The thing about photovoltaic(PV) Generation of electricity directly from sunlight. A photovoltaic cell has no moving parts; electrons are energized by sunlight and result in current flow. solar (or PVPhotovoltaics. Generation of electricity directly from sunlight. A photovoltaic (PV) cell has no moving parts; electrons are energized by sunlight and result in current flow.) is that in order to understand if it is appropriate for the project you're working on, you really have to understand the metrics and basics of solar systems. Chris and Phil sat down, turned on the mic, and did their best to convey the basic concepts and rules of thumb that most green professionals should know. This will of course be laying the ground work for part two, where we cover the financial implications of solar PV.