LED lighting giant Cree has announced a new bulb that delivers enhanced performance on just 7.3W of electricity.

The firm's claims that its latest lab prototype could deliver 170lm/W were confirmed by independent testing service OnSpeX.

LED light bulbs' efficiency is measured in units of lumens per watt (lm/W), which indicates how luminous each particular bulb is when operating at peak capacity. The average output for an LED bulb is around 75lm/W, while traditional 100W bulbs delivered 170lm/W.

However, as Cree representatives confirmed, industry-wide technological advancements mean LED bulbs are quickly catching up to traditional bulbs in terms of brightness, while offering a wide range of benefits incandescent bulbs never did.

The new prototype performs at 1250lm on just 7.3W of power.

"LED lighting at this level of performance is only made possible by advancements across all elements of the LED lighting system: lighting-class LEDs, optics, drivers and thermal management," said Cree's research and development head, Nick Medendorp.

"Optimising each LED design element was critical in achieving the performance."

But brightness isn't the only factor - the quality of the light is important, and defines whether a bulb is more appropriate around the home or in commercial facilities. And with Cree's TrueWhite technology, the new prototype is set to provide sympathetic residential lighting as well as being a cost-effective performer for businesses.

"TrueWhite specifically refers to a technology," said Cree marketing manager Paul Scheidt, speaking to Electronics Weekly previously. "It uses a greenish-white from BSY (blue and saturated yellow) LEDs, mixed with red from red-emitting LEDs.

"It is a very efficient way to create warm white colours and gives a very high colour rendering index (CRI) - over 90 - with broad spectrum as well as high red content."

With the warmth of LED lighting often cited by critics as a reason for LED's current takeup, Cree's development could change the world of lighting for the better.