Russell,

I doubt many Medium writers are original researchers. I rely on what I read, verified my several sources. And I try to provide plenty of links to back check. Solar panels as they are currently made are not renewable because the depend on finite resources and manufacturing processes not yet invented. You say the answer is in recycling, yet we only have one US company offering to recycle their own product for $10 to $20 per panel, the landfill takes them for $2. Worn out solar panels are expected to flood the landfills in the future with 6 million metric tons of waste annually.

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You mentioned solar furnaces as a high temperature electric heat source. I understand that high temps can be reached, but can they be increased to manufacturing scale. All the solar furnaces I’ve found are connected to research facilities. Maybe we are currently making industrial quantities of cement somewhere. Even in high temp electric heat is viable, new machines will have to be designed and built.

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I write about the environment because I’d like to wake people from their stupor. I don’t believe it will be an easy transition to and all electric future. I think energy is also going to get more expensive and consumers will pay dearly, but that’s unlikely to get their attention.