LCD TVs, especially LED LCD TVs are generally accepted to be among the most energy-efficient TVs available (though Panasonic has gone to great lengths to make their plasma HDTVs also energy efficient).

This past weekend, LG Display, the panel manufacturing arm of LG Electronics, announced that it had developed a 47-inch full HD LED LCD panel that uses less electricity at maximum brightness than other 40-inch LCD TVS and even less than most 20-inch LCD computer monitors.

How does it do that? The LCD TV is lit by a single side of vertical LED lights rather than a full-array of LED lights behind the screen or edged-mounted LEDs surrounding the screen. This dramatically reduces the number of LEDs used in the panel, says LG. The company says this is the first time that a single-side of LEDs has been used in this way. LG Display also says that the system still exhibits high brightness.

The 47-inch TV consumes an average of 28 Watts of power and delivers 400 Nits of brightness. As a comparison, LG’s current 47-inch 240Hz LED LCD HDTV model 47LW650 lists an average power consumption of 120 Watts.  In the new panel, a three-film structure helps focus and distribute the light across the display panel—this may be related to LG’s Nano technology, which also uses a thin film to distribute light. In addition to being energy efficient, the LCD panel is also extremely thin at 8.5mm (less than a half inch).

While there’s no information on when complete televisions sporting this new panel will be available, we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see something at January’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Grant Clauser - Technology and Web Editor, Electronic House

Grant Clauser has been covering home electronics for more than 10 years with editorial roles in several consumer and trade magazines. He's done ISF-level damage to hundreds of reviewed products and has had audio training from Home Acoustics Alliance and Sencore. He's also the author of the book The Trouble with Rivers. Follow him on Twitter @geclauser.