Keep in mind that these cells would be freakin' gigantic -- having a bigger footprint than most cities. But those spots also represent all the energy it would take to power the world. And I mean everything -- cars, lights, hospitals, etc. If everything we had operated on electrical current, that tiny percentage of the Earth's surface could generate it all.
I'm not suggesting that we actually build these monstrous solar farms. But given how few there are, imagine what we could generate if solar were everywhere. Think of things like awnings, who's only real purpose is to provide shade -- what if they all generated power while they did? It'd barely change the way our world looks, but it might change the way our world works.
Something to chew on...
