What type of cells convert sunlight directly into electricity?

Photovoltaic cells are designed specifically to convert sunlight directly into electricity through the photovoltaic effect. They are made from semiconductor materials, typically silicon, that absorb photons from sunlight, which then energizes electrons in the material. This process creates an electric current as the excited electrons are freed from their atomic bonds and can flow through the material to generate electricity.

While solar panels are comprised of many photovoltaic cells working together to maximize power output, they themselves do not convert sunlight into electricity—they are simply the assembled technology that includes photovoltaic cells. Thermoelectric cells, on the other hand, generate electricity from temperature differences, and wind turbines convert kinetic energy from wind into electricity, neither of which involve converting sunlight directly to electricity.