GlobeNewswire Inc | Jan 12, 2022 09:00AM EST

January 12, 2022

Atlanta, GA, Jan. 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acuity Brands, Inc.(NYSE: AYI),a market-leading industrial technology company, today announcedit is expanding itscollaborationwith Microsoftto bring new capabilities toAcuity Brandssmart lighting, lighting controls, and building automation solutions.

AcuityBrandshas abold goal to avoid100m metric tonsof carbon emissionsas a result of projected 2020-2030 sales of LED luminaires, lighting controls, and building management systems replacing older technologies in existing buildings. Bycombiningthe power of Microsofts Cloud for Sustainability andMicrosoftAzure IoTwithAcuity Brandscustomer solutions, AcuityBrandsand Microsoft will jointly enable end customers,operatingmany typesof facilities and buildings,to forecast and calculate the environmental and financial impacts that thesenewlighting and building managementtechnologies deliver.

Weestimatethat building operations contribute 28% of global carbon emissions. By developing, deploying, and operating building systems with a focus on sustainability, we can materially reduceenergy usage from facilities,said Neil Ashe, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Acuity Brands. Together with Microsoft, our goal is to integrate foundational technologies like Microsoft Azure IoT and AIwithAcuity Brands solutions that allow companies to reduce carbon emissions while saving money on operating expenses.

Acuity Brandsprovidesindustry-leadinglighting andlightingcontrols technology.ThecompanysnLightdigital lighting controls platform, theCompactProHighBay by LithoniaLighting,anditsotherlighting and lighting controls offeringsarecurrentlydeployed across 15 billion square feet of commercial real estate, including office space, retail stores, hospitals, and airports.Additionally,theAcuity Brands smart building and energy management portfolio includesthe ECLYPSElineof edgecontrollersby Distech Controlsto automate building functionsandenergy management services such astheAtriusBuilding Manager.

AcuityBrandsand Microsoft willcollaborateto bringtheAcuity Brandsportfolio of applications to Azure, standardizing data ingestion and analysis via Azure Digital Twins and analysis of this data via Azures AI offering. Microsoft and AcuityBrandswill also look to explore technology solutionsthat further evolve the way spaces can beevaluated,managed, and optimized in the future.

Consistencyand accuracy in calculating carbon reductions are critical to tracking progress towards corporate climate commitments, said Matt Renner, President, U.S. EnterpriseCommercialat Microsoft. Acuitysend-to-end portfolio of smart lighting, building controls, and building management technology, built on Microsoft Azure andMicrosoftCloud for Sustainability,willdeliver immediate energy savings to companiesacross all vertical markets operating facilities and buildings, by integrating sensing, analysis, and actuation.Microsoft has boldcommitments to becarbon negative, water positive,and zero waste by 2030,and we are pleasedto partner with Acuity on its digital transformation journey.Together we will acceleratedevelopment of solutionsthat immediately impactcarbon emissions from building operationsand extend these solutions to companies of all sizesthat will need simple solutions to meet their own climate goals.

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About Acuity Brands

Acuity Brands, Inc. (NYSE: AYI) is a market-leading industrial technology company. Through its two business segments, Acuity Brands Lighting and Lighting Controls (ABL) and the Intelligent Spaces Group (ISG), the Company designs, manufactures, and brings to market products and services that make the world more brilliant, productive, and connected. Acuity Brands achieves growth through the development of innovative new products and services, including building management systems, lighting, lighting controls, and location-aware applications.

Acuity Brands is based in Atlanta, Georgia, with operations across North America, Europe, and Asia. The Company is powered by approximately 13,500 dedicated and talented associates. Visit us at www.acuitybrands.com

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are based on managements beliefs and assumptions and information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond our control. We caution you that the forward-looking information presented in this press release is not a guarantee of future events, and that actual events may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking information contained in this press release. In addition, forward-looking statements are statementsother than those of historical fact and may include statements relating to goals, plans, market conditions and projections regarding Acuity Brands' strategy, and specifically include statements made in this press release regarding:new capabilities, goal to avoid100m metric tonsof carbon emissions, material reduction ofenergy usage,collaborationto bring Acuitys portfolio of applications to Microsofts Azure cloud computing platform, standardization ofdata ingestion and analysis viaMicrosoftsAzure Digital Twins and analysis of this data viaMicrosoftsAzure AI offering. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identifiedby the use offorward-looking terminology such as may, plan, seek, comfortable with, will, expect, intend, estimate, anticipate, believe or continue or the negative thereof or variations thereonor similar terminology. A number of important factors could cause actual events to differ materially from those contained in or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those factors discussed in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2021, filed on October 27, 2021 and those described from time to time in our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), which can be found at the SECs websitewww.sec.gov. Any forward-looking information presented herein is made only as of the date of this press release, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of events, or otherwise.

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Media Contacts

Acuity BrandsCandace Steele Flippincandace@acuitybrands.com