LED wall power requirements

LED power is simple math done right: size off the peak draw, not the average, derate to 80%, and count your circuits. Get it wrong and you trip breakers on a full-white frame mid-show.

The five steps

  1. 1

    Find the panel’s power figures

    Every cabinet has an average power draw and a maximum (peak) draw, in watts. Average is typical content; max is full white. You need both.

  2. 2

    Multiply by panel count

    Average watts × number of panels = running load. Max watts × count = worst case. A wall is many panels, so this adds up fast.

  3. 3

    Convert watts to amps

    Amps = watts ÷ voltage. At 120V, a 1,200W load draws ~10A; at 208/240V it draws less. Match this to your distro voltage.

  4. 4

    Size to peak, then derate to 80%

    Plan circuits off the max draw, not the average, or full-white content trips breakers. Then load each circuit to no more than 80% of its rating — a 20A circuit carries ~16A continuous.

  5. 5

    Count the circuits and the distro

    Divide the derated peak load across 20A or 30A circuits (often three-phase for big walls) to get the number of circuits and the distro you need to rent.

Skip the spreadsheet

The LED wall calculator runs this for you: type a cabinet and a wall size and it returns average and peak watts, amps, and the number of 20A / 30A circuits the wall needs — derated and ready to put on a power plot.

Power, circuits, and distro for any panel and wall — in seconds.

Open the LED wall calculator →

FAQ

How much power does an LED wall use?

It depends on the panel and the wall size. Take each cabinet’s average and maximum watt figures, multiply by the number of panels for the running and peak loads, and size your power off the peak. A large wall can run from a few kilowatts to tens of kilowatts at full white.

How many amps does an LED wall draw?

Convert the wall’s peak wattage to amps by dividing watts by your circuit voltage (amps = watts ÷ volts). At 120V a 1,200W load is ~10A; the same load on 208/240V draws less. Always calculate amps from the maximum draw, not the average.

Should I size LED power off average or peak draw?

Always peak. Average draw reflects typical content, but a full-white frame can spike to the panel’s maximum — if you sized only for average, that spike trips breakers mid-show. Size circuits to the peak, then derate.

What is the 80% rule for LED wall power?

Electrical best practice is to load a circuit to no more than 80% of its rating for continuous use — so a 20A circuit safely carries about 16A, and a 30A circuit about 24A. Apply that headroom when you divide the wall’s peak load across circuits.

How many circuits does an LED wall need?

Divide the wall’s derated peak load (in amps) by the per-circuit capacity (e.g. ~16A on a 20A circuit) to get the circuit count, then choose distro to feed them — large walls typically use three-phase power. An LED wall calculator returns the circuit count automatically.

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