Simple conservation at my house without solar cut our consumption by 50%. If I could get paid for solar generation by putting panels on my roof the profit motive would motivate me to cut our energy consumption more.
That represents a consumer savings and you may have better data from your studies but I think your number of 5% is low.
BTW, I’m enjoying this conversation. Sorry if I started out a bit persnippidy.
Always rewarding to be collaborative.
In my thesis, I advocated standardizing a couple nuclear reactor designs, such that we could leap frog improvements in design, and save approval time. Transition to Breeder reactors, use natural gas generators in more remote locations, and to replace coal over time. Supplement w Wind/Solar as technology advances.
One of my professors, Dr. Roger Burke, JPL/USC, worked on the original solar power RFPs, as they had pioneered much of the science and technology. The objective was to produce solar cells capable of producing electricity at 50 cents/kWh in 1970 dollars, by 1980. (from memory)
(CalTec/JPL was not selected.....because they knew too much...???)