So if we designed a magical box that cost $100 to build, nothing to maintain, generated no pollution, yet put out 100 megawatts worth of electricity, it wouldn’t be a game changer because it’s only addressing our electrical needs?
Magic is always a game changer. Barring magic though, even 90% efficient solar power at very low cost, maintenance, or environmental effect, wouldn’t be enough of a draw to convert many of our non-electric uses of energy to electricity . To change the game you need to be cheap enough and reliable enough to justify retrofitting or replacing older technology. Energy density, reliability, and transmission for solar, without massive advances in battery technology, just don’t stack up to fossil fuels unless one heavily counts pollution and non-renewableness against the fossil fuels.
Enjoy,
Steven
Non-electric usages for energy (aside from transport obviously) are a small slice of the pie. If we make the big changes to the big slice of the pie, it’s a game changer.
To think of a non-magic item, think of affordable solar generating roads feeding into our grid. Definitely a game changer.