How LED wall power is calculated
- Total power = panels × watts per panel, at max and at average.
- Current = watts ÷ volts.
- Usable watts per circuit = breaker amps × volts × continuous load (80 % under the NEC).
- Panels per circuit = usable watts ÷ max watts per panel, rounded down. The wall needs panels ÷ panels per circuit circuits, rounded up.
- Panels per chain is also capped by the link cable: link amps × volts ÷ max watts per panel.
- Heat = watts × 3.412 BTU/h.
Worked example
60 panels at 180 W max draw 60 × 180 = 10,800 W, which is 90 A at 120 V. A 20 A breaker at 80 % carries 20 × 120 × 0.8 = 1,920 W, or 10 panels, so the wall needs 6 circuits. Heat load is 36,850 BTU/h at full white.
Max vs average power
Max power is the panel on full white at full brightness — size breakers and cabling on it. Average power is what the wall draws on typical content, often around a third of max. Use it for running cost and cooling. If your datasheet only lists max, leave average blank and the calculator uses a third.
Circuits and daisy chains
Panels are chained, each feeding the next, and each chain starts from a junction box or receptacle on one circuit. Choose whether chains run down columns or across rows, the corner they start from, and whether they snake through the wall. By default whole chains are packed onto the fewest breakers; set chains per circuit to match a fixed junction-box layout instead. The circuit schedule lists the panels, watts, amps and load on each breaker.
Planning the signal side as well? The LED wall data calculator works out ports and cable runs for the same wall, and the LED wall calculator covers size, resolution and weight.
Frequently asked questions
How much power does an LED wall use?
Multiply the number of panels by the watts per panel from the datasheet. 60 panels at 180 W max draw 10,800 W (11 kW) on full white, and around 3.6 kW on typical content.
How many LED panels can go on a 20 A circuit?
Usable watts ÷ max watts per panel. At 120 V a 20 A breaker loaded to 80 % carries 1,920 W, so 10 panels of 180 W. At 208 V the same breaker carries 3,328 W — 18 panels.
Why are circuits loaded to 80 %?
The US National Electrical Code sizes a breaker feeding a continuous load (on for three hours or more) at 125 % of that load, which is the same as loading it to 80 %. Set 100 % only where your local code and breaker rating allow it.
Should an LED wall run on 120 V or 208/240 V?
Higher voltage moves the same watts with fewer amps, so more panels fit on each circuit and the wall needs fewer breakers and runs. 11 kW is 90 A at 120 V but 51.9 A at 208 V. Most LED power supplies accept 100–240 V; check the datasheet.
What is the link cable rating?
Panels pass power from one to the next through a jumper cable. That cable and its connectors have a current rating, which caps how many panels one chain can feed. The calculator splits chains that would exceed it.
How much heat does an LED wall give off?
Every watt becomes 3.412 BTU/h of heat. 11 kW at full white is 36,850 BTU/h; on typical content it is closer to 12,283 BTU/h, the figure most HVAC sizing starts from.
How much does an LED wall cost to run?
Average kW × hours × your electricity rate. 3.6 kW average for 10 hours a day at $0.15 per kWh is about $5.40 a day.
Do I still need an electrician?
Yes. These are planning figures for quoting and coordination; a licensed electrician sizes the circuits, conductors and receptacles to NEC and local code.