John Vaillant Fire Weather -- back in 1774, DeSaussure showed that sun power is a source of energy

one little nitpick:

page 236:

speaking of De Saussure, Vaillant says the scientist conducted an experiment back in 1774

According to Vaillant De Saussure found that exposing a thermometer to the sun's rays and whether up high on a mountain or down low in a valley, the thermometre measured 188F.

despite this same result, Vaillant says the experiment proves that heavier, moister air closer to the sea level absorbs more heat.

when I have to say the following alternative interpretation make more sense:

"On July 16, 1774, he carried his device to the top of Mt. Crammont, a peak rising above the town of Courmayeur in the Val d’Aosta, on the Italian side of Mont Blanc. There at an elevation of about 9,000 feet after an hour’s exposure to the Sun, the temperature in his box had risen to 190°F, contrasting with 43°F in the surrounding air.  The following day in the valley, 5000 feet below—but under otherwise identical conditions—he measured 187°F with the heliothermometer, and 75°F in the air.

From these and similar results he concluded that very little heat is absorbed in the atmosphere from the incoming rays of the Sun, but that heat from the Sun is absorbed at the surface of the Earth and then re-emitted, heating the atmosphere from the bottom up."

from https://www.robwesson.com/adventures/de-saussure-and-the-heliothermometer#:~:text=He%20termed%20his%20device%20a,Italian%20side%20of%20Mont%20Blanc.

the power of the sun is equally dispersed across the surface of the earth facing the sun (generally), so actually solar power is so dispersed that high-capacity transmission wires would not be required.

less efficiency might be over come by not having to worry about moving the electricity produced to where it will be used.

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