Solar is winning the energy race

Role and limits of solar in the energy mix

• Solar’s intermittency (night, winter, seasonal variation, continental weather patterns) is a core concern; some argue it can’t practically reach 100% or even very high shares alone.
• Others cite modeling suggesting ~70–80% global energy from solar is possible, with wind and other renewables filling the rest, but acknowledge local variation by latitude, climate, and population density.
• Overbuilding capacity (e.g., 300% of average demand) and tolerating “waste” generation is proposed as part of the solution.

Storage, grids, and complementary technologies

• Batteries (BESS), pumped hydro, heat storage, biomass, hydro, and power-to-gas are repeatedly mentioned as key complements.
• Battery tech is said to be getting cheaper and moving away from rare earths, with sodium and iron/air noted; others worry about materials bottlenecks at global scale.
• Massive growth in storage is required (tens of thousands of TWh vs ~10 TWh today), but long-duration storage like gas (synthetic or fossil) is seen as cheap per unit of stored energy.

Economics, subsidies, and policy

• Many commenters argue solar is now the cheapest new generation; subsidies mainly affect speed of rollout and compensate for fossil fuel subsidies and unpriced externalities.
• Some object that tax credits mean taxpayers subsidize private systems; others respond that this is democratically chosen and comparable to other public spending.
• There is concern about political obstruction: canceled wind projects, withheld permits, and anti-renewable campaigns.

Country and regional experiences

• Germany: sharp disagreement. Critics say transition is failing (high prices, coal still present, nuclear shut down, net imports, deindustrialization). Others point to large renewable shares, falling coal use, and note missteps are mostly about nuclear policy, not renewables per se.
• Pakistan: rooftop solar is described as transformative, with many households and factories installing it independently because ROI is very short; grid demand is flattening or falling, causing contractual and planning problems.
• Developing countries (Africa, Indonesia, etc.) are seen as prime candidates to “leapfrog” to decentralized solar, especially where grids are weak and fuel imports are costly.

Equity, geography, and urban vs rural

• Warmer, sunnier, lower-latitude regions have a structural advantage; some suggest this will shift economic competitiveness.
• Solar works better for suburbs and low-rise buildings; high-rises will remain dependent on centralized generation plus transmission.

Solar on vehicles

• Putting panels directly on cars is discussed extensively. Consensus: surface area and real-world irradiance limit output to a tiny fraction of driving energy needs.
• Niche projects (solar race cars, concept vehicles, small commuter cars) show technical feasibility but not broad practicality; panels are generally more valuable on fixed structures.