1Selection logic: choose the application first, then 6W or 8W

For TILLUME 24V LED spots, the first question is not simply 4W, 6W or 8W. First decide whether the project uses dimmable Fixed CCT or Tunable White. Only then does the 6W vs. 8W decision become meaningful.

For Fixed CCT with dimming, planning is relatively direct: choose a colour temperature such as 2850K or 4000K, then dim brightness as needed. A 6W LED spot is often suitable for corridors, bedrooms, bathrooms and moderate general lighting. An 8W LED spot is useful for kitchens, dining areas, work surfaces, larger rooms, higher ceilings or higher target lux levels.

For Tunable White, wattage alone is not enough. Two colour channels are mixed, and the available brightness changes with colour temperature and controller logic. Define the colour temperature of the brightest scene first, then check the maximum lumen output at that point. Higher colour temperatures also tend to feel brighter than lower ones at the same measured lumen value.

A 4W+4W Tunable White spot such as the TILLUME Expert 81061M04 is a special case. It is explained later and should not be treated as a normal 4W room option or a conventional 8W spot.

2Dimmable Fixed CCT or Tunable White?

3Why wattage alone is not enough

Watt describes electrical input power. Lumen describes visible light output. For room planning, lumen is closer to the real question: how bright will the room be?

Lighting design also works with layers: general lighting, accent lighting and supplementary or task lighting. TILLUME LED spots mainly provide broad general lighting. In real projects they are often combined with LED strips, cabinet lights or other supplementary lights to brighten worktops, niches, shelves or darker zones.

• General lighting: overall room brightness, often from wide-beam ceiling spots.
• Accent lighting: focused light for pictures, shelves or niches. Narrower optics are better for true accent lighting than broad 60° general-light spots.
• Supplementary or task lighting: extra light where the general lighting is not enough, for example LED strips under kitchen wall cabinets, in shelves, on stairs or in indirect ceiling details.

Lumen alone is still not enough. The result also depends on target lux, room size, beam angle, spot spacing, surface colours, ceiling height, dimming scenes and, for Tunable White, the way the controller mixes the two colour channels.

4Lumen, lux and room size: calculate correctly

Required lumen = room area in m² × target illuminance in lux
Number of spots = required lumen ÷ maximum lumen per spot

Use maximum lumen because the lighting system must be capable of reaching the target lux level at full output. In daily use, scenes can then be dimmed down.

Example: a 12 m² living room with 150 lx general lighting needs about 1800 lm. With 600 lm per 6W spot, that means roughly three spots. In a bright room with white walls and a normal ceiling this can work well; with dark surfaces, a wooden ceiling or 3 m ceiling height, more spots, 8W spots or additional light layers may be needed.

Example: a 10 m² kitchen with 400 lx target value needs about 4000 lm. With 800 lm per 8W spot, that is about five spots. In practice, the worktop may still need under-cabinet lights, LED strips or carefully positioned spots. A good kitchen plan is usually layered: ceiling spots provide general lighting, while LED strips under wall cabinets or in niches add light directly to the work surface.

56W or 8W by room

At the same target illuminance, 6W and 8W spots create different planning approaches. 8W spots need fewer light points and can create more depth and contrast. 6W spots usually need more light points, but create calmer and more uniform illumination. Both approaches are valid.

6Special case 81061M04: why 4W+4W is not automatically a normal 8W spot

The TILLUME Expert 81061M04 is a special 4W+4W Tunable White spot with 2200–6500K. It should not be planned as a general 4W spot for small rooms, and not as a conventional 8W spot either.

This behaviour must not be generalised to other TILLUME Tunable White spots. Other 6W+6W or 8W+8W models are not automatically designed for both channels to run at full power permanently.

724V system planning: power supply, controller and reserve

For 24V LED spots, planning does not end with wattage per spot. The 24V power supply, controller channel, cable length and spot must fit together.

Total LED load = number of spots × wattage per spot
Recommended power supply size ≈ total LED load × 1.2

This is about 20% reserve. A blanket 50% reserve is usually not necessary in normal projects and can lead to oversized power supplies. A 24V-DC power supply should not be operated permanently above its rated output.

TILLUME 24V power supplies add two relevant advantages: adjustable output voltage to compensate realistic voltage drop in a correctly planned 24V installation, and internal design reserve at rated load. This does not mean the rated power may be exceeded permanently; it means the installation has more margin for realistic cable losses and rated-load operation.

Also check maximum output per LED controller channel, number of channels for Tunable White, PWM frequency and dimming behaviour, cable length, cable cross-section, room grouping and whether the Tunable White controller uses wattage balance, constant-power logic or a special mode such as MDT AKD-0424R Max wattage output.

8Voltage drop and minimum input voltage

With longer 24V cable runs, the input voltage directly at the spot matters. Every cable causes voltage drop. If the voltage at the end of the line is too low, a poorly planned 24V system may become visibly dimmer.

TILLUME 24V LED spots include internal constant-current regulation. As long as the input voltage at the spot does not fall below the specified minimum value, the internal driver can keep the LED supplied stably. This makes the system more tolerant of realistic cable losses, but it does not replace correct planning of cable cross-section, cable length and power supply.

9Expert or Master: brightness is not the only difference

Master is not simply “brighter”. The stronger reason for Master is light quality: better colour rendering, a more continuous spectrum and more stable thermal behaviour, especially for wood, food, skin tones and textiles. You can browse TILLUME spot families in the 24V LED Spots Expert collection.

10Common planning mistakes

• Mistake 1: 8W is always better than 6W. 8W gives more reserve and needs fewer light points, but it can also create glare or light islands in small rooms. 6W with more light points can be calmer and more uniform.
• Mistake 2: choose LED spots only by wattage. Watt is input power. Planning needs lumen, target lux, beam angle, room area and distribution.
• Mistake 3: use living-room logic for the kitchen. Kitchens and worktops often need higher lux and extra task lighting such as LED strips or under-cabinet lights.
• Mistake 4: 4W+4W automatically means a normal 8W spot. With 81061M04, usable output depends strongly on controller logic.
• Mistake 5: size the power supply too tightly. A 24V power supply should not run at its limit permanently; around 20% reserve is a better practical rule.

11Decision checklist

• What room area and target lux level are planned?
• Is the room designed with bright or dark surfaces?
• How high is the ceiling?
• Should the spot provide general light, zone light or accent light?
• How many spots fit mechanically and visually into the ceiling?
• Is Fixed CCT with dimming enough, or is Tunable White required?
• How many lumen does the spot deliver at the desired colour temperature?
• How much output can the controller channel provide?
• How large should the 24V power supply be with about 20% reserve?
• How long are the cables and what cable cross-section is used?
• For 81061M04: is MDT AKD-0424R Max wattage output really being used?

12FAQ