lumens per LED, allowing us to significantly reduce the number of LEDs in our designs," said Steve Walczak, director of engineering, Sternberg Lighting. "By using fewer LEDs, we can simplify design and production, ultimately reducing cost without sacrificing light output or quality for our end customers."

Characterized at 85°C, the XM-L2 LED is available in 2700K to 6200K color temperatures and offers minimum CRI options of 80, 85 and 90. Additionally, since the XM-L2 LED is a successor product to XM-L LEDs, the application of ENERGY STAR® qualification requires only 3000 hours of XM-L2 LED LM-80 data, instead of the normal 6000 hours. The XM-L2 LED is also UL-recognized and features a level 4 rating.

Cree® XLamp XM-L2 LED samples are available now and production quantities are available with standard lead times. To learn more, please visit www.cree.com/xml2.

About Cree

Cree is leading the LED lighting revolution and making energy-wasting traditional lighting technologies obsolete through the use of energy-efficient, mercury-free LED lighting. Cree is a market-leading innovator of lighting-class LEDs, LED lighting, and semiconductor products for power and radio frequency (RF) applications.

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

For additional product and company information, please refer to www.cree.com. To learn more about the LED Lighting Revolution, please visit www.creeledrevolution.com.

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 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 LED 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 24, 2012, and subsequent filings.

Cree® and XLamp® are registered trademarks, and SC³ Technology? is a trademark of Cree, Inc.

ENERGY STAR® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Cree, Inc.
Gena Fiegel, 919-407-7651
Corporate Communications
media@cree.com