This is like saying it's ironic that an alternator in a car cannot combust gasoline when the gasoline engine is right beside it, even though the alternator 'runs' on the gasoline engine.
Or similarly having a gasoline engine without an alternator and making the observation that there's an absurdity there in that you're generating large amounts of energy, yet aren't able to charge a relatively small 12V battery with any of it. It's a very practical and natural limitation, yet in some sense you have exactly what you want - energy - you just can't use it because of the form. If you step back there's an amusing irony buried in that. At least in my humble opinion :-)