MANITOWOC, Wis., Dec 23, 2009 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX News Network) -- The U.S. Patent and Trademark office today approved two design patents for Orion Energy Systems' (Nasdaq:OESX) exterior lighting technology, which includes its streetlight and parking lot fixtures.

The patents are numbers 24 and 25 for Orion, a leading power technology enterprise that designs, manufactures and deploys energy management systems, consisting primarily of high-performance energy-efficient lighting, intelligent wireless control systems and direct renewable solar technology for commercial and industrial customers.

The exterior technology is unique in that they utilize efficient fluorescent lamps that boast a 50 percent reduction in users' energy consumption and costs when replacing the industry standard high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting. Orion's fluorescent technology also delivers significantly more light than HIDs.

"Orion's exterior technology has been designed to withstand and perform in extreme weather conditions to ensure our customers receive maximum value," said Orion CEO Neal Verfuerth. "This patent is just one of many that validate the innovation taking place at Orion to help users reduce costs and their carbon footprint.

"With an estimated 20 million parking lot fixtures that alone consume upwards of 22.2 billion kilowatt-hours a year, we see this technology as a viable solution to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and customer costs."

Orion's exterior technology is constructed of powder-coated, weather resistant galvanized steel and includes an impact resistant, UV stable polycarbonate lens, a stainless steel latching system and a proprietary one-piece gasket to eliminate moisture inside the device.

The exterior technology has earned an Underwriter Laboratories (UL) wet location rating, which means the technology has been tested and exceeds standards in a rain-like atmosphere.

The properties of Orion's robust exterior technology make it reliable in all conditions and has been rigorously tested to perform exceedingly well in all types of weather, including subzero temperatures, changing climates and wet locations.

Orion's patented reflector geometry and encapsulated design deliver high visual comfort probability (VCP) ratings compared to the other technologies on the market. VCP, which indicates the percentage of people that will find a discomfort glare acceptable, is especially important with street lighting as glare can obscure night vision for pedestrians and drivers.

The exterior technology also is dark sky compliant, meaning it directs light to the ground and does not allow any light above the fixture, significantly minimizing light pollution.

Orion's exterior lighting technology was introduced in February 2009, as a way for its customers to take energy savings outside. Like Orion's interior technology, the outdoor lighting is designed to reduce users' energy consumption by 50 percent or more while significantly increasing light levels in comparison to high-intensity discharge lighting used in most parking lots and on most streets today.

Orion has 22 patents pending.

Orion has deployed its energy management systems in 5,082 facilities across North America, including 120 of the Fortune 500 companies. Since 2001, Orion technology has displaced more than 477 megawatts, saving customers more than $710 million and reducing indirect carbon dioxide emissions by 6.1 million tons.

Orion Energy Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:OESX) is a leading power technology enterprise that designs, manufactures and implements energy management systems, consisting primarily of high-performance, energy-efficient lighting platforms, intelligent wireless control systems and direct renewable solar technology for commercial and industrial customers without compromising their operations. For more information, visit www.oesx.com.

The Orion Energy Systems, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=4540

This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com

SOURCE: Orion Energy Systems, Inc.

CONTACT:  Orion Energy Systems, Inc.
Media Contact:
Linda Diedrich, Director Corporate Communications
(920) 482-1988
ljd@oes1.com

(C) Copyright 2009 GlobeNewswire, Inc. All rights reserved.

News Provided by COMTEX