I don't quite understand the post. You say no real progress is being made but the links you point to demonstrate the exact opposite.

If your're referring to the fact that products based on these advances aren't commercially available yet, remember it typically takes quite a time for research in the lab, now matter how promising, to make it out into the real world.

>I don’t think there will be a defining moment when we say: this is it, now everyone will buy. More likely there will be a slow adoption without any fanfare. Also, no matter how long we wait before we buy panels, it’ll always be too soon. These things will continue to improve for decades to come.

I don't think that has existed for any new technology. Cell phones, smartphones, computers, and the fuel efficiency of cars are all good examples; it reaches a point where the price is worth it to certain consumers, they buy it and as the years tick by there are bigger and better. If I was waiting for computers to reach their pinnacle I would have waited decades and would still be waiting decades more. That doesn't mean I won't buy a computer, I have bought my fair share and they have helped me greatly. Compared to other helpful things (pencil and paper, calculator, calendar, video game system, etc.) they seem expensive but they are worth it for tons of people.

I do admit the waiting is the hardest part as idea -> research -> finished product/vaccine/cure can easily takes years to a decade plus but I view projects like this as a social investment.

Don't be discouraged mate :)

About your link to the Guardian article that describes the adoption rate in different EU countries:

Europe has “59% of the world's cumulative photovoltaic capacity”.

This is not a coincident, many of these countries have consumer tax breaks when buying solar panels. I think that’s wrong, since all it does is subsidizing Chinese solar panel companies. Haven’t we lost enough jobs to China, must we really spend tax money to speed up this, ours, economic suicide. The consumer subsidizes should be redirected to European solar panel companies instead. But, that being said, I must say it’s impressive that half of Germany’s electricity is generated with solar panels. Very impressive. I almost had to rub my eyes when I read that.

I guess there is one positive aspect with all the slow and incremental advances in research: a broader knowledge base, which increases the number of ways the solar panels’ energy efficiency can be improved – even if they never succeed in commercializing a semiconductor that’s more efficient than silicon.

However, if there’s going to be a wide consumer adoption in low income, developing countries, they’ll have to do precisely that – commercialize a semiconductor that’s more efficient than silicon. So lets hope the people behind this and other projects succeed.

The cost of solar panels has been declining steadily for years. I tried to find the chart I remembered but couldn't. It was pretty linear though. Right now, solar is dependent up subsidies to match electricity generated by gas and coal but that will change and according to this article in Forbes, by 2025 will be on a par with nat gas. Also, storage tech will have advanced enough by then that you will be able to use excess electricity generated when there is sun to provide power during periods of darkness.

It would be nice if there were a quantum leap in solar generation tech and that's always a possibility, but slow and steady will also work. It just takes a bit longer.

The civilization older than all ours combined...

I am sure you can find the better reason why we have to avoid using renewable sources of energy