Why Energy Data Belongs in Your Video Wall RFQ

An energy claim that cannot be tested is not a specification; it is a statement of intent. Government tenders and ESG-driven corporate procurement increasingly require suppliers to document the basis of every energy claim — the measurement method, the test conditions, and preferably a third-party report. Acceptance testing is only possible when the RFQ names both the metric and the method.

There is also a financial reason. Energy is recurring operating expenditure. A video wall specified for a 24/7 control room consumes electricity every month for five, seven, or ten years. The gap between a verified 180 W panel and an unverified “low-power” panel shows up in annual operating cost, in the same spreadsheet as the purchase price. Ask suppliers to attach their energy data to the quotation; if the number cannot be tied to a test condition, treat it as a placeholder rather than a committed specification.

Finally, auditable energy data protects the buyer after award. ESG reviewers, internal sustainability teams, and third-party acceptance inspectors all look for the same thing: a metric, a method, and an evidence trail. When the RFQ contains that structure, supplier responses can be compared on equal terms and verified on site. For the full picture of every cost item a 3×3 project carries — panels, structure, controllers, installation, maintenance — follow our procurement checklist before you compare quotes.

01Item 1: Per-Panel Power Consumption Data

What to require: rated (typical) operating power and peak power draw per panel, plus the exact test conditions — signal source, image content, brightness setting, and ambient temperature. A single “≤180 W” figure is only meaningful if you know what was displayed while it was measured. A full-white test image at 500 cd/m² draws measurably more than a typical mixed-content dashboard, so the test condition belongs in the RFQ itself.

02Item 2: Standby Mode Design

24/7 installations rarely run every panel at full brightness all day. Retail displays, lobbies, and command centers schedule content, dim during off-peak hours, and may enter standby overnight. How standby is designed determines how much of that idle time becomes wasted energy. Require the supplier to state the standby power draw and how standby is triggered — signal loss detection, timer, remote command, or central control.

03Item 3: Annual Operating Cost Estimation Method

Power figures are inputs; annual operating cost is what finance departments approve. Require suppliers to provide their calculation method, not just a number. A defensible method covers four variables:

• Panel count and per-panel operating power
• Annual operating hours and the assumed duty cycle between operating and standby
• Electricity tariff used
• Written assumptions (brightness setting, content mix, HVAC interaction)

Worked example using Qtenboard parameters: 9 panels × 180 W = 1.62 kW; 1.62 kW × 8,760 h = 14,191 kWh/year; × $0.15/kWh ≈ $2,130/year before standby savings.

Ask suppliers to show their math with the same structure so quotes are comparable. For a full view of what energy means across the product lifetime, review our B2B total cost of ownership breakdown, and compare LCD and Mini-LED total cost of ownership before locking the technology.

Other Energy-Related Specs Worth Requesting

Three supporting specifications complete an energy-oriented RFQ:

• Panel service life — a longer-lived panel means fewer replacements, and replacement carries its own embodied energy and logistics cost. Qtenboard panels are rated at about 60,000 hours, which at 24/7 operation is roughly seven years of continuous use.
• LED backlight efficiency and dimming — LED backlights with granular dimming let the wall run at lower brightness outside peak viewing hours.
• Brightness and contrast versus energy — 500 cd/m² is sufficient for most indoor environments. Over-specifying brightness forces higher power draw and extra heat; the RFQ should state the actual ambient-light condition and let brightness follow it.

When the project is a control room and the technology decision is still open, the framework for choosing between LCD and fine-pitch LED covers the energy, maintenance, and viewing-distance trade-offs in one scoring matrix.

A Sample Energy Data Request Checklist

The table below is a template you can adapt for your tender. The Example Benchmark column uses Qtenboard’s actual panel parameters, provided for reference when comparing other suppliers’ responses.

Benchmarks above are Qtenboard panel specifications for comparison purposes only; require each supplier to submit its own measured data with test methods.