Interesting... I used to think it was a limitation of physics that made it impossible to develop the solar cell further based on current materials. Problems with the traditional photovoltaic model perhaps. I think something new is brewing in Australia on this.

On the issues, so far I can't see much difference from those experienced by wind power such as seasonality (wind sometimes stops blowing), storage, efficiency, set up cost. One wind turbine and its support subsystems are not cheap and because climate change is making wind patterns unpredictable, the risks of wrongly placing them is high.

Wind power is already mainstream in certain parts of the world so I wonder why its any less risky than the old photovoltaic solar panels? We don't know if the wind might stop blowing tomorrow but the sun will definitely come up for sure.

Yes at our present consumption rates, nothing less than fossil fuels is viable apart from nuclear. Our lifestyle's so tightly wound around fossil fuels a 10% drop in energy supply will be drastic, a 40% drop catastrophic. Given the numbers, I can't see any other way for alternative fuels to be viable except to reduce consumption i.e. a drastic change in lifestyle. In other words, over our dead bodies.

We have an extinct one in Sabah I think, and we still have a few active hot springs in peninsular Malaysia. The point is, whether the source is geothermal or solar, we are baking left and right with no motivation to harness all that energy.

I notice the power industry keeps running back to oil and gas baseline as if nothing else will ever do, except nuclear which you rightly pointed out is also non renewable. Its a subtle way of saying the renewable energy sector is a waste of time. If societies are not willing to consider a lifestyle that's less power hungry, then I guess the writing is on the wall then.