I don't understand how can you tell that solar is 'too small to matter'. Sunshine is abundant, technology issues have been cracked, panels are already dirt cheap (latest quote i got was 43 cents a watt - but that's for modules, not assembled panels). Nothing technically limits deployment on whatever scale.
Current production capacity is about 60GW/y of cells worldwide but that can grow easily, it was only 6GW/y just 6 years ago, it will be just a decade or so when it arrives to terawatt range, which is enough to cover the (electric) energy needs of the Earth.
Current production capacity is about 60GW/y of cells worldwide but that can grow easily, it was only 6GW/y just 6 years ago, it will be just a decade or so when it arrives to terawatt range, which is enough to cover the (electric) energy needs of the Earth.