Average vs Maximum LED Display Power: Which Figure Sizes Circuits and Generators?

Quick answer

Size circuits, cabling, UPS and generators on the maximum W/m² figure for the exact LED display model, pitch and indoor or outdoor configuration. Average W/m² supports running-cost estimates where the supplier documents that basis; the EA600COB3 passage is one documented example. EA640H1, EA640F2 and EA1000H9 passages direct maximum consumption to supply, cabling, UPS, generator or distro sizing.

Sources used: EA600COB3 specs; EA640H1 specs; EA1000H9 specs; EA640F2 specs

Maximum Consumption Sizes the Supply; Average Supports Cost Estimates

The recurring rule in the supplied EagerLED passages is that maximum consumption sizes the electrical supply and related equipment. EA600COB3 goes further: its passage states that average consumption is the figure to use for running-cost estimates, and that supply, UPS and cabling should be sized on the maximum figure rather than the average. EA640H1 states that supply, cabling and any UPS should be sized on the maximum rather than the average. EA640F2 states it for the electrical supply and cabling. EA1000H9 extends the rule to the generator and distro for rental work.

The two figures are not interchangeable. The passages direct maximum consumption to supply, cabling, UPS, generator and distro sizing, and the EA600COB3 passage explicitly labels its average consumption figure for running-cost estimates. The passages for EA640H1, EA640F2 and EA1000H9 document both average and maximum figures but do not label the average for that use, so request the average figure and its documented basis for the exact quoted configuration if you need an operating estimate. Ask which figure is being used for the circuit design and which is being used for the operating budget. If a supplier gives only one number, ask whether it is the model-specific maximum or the model-specific average, and request both in writing.

Read Each Model Table by Model, Pitch and Environment

Power figures are documented per square metre and they change with the exact product and configuration. EA600COB3 lists different maximum and average figures by pitch group: 140 W/m² maximum and 50 W/m² average at P0.62 and P0.78, 280 W/m² maximum and 95 W/m² average at P0.93, P1.25 and P1.56, and 220 W/m² maximum and 75 W/m² average at P1.87. A buyer cannot take one EA600COB3 number and apply it to every pitch.

EA640H1 is different: its source states average consumption of 100 W/m² and maximum consumption of 300 W/m² across all five pitches. EA1000H9 separates indoor and outdoor figures: outdoor models draw 170 to 240 W/m² average and 500 to 720 W/m² maximum, while indoor models draw 100 to 192 W/m² average and 300 to 576 W/m² maximum. EA640F2 separates SMD and COB: SMD average is 100-110 W/m² with maximum 300-330 W/m², and COB average is 80-100 W/m² with maximum 230-300 W/m². Ask for the figure belonging to the quoted model, pitch and indoor or outdoor use.

Documented Average and Maximum Consumption by Model and Configuration

Generator and Distro Sizing Uses the Maximum Figure

For temporary outdoor work, the EA1000H9 passage is explicit: size the generator, distro and cabling on the maximum figures rather than the averages. The outdoor range is documented at 500 to 720 W/m² maximum, compared with 170 to 240 W/m² average. That is the clearest documented example of why the maximum figure, not the average, belongs in the generator and distribution plan. The same passage does not label its average figure for running-cost estimates, so request that basis separately if you need an operating budget for an outdoor rental build.

A written sizing calculation should state its assumptions clearly. Provide the supplier with the exact model, pitch, indoor or outdoor configuration and wall area, and ask for the maximum W/m² figure and a sizing calculation for supply, cabling, UPS, generator and distro as applicable. Our recommendation is to keep the design load and the operating estimate as two separate documents rather than one blended figure, and to keep average and maximum on separate lines in the quotation so you can see which number the proposed circuit or generator uses.

Keep SMD, COB, Indoor and Outdoor Lines Separate

EA640F2 shows why configuration matters: its SMD options run 100-110 W/m² average and 300-330 W/m² maximum, while its COB options run 80-100 W/m² average and 230-300 W/m² maximum. A single series name is not enough to select a circuit size. EA1000H9 adds an indoor and outdoor split, with outdoor maximum figures of 500 to 720 W/m² and indoor maximum figures of 300 to 576 W/m². Treat those as separate configurations.

