Elf Sternberg

Let's just assume that those LEDs are 3W each then (which are some of the brightest around, by the way - for comparison, 1W is typically what each bulb in an LED flashlight provides). That means there can be no more than 36.6 LEDs in that sign to break even on a day like today. Or maybe 110, but I'd bet on the former number. If you use CFL bulbs, then that comes out to about 10 light bulbs by the way. ;)

As for what 3.3Kw in meaningful terms is... well, your dryer is probably between 4.5 and 5.5Kw. It would be a much better idea to dry your clothes on a line than to use solar panels *that* way. ;)

Your TV is probably around 200-300 W, and your computer probably between 100 and 250 W depending on what it's doing (I measured that with a kill-a-watt, by the way). Unless the dryer (or the stove, if it's electric) is on, 3Kw is considerably more than your house will draw at any given moment in time.

For example, my house averages about 20Kwh per day in the summer, without AC (according to my hydro bill, which gets that average from two months of usage divided by X days in those months). My dryer probably uses about 1/3 of that, the fridge about 1/3 of that (it uses less when it's on, but it does it way more often), and the rest is light and electronics.

So when it's cloudy, yes, those solar panels produce SFA. When it's sunny, it really does matter.