Based on the photovoltaic effect, photovoltaic energy exploits the physical properties of certain semiconductor materials allowing the conversion of energy originating from solar radiation into electrical energy, without resorting to the use of fuels or mechanical parts, as normally happens in traditional electric power plants.

The absence of moving mechanical parts markedly increases the reliability of the entire system, noticeably reducing maintenance operations, producing lower-cost, silent and clean energy (no scrap materials are produced during normal plant operation).

The conversion into electrical energy of electromagnetic waves irradiated by the Sun towards the Earth is based on the photoelectric effect, that is, on the ability of certain semiconductors to generate continuous electric current if exposed to sunlight.