The model pages list AC 100-240 V, 50-60 Hz inputs for EA600COB3, EA640H1, EA1000H9 and EA640F2. Those are input conditions, not a substitute for the W/m² sizing figures, and they do not tell you which of the two power figures applies to a circuit. When comparing quotes, ask for the exact model, pitch, cabinet or module type, indoor or outdoor rating, average W/m² and maximum W/m² on the same line. That lets you check whether a generator or circuit has been sized from the number that matches the configuration being installed.

How to Read a Model Power Table

Read a power table in four steps. First, confirm the model and the exact configuration. Second, confirm whether the row applies to indoor or outdoor use, because EA1000H9 documents different figures for each. Third, confirm the pitch group, because EA600COB3 changes maximum and average figures by pitch. Fourth, separate the maximum figure used for supply, cabling, UPS, generator and distro sizing from the average figure that may be documented for a running-cost estimate.

If a table shows only one figure, ask which one it is. The supplied passages treat average and maximum as two different purposes, so a single number cannot be assumed to cover both. Request the model-specific maximum figure for design and, where you need an operating budget, the model-specific average figure together with the basis the supplier documents for it. Also ask whether the figure applies to the cabinet, the module or the finished screen area in square metres, because that changes the arithmetic you apply to the quoted wall.

Scenario and What to Confirm

Buyer checklist

• Confirm the exact model, pitch and indoor or outdoor configuration before using any W/m² figure.
• Use maximum W/m² for supply, cabling, UPS, generator and distro sizing.
• Where the supplier documents it, use average W/m² for running-cost estimates; the EA600COB3 passage labels its average figure for that purpose.
• Ask for a written sizing calculation for the quoted wall area and exact configuration.
• Keep average and maximum consumption on separate quotation lines.
• For EA1000H9, confirm whether the quote is indoor or outdoor; generator and distro sizing uses the maximum figure for the configuration being installed.

Frequently asked questions

Which figure should buyers use for circuit and generator sizing?

Use the maximum W/m² figure for the exact model, pitch and indoor or outdoor configuration. EA600COB3 states supply, UPS and cabling should be sized on maximum; EA640H1 states supply, cabling and any UPS should be sized on maximum; EA1000H9 states generator, distro and cabling should be sized on maximum; EA640F2 states electrical supply and cabling should be sized on maximum.

When should average consumption be used instead of the maximum?

EA600COB3 states that its average consumption figure is the one to use for running-cost estimates. The passages for EA640H1, EA640F2 and EA1000H9 document average figures but do not label them for that purpose, so request the documented basis for the exact configuration. Do not use an average figure to size the circuit, cabling, UPS, generator or distro.

Do average and maximum consumption change by pixel pitch?

Yes for EA600COB3. Its maximum is 140 W/m² at P0.62 and P0.78, 280 W/m² at P0.93, P1.25 and P1.56, and 220 W/m² at P1.87; its average is 50 W/m², 95 W/m² and 75 W/m² for those groups. EA640H1 instead documents 100 W/m² average and 300 W/m² maximum across all five pitches.

Are the EA1000H9 power figures the same indoors and outdoors?

No. Outdoor EA1000H9 models draw 170 to 240 W/m² average and 500 to 720 W/m² maximum; indoor models draw 100 to 192 W/m² average and 300 to 576 W/m² maximum. Use the configuration that matches the installation.

Does SMD or COB change the EA640F2 power figures?

Yes. EA640F2 SMD average consumption is 100-110 W/m² and maximum is 300-330 W/m²; COB average is 80-100 W/m² and maximum is 230-300 W/m². Keep the two configurations separate when sizing a supply or cabling run.

What should I ask for in writing before sizing a circuit or generator?

Ask for the exact model, pitch, indoor or outdoor configuration, AC input, average W/m², maximum W/m² and a written sizing calculation for the quoted wall area. Ask the supplier to show which figure sizes the supply, cabling, UPS, generator or distro, and to state separately whether the average figure is documented for running-cost estimates.

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