06.07.2025 | LED Power Supplies and Controllers
How to choose a 12 V/24 V LED power supply? A detailed guide to the Mean Well ELG, Mean Well XLG and EAGLERISE series available from 2K-Trade
The power supply is the only part of an LED installation that is invisible once the membrane is tensioned — and the only one that will have to be replaced some day. That is why it is sized with a margin, installed in an accessible place and matched to the strip voltage. Below we have collected the rules for sizing, the difference between 12 V and 24 V, how to feed long runs, the parameters of the Mean Well and EAGLERISE series from the product cards, and one complete worked example. The colour temperature of strips and CCT controllers are covered separately in the article Colour temperature of LED strips.
How much power an LED strip needs
The starting point is the strip power from the product card, given in watts per metre, and the actual length of all the sections fed from one power supply. Rule of thumb: power supply rating [W] = strip power [W/m] × length [m] × 1.2. The factor 1.2 is a margin of about 20 % — a fully loaded power supply runs hotter, and the power on the strip card is a nominal value that a real reel may slightly exceed. The result is rounded up to the nearest rating in the catalogue. If the result exceeds the largest unit in the series, or the sections lie in different parts of the ceiling, the installation is split into two or more circuits with separate power supplies — shorter cables and easier servicing are usually worth more than one large unit.
12 V or 24 V
At the same power, a 24 V strip draws half the current of a 12 V strip. Less current means less voltage drop on the cables and on the strip itself, hence a longer run fed from one point and even brightness from the start to the end of the line. For this reason all the strips in the 2K-Trade catalogue run on 24 V DC, and 12 V makes sense mainly for short sections and where a 12 V installation already exists. The power supplies in the catalogue come in both voltages: the Mean Well series in 12 V and 24 V versions, the EAGLERISE series in 12, 24 and 48 V. A rule without exceptions: the power supply voltage must equal the strip voltage — a 24 V unit will damage a 12 V strip, and a 12 V unit will not light a 24 V strip.
Feeding long runs
Voltage drop shows as dimming at the end of the line and, in white strips, as a slight shift of tint. Installation practice is to feed a 24 V strip every 5 m or so, or from both ends of the section: a 10 m reel is fed at both ends or in the middle, and longer lines are divided into sections, each with its own cable run from the power supply (star wiring). Sections are not chained in series through the strip — the current of the following sections would then flow through the thin tracks of the first one. The cable cross-section is chosen by the electrician for the circuit current and the route length; the further from the power supply, the more the cross-section matters.
Mean Well XLG and ELG
The core of the range for stretch ceilings is the card MEAN WELL XLG/ELG power supplies. The 24 V variants according to the card: XLG 75 W / 3.1 A, XLG 100 W / 4 A, XLG 150 W / 6.25 A, XLG 200 W / 8.3 A, XLG 320 W / 18 A and ELG 240 W / 10 A. Both series are rated IP67, and the manufacturer’s warranty period stated on the card is 5 years. In Mean Well’s designations the letter at the end of the model code describes the type of adjustment: A — built-in potentiometer for setting the output voltage and current (a one-time adjustment, not daily dimming), B — “3-in-1” dimming by a 0–10 V signal, PWM or resistance, D2 — smart timer dimming. The version without a letter has no adjustment. Which versions are in stock at a given moment is checked on the product card or with your account manager.
Mean Well LPV and ERPF
For small circuits — a single cove, a shelf, a short section — there is the card MEAN WELL LPV power supplies: 24 V in the variants 35 W / 1.5 A, 60 W / 2.5 A and 100 W / 4.2 A, rated IP67, manufacturer’s warranty period according to the card 3 years. At the other end of the scale is the MEAN WELL ERPF power supply, 24 V, 400 W / 16.7 A — one unit for several light lines in a large commercial room, provided the sections are wired with separate cable runs.
EAGLERISE
The card EAGLERISE power supplies covers two series — Slim-US and Voltage-LS — with ratings from 12 to 180 W (12, 20, 30, 60, 75, 100, 120, 150, 160 and 180 W), output voltage 12, 24 or 48 V and input voltage 220–240 V. The rating is IP20, so this is a power supply for dry interiors, installed in a box, an enclosure or behind an access hatch. Manufacturer’s warranty period according to the card: 5 years. The finer steps in rating (e.g. 120 W) make it easier to match a power supply to each section individually.
| Series | Output voltage | Power / current (product card) | IP rating | Manufacturer’s warranty period (card) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean Well XLG | 24 V | 75 W / 3.1 A; 100 W / 4 A; 150 W / 6.25 A; 200 W / 8.3 A; 320 W / 18 A | IP67 | 5 years |
| Mean Well ELG | 24 V | 240 W / 10 A | IP67 | 5 years |
| Mean Well LPV | 24 V | 35 W / 1.5 A; 60 W / 2.5 A; 100 W / 4.2 A | IP67 | 3 years |
| Mean Well ERPF | 24 V | 400 W / 16.7 A | see card | see card |
| EAGLERISE Slim-US, Voltage-LS | 12 / 24 / 48 V | 12–180 W | IP20 | 5 years |
Dimming: controller or power supply
In stretch ceilings dimming is most often done on the 24 V side: a controller (e.g. Mi-Light) is installed between the power supply and the strip and operated with a remote, a wall panel or an app — see the category Drivers for LED strips. The power supply then stays a standard one, and the controller’s rated current must match the load of the section. The second way is a B-version power supply, dimmed by a 0–10 V signal, PWM or resistance from a wall dimmer or building automation — a solution for installations designed together with the electrical system. CCT and RGB strips need a multi-channel controller regardless of the power supply.
Where to place the power supply
Three conditions: access, ventilation, distance from the membrane. The power supply is installed where it can be replaced without dismantling the ceiling — behind an access hatch, on top of a wardrobe, in a service niche, in an enclosure in the next room. It is not closed in a sealed space without air circulation: it heats up in proportion to the load, and high temperature shortens its life. It is not laid directly on the membrane or next to it. The IP67 rating of the Mean Well XLG/ELG and LPV units allows them to be installed in damp rooms, but does not remove the need for service access, and the 230 V side is connected by an electrician in accordance with the regulations.
Example: a GAMMA 30 light line in a living room
Assumptions: a light line in the GAMMA 30 profile with the flexible DF-G.30 cover, total length 18 m, strip LED strip 140 LED/m 24V SMD-2835 IP20 in the 9.6 W/m variant, colour temperature 4000 K.
- Strip consumption: 18 m × 9.6 W/m = 172.8 W, rounded to 173 W.
- 20 % margin: 173 W × 1.2 = 207 W.
- Power supply: the next catalogue rating up is 240 W — Mean Well ELG 24 V – 240 W (10 A), IP67.
- Feeding: the line is divided into two sections of 9 m, each with its own cable from the power supply; a 9 m section fed from one end is fine in practice, longer sections are fed from both ends.
- Two-unit variant: 9 m × 9.6 W/m = 86.4 W, × 1.2 = 104 W — an EAGLERISE 24 V 120 W for each section (IP20, installed behind the hatch).
- Dimming: a controller between the power supply and the strip, with a rated current not lower than the section current.
- Installation: the power supply behind an access hatch in the same room, 24 V cables to both sections, the 230 V side connected by an electrician.
Frequently asked questions
12 V or 24 V for a stretch ceiling?
24 V. At the same power the current is half as much, so the voltage drop on the cables and the strip is smaller and the run fed from one point can be longer. All the strips in the 2K-Trade catalogue run on 24 V DC; the power supply voltage must equal the strip voltage.
What power margin should the power supply have?
About 20 %: power supply rating = strip power [W/m] × length [m] × 1.2, rounded up to a catalogue rating. Example: 18 m of a 9.6 W/m strip is 173 W, with the margin 207 W, so a 240 W power supply. For larger installations it is better to split the circuit between several power supplies than to choose one very large unit.
Can an IP67 power supply be installed in a bathroom?
IP67 means an enclosure sealed against dust and water, so the Mean Well XLG/ELG and LPV units are suitable for damp rooms. They still need service access and ventilation, and the installation location and the 230 V connection in a bathroom are done by an electrician in accordance with the regulations. EAGLERISE units are rated IP20 and are intended for dry interiors.
How do I dim an LED strip powered by a Mean Well unit?
The simplest way is a controller on the 24 V side, installed between the power supply and the strip and operated with a remote, a panel or an app. The second way is an XLG/ELG power supply in the B version, dimmed by a 0–10 V signal, PWM or resistance. The A version only has a potentiometer for a one-time setting of the output parameters; it is not for daily dimming.
Author: MB 2K-Trade