When comparing LED displays, power consumption is a key factor. You might have asked why the power consumption figures for some LED devices are higher than others if you are looking into alternatives for an LED wall. The basic solution is that several calculations were used to arrive at the results. Additionally, avoid comparing apples with oranges. Therefore, allow us to explain the seemingly mysterious variations in LED power consumption standards.
A video wall consumes roughly 700W per square metre of the screen. This differs based on the brand of the video wall, brightness, usage, purpose(indoor or outdoor), and black power consumption.
Why should you be concerned with your LED wall’s power usage?
The cost of electricity started to shoot up in the second half of 2021. In April 2022, the price cap was raised by 54%. On a series dating back to 1988, the monthly price hikes for electricity were by far the biggest ever. The annual rises until April 2022 also set a new record for a series dating back to 1970. Therefore energy-efficient video walls are required for effective use of cash reserve.
Energy efficiency and your product’s total cost of ownership are strongly related (TCO). Electricity costs are minimised thanks to limited power consumption levels. Furthermore, power usage is essential for achieving sustainability goals. In addition to lowering your environmental impact, energy-efficient products generally benefit the environment.
So, certainly, you should consider the power consumption data when choosing a new LED video wall, but keep in mind that you need transparent spec information to make an informed choice.
What are the various power usage indicators?
The maximum, black level and standby power consumption are the only ones that can be measured.
The maximum amount of power used.
LED recreates the visual material transmitted from the input source by illuminating the individual pixels or diodes in various intensities and colours. For example, all diodes are turned off to present a black screen, while all diodes are cranked up to their highest level to present a full white screen.
The maximum power consumption is established by simulating a scenario in which the LED wall operates at full capacity and is programmed to display full white content for a predetermined period. The power consumption determined represents the product’s maximum power consumption specification, naturally accounting for a modest additional margin for environmental variables.
Black level power use
Black level power consumption is the energy required to maintain the electronics. At the same time, no content is displayed on the LED wall because the drivers and receiver cards still use energy even though the diodes are off.
Standby power consumption
Even in standby mode, the LED wall’s electronics continue to function, albeit power-saving. Therefore, the standby power consumption is less than the power consumption at the black level but still visibly greater than when the display is fully off.
Now, depending on the application where an LED wall is utilised, content typically displays a variety of colours rather than being completely black or white. Barco consistently uses the phrase “the typical power usage” for this reason.
Factors Affecting an LED Display’s Power Consumption
The following are some considerations to make after learning about power usage indicators:
Schedule:
A software program can manage LED display power consumption. Users can also change brightness settings according to the situation, guaranteeing the greatest display images.
Light sensor:
Also known as photosensitive devices, light sensors are in charge of determining the ambient brightness level so that the LED display may adjust its brightness appropriately. They allow customers to customise behaviour curves and brightness thresholds for optimal viewing.
Attenuation Characteristics:
The brightness level will begin to fall after working for a while. Attenuation Characteristics Green, blue, and red LEDs suffer from inconsistent colour creation and brightness attenuation. Red attenuation must be less than 2% with 1000 hours of power, or 20A, and green and blue attenuation must be 10% or less. Since green and blue LEDs don’t utilise 20mA of electricity, electricity significantly influences attenuation properties.
Mode of Operation:
Constant current drivers (CC) or single-module solutions are responsible for regulating current directly to the LED. LED drivers offer consistent, controlled, and sufficient power supply.
Application Power Requirements:
Over the past few years, white single-chip LEDs’ power handling capabilities have increased from a few milliwatts to watts. Even so, their light output efficiency, measured in lumens per watt, increased from 10 to over 100. Regarding contemporary LED lighting, the power can range from 1 watt to hundreds of watts. Additionally, remember that the features and functionalities will vary along with the form and size.
Cost of Electricity
The amount of electricity used, the brightness setting and the screen resolution affect power usage and costs. The table below provides estimates of the energy consumption of outdoor and indoor LED displays to assist buyers in selecting the best option within their price range:
| Display Type | Max Brightness Level (nits) | Average energy consumption (W/M) | Annual energy cost (in pounds/m) |
| Indoor P4 (High-Resolution) Full-Color | 1800 | 290 | £500 |
| Indoor P6 Full-Color | 1800 | 290 | £500 |
| P6 (High Resolution) Outdoor Full-Color | 7000 | 375 | £650 |
| P8 Outdoor Full-Color | 7000 | 400 | £700 |
| P10 Outdoor Full-Color | 7000 | 450 | £790 |
| Energy Saving P10 Outdoor Full-Color | 7000 | 200 | £350 |
Reducing energy consumption in video walls
Utilising the automated brightness-adjusting control mechanism.
A small adjustment to the video wall system’s brightness will have a significant impact depending on the time of day, the environment, and the location.
We will undoubtedly experience eye pain, which is also brought on by “light pollution,” if the brightness of the led light display is greater than 50% of the ambient brightness.
Then, we may use the display control system to adjust the brightness of the broadcast screen to be suited for the environment using the outdoor brightness collecting system, environmental brightness collection at any time, and software that automatically converts system data upon receiving it.
Grayscale correction method with multiple levels.
The typical LED display system has a 14-bit colour depth, so when there is a low grayscale or surplus colour, the colour will be presented very strongly, which prevents the colour light from being adjusted.
The new led big screen control system uses a 16-bit colour display level, which significantly reduces the hardness of colour in excess and makes colours appear softer to viewers while preventing unwanted light feelings.
Although the led screen wall uses energy-saving light-emitting materials, some must be applied in the display area for larger occasions, resulting in longer use and higher overall power consumption due to the requirement for relatively high brightness. As a result of these combined factors, the backlit screen’s power consumption is quite astounding, and the advertising owners will all be responsible for paying the associated electricity costs.
Traditional led displays can conserve energy via the following five points:
- Use of high-efficiency LEDs, which do not skimp on light-emitting efficiency
- High-efficiency switching power supplies, which greatly improve power conversion efficiency
- Excellent heat dissipation design of the screen body, which reduces fan power consumption
- Design of an overall scientific circuit scheme to reduce the power consumption of the internal circuit
- Automatic adjustment of the brightness in response to changes in the external environment
The negative cathode technique
The term “co-cathode” refers to the co-cathode power supply method, an energy-saving technology for LED displays. It uses a common cathode to power LED displays, which uses separate R, G, and B (red, green, and blue) LED lamp beads to allocate current voltage for each colour accurately. Because R, G, and B (red, green, and blue) lamp beads require the best working voltage and current is not the same, the current will go.
1. Power supply accuracy saves electricity.
Common cloud products make use of precise power supply control technology, based on the various red, green, and blue led photoelectric characteristics, with an intelligent IC display control system and independent private mode, for the led and drive circuit precision distribution of different voltages, so the product power consumption compared to similar products on the market power savings of about 40%!
2. Real energy conservation produces true colour.
Co-negative led drive mode allows for precise voltage control and power reduction while minimising heat generation, constant operation of the led under its intended wavelength, and reliable real-colour display!
3. Genuine energy conservation extends the lifespan.
Energy consumption is decreased, which dramatically lowers the system’s temperature rise, effectively lowers the likelihood of lead damage, improves the stability and dependability of the entire display system, and significantly lengthens the system’s lifespan.