Watts represent the base power a fixture needs to turn on, Volt-Amps indicate the total power a fixture can draw from the main cable line.
Both wattage and Volt-Amps are standard measures of electrical power consumption.
In outdoor lighting, the wattage represents the base power consumption of a fixture draws to turn on, while the Volt-Amps will indicate the total or potential power a fixture can draw from the low voltage transformer.
LED fixtures tend to consume more than their wattage rating, which is why we always recommend professionals to choose the transformer they need based on Volt-Amps (VAs) instead of Watts.
As a rule of thumb, you should never exceed 90% of the wattage capacity of a transformer to account for additional potential power consumption (VAs).
To learn more about the difference between Volt-Amps and Watts, check out this blog: https://boldpros.com/blogs/the-bold-blog/watts-volt-amps
