Back in 1975 and continuing on for another generation, engineers in the energy sector almost never gave solar a second thought as being a major contributor in the big picture. Too expensive and large fortunes were lost by early pioneers.
In fact solar panels cost $100 per watt then, and although it was recognized that the price would drop fast with increasing demand, there were few who expected the price to drop so dramatically to below $1 per watt today (without subsidy). That's what the graph on this page demonstrates - a 100-to-one drop (or more). This massive reduction in installed price still has not sunk into the minds of all decision makers - some of whom still embrace coal. https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/11/20/18104206/solar-panels-cost-cheap-mit-clean-energy-policy?utm_source=MIT+Technology+Review The drop in cost has been ... well, ludicrous, to paraphrase Elon. Of course comparison to other energy technologies has to include the lower availability of solar over the full day, but nevertheless, when everything is considered, solar is probably the best value option for the USA in 2019 - at least until (let's hope) something like LENR comes along. That could be decades and even then, it is possible that solar will be the best overall choice, all things considered. This is because the "total package", including battery backup and streamlined installation - is now poised to add synergy to a solar panel market that some claim had almost peaked... but in fact - there is probably a long way to go on the upside; It is likely that California will soon require that every new house be equipped with both panels and battery backup. Other states will follow this model. This is the way that government policy can push the free market in a desired direction. That assumes that your definition of desirability includes renewability and ease of going off-grid.
