Will a small solar panel (for a lamp) charge in the shade (or limited sun) during the day, or do they need the sun directly on them...? (we want lights that don't use oil or electric by our pond in the back yard, but it gets very little sun each day...)
by 
anon
ANSWERS: 2
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They will generate a very small amount of current in shade, and a little bit more on a cloudy day. However, in general, it doesn't sound like a good solution for what you want to do. I suggest