Nuclear power appears to be a powerful way to make steam that spins a turbine. Same with geothermal, wind, & hydro. Maybe not solar? Isn’t energy lost in the multiple energy conversions (heat, water state, kinetic)? Is it theoretically possible to have a power source that more directly moves electrons through a circuit? If solar is the only one that can, it’s limited in efficiency and where it can be used. What about power generation undersea or on Ganymede or something?
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Electricity is generated by the movement of electrons through a circuit. You seem to understand that part. That motion of electrons can be cause by several different methods. Solar uses photons of light to push electrons across a semiconductor and generate a voltage. Fuel cells use hydrogen and a catalytic material to strip an electron off and generate a voltage. Spinning rotors use mechanical motion to cause changing magnetic fields to generate voltage. Thermocouples use heat differentials across different materials to generate voltage.
Thing is, all of these methods include losses. Transferring one type of energy to another always will. It just so happens that spinning rotors have some of the best efficiencies, so they’re used most often.
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