Conversion of solar energy into consumable electricity should not be thought of in terms of modern transmissions grids we use in Europe/N. America. Those grids work because energy generation required large facilities to produce prodigious amounts of electricity. Solar makes more sense when you look at it from a distributed energy generation system. Generation distribution minimizes transmission loss by reducing length of transmission lines and captures more solar energy as an aggregate. If we want to be serious about the developing world and our climate future, we as the western world need to invest in that type of technology to allow a technological leap frog.

And here I am with no mod points to give ya. But count this as a +1. Pretty ironic that on the same page, Slashdot has a story of Russian press members protesting over their right to free speech and privacy and another story of the UK embracing the erosion of their freedoms and privacy. What a wacky world.