[Wonder Warthog]

"It is the only way to do this. Setting up pinwheels and solar cells that only work 10 hours a day if lucky is just plain foolish."

Not at all. Solar thermal with heat storage can be "stand-alone". It actually "mirrors" the demand cycle better than other choices. Cheaper...maybe not. Can also be retrofitted onto existing fossil (or nuclear) plants that use steam generators.

My personal preference is to "go nuclear" all the way, including re-processing and breeder reactors. But solar energy alone CAN run a high-tech civilization.

[Smokin' Joe]

Not at all. Solar thermal with heat storage can be "stand-alone".

Not here, not in the winter.