Solar photovoltaic cells photons to electricity outlines our need for photovoltaics a field which is exploding in popularity and importance this concise book provides a thorough understanding of solar photovoltaic cells including how these devices work what can be done to optimize the technology and future trends in the marketplace. Photovoltaic cells convert sunlight into electricity a photovoltaic pv cell commonly called a solar cell is a nonmechanical device that converts sunlight directly into electricity some pv cells can convert artificial light into electricity photons carry solar energy. Solar cells also called photovoltaic cells convert sunlight directly into electricity photovoltaics often shortened as pv gets its name from the process of converting light photons to electricity voltage which is called the photovoltaic effect. Solar panels convert the energy of photons light particles into electricity as we discuss in the beginners guide to solar energy this process is called the photovoltaic effect when a photon hits a photovoltaic pv device its energy is transferred from the photon to the local electrons in the material