Solar power is almost as old as the industrial revolution, and was developed originally because of fears that coal would become scarce. The effort put into solar power (and other sources like wind) has largely been proportional to the cost of fossil fuels throughout history, rising in use when they become expensive or of unpredictable cost, and falling with low or predictable costs. On a world with little to no fossile fuels solar could be developed more earlier, creating a slow burning industrial change different from the 20 years of incredible revolution we had, but winding up in a similar place.

Think more cottage industry slowly growing more intricate and advanced than the explosion of industry we had.