Outdoor Solar Lights

Depends. Some solar panels, like the ones in those spinning toys, are actually powered by the impact of photons on the panels.

The ones that generate electricity are made with silicon and phosphorus, which have a negative charge (one extra electron). When the photon hits the silicon/phosphorus molecule, the extra electron is given a boost out of the electron shell and becomes available. So if you hook up a circuit, off it goes. It goes to another part of the circuit, where silicon is bound to boron, which has holes in its electron shell.

yes i need to repair some old lights and i also want to make my own. are there any websites or books on the subject.
Thanks

For a solar energy starter kit (not inexpensive) go to:

http://store.sundancesolar.com/20wadosoenst.html

Here’s a website that has yet more links for DIY "build-it-solar". http://www.builditsolar.com/References/supplierrefs.htm

http://www.total-diy.com/Search_Pages/solar_s.asp is a site with listings of books on the subject…

http://store.sundancesolar.com/boforenshres.html