Good Read: 10 technologies that will change the woThis was an interesting read.
https://www.cio.com/article/686302/10_Technologies_That_Will_Change_the_World_in_the_Next_10_Years?page=1&taxonomyId=3045
They listed solar as number 6 and had this to say:
No. 6: The power of power
The human population also continues to grow, and Evans estimates that a city with 1 million inhabitants will be built every month over the next two decades. More efficient methods to power those cities are becoming a necessity, particularly solar energy.
"Solar alone can meet our energy needs. In fact, to address today's global demand for energy, 25 solar super sites -- each consisting of 36 square miles -- could be erected. Compare this to the 170,000 square kilometers of forest area destroyed each year," says Evans. Such a solar farm could be completed in just three years.
TRYING: Energy Dept. spends $2B to double US concentrated solar power capacity
Technologies to make this more economically pragmatic are on their way. In June, Oregon State University researchers showed off a novel, relatively affordable, low-impact method to "print" solar cells using an inkjet printer.