I remember in one of my engineering classes, we did a depressing calculation. Even if we covered the entire earth with maximally efficient Silicon-based solar panels (that would not be feasible to make in reality), we wouldn’t even generate a tenth of the energy the world needs… and our energy demands only keep getting higher
The average peak solar irradiance is 1,000 watts/meter^2. Assuming we get that only for 4 hours a day and no sunlight any other time, that's 1.44×10^7 J/m^2/day, or 5.26×10^9 J/m^2/year. Dividing those numbers together, we get 1.21×10^11 square meters needed.
Using the efficiency of solar panels available today and the current energy needs of the world you could produce enough power with an area the size of Arizona. Assuming you ignore losses from distribution, storage etc.
If you did the calculations say 30 years ago when solar was orders of magnitude less efficient you might have gotten to those numbers, but today we are in a very different situation.
Nuclear base load with solar and wind will absolutely provide the vast majority of clean energy for future generations.
> Food delivery has all but stopped my need to ever get in my car.
Is it better though? Depends on your car, but someone on a scooter loitering, then going to a restaurant/store for you, and then to your home, and then the same thing again, is drastically less efficient than you doing a round-trip.
