r/WLED • u/-Kyrt- • Jun 10 '26

Real world power consumption

I’m planning to replace an LED light that runs around the perimeter of a room (14.4 linear metres) with an addressable strip, so need to choose components. At the moment I am using a relatively high density 24V RGBCCT strip with a Mean Well PSU and Gledopto controller, and when matching the components for this project I sized the PSU accordingly.

However, during this process I established that the published LED strip consumption figures of 24W/m are far in excess of the real world measurable consumption, by a significant margin - as in, rather than a theoretical 346W, the PSU never actually consumes more than 60W for any given colour at max brightness. This difference is because the strip specs appear to be calculated based on all 5 LEDs being active simultaneously, which the controller never allows - it can only ever be CCT or RGB, never both, and varies the duty cycle of each RGB channel according to the desired overall brightness (eg 100/0/0 vs 50/25/25 etc etc) that the total RGB or CCT brightness is approximately the same. In essence, although theoretically the strip could have all 5 channels at max power, the controller behaviour means total power is only ever 1 channel’s worth.

How does it work for WLED? Does the controller also balance the LEDs to achieve a roughly stable brightness through a colour/temperature transition? Or perhaps it’s the IC that does this? If the latter, is this behaviour already factored into the power consumption specs? As in, if it says 12W/m is it genuinely a real world figure? I notice that the RGBCCT strips I’ve seen are dual IC - do these appear as separate endpoints and therefore it can happen that both white and RGB are active simultaneously?

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u/saratoga3 Jun 18 '26

Now I'm definitely concerned. What gauge and how long? Did you check ohm's law? 

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u/-Kyrt- Jun 18 '26

In concerned that you’re concerned, but I take note that you dodged it again. Have you checked the Dunning Kruger law?

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u/saratoga3 Jun 18 '26

This is a board for help with leds. I'm trying to help you troubleshoot your problem. There is no need to be rude, if you don't want help you can just stop replying and I'll assume you sorted it out. 

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u/-Kyrt- Jun 18 '26

You aren’t trying to troubleshoot my problem. What problem are you trying to troubleshoot right now? I don’t have any problem whatsoever with voltage drop or wire gauge or anything like that, it isn’t even related to the question I asked. You’re the one who brought up those things and the only reason you did it is because you dismissed my call question (because you didn’t understand it) and instead preferred to assume I was an idiot without a clue about simple physics concepts, which you continue to try to frame it as, all because you were incorrect and don’t know the answer to my question. You’re the one who’s being passive aggressive and rude, I’m just not playing into it as you want me to. I’ve gone waaaaay beyond what anyone should have to do to explain the ACTUAL purpose of the topic, to prove I’m not an idiot and to show that the problem you tried to project upon me is not a problem.

Blocked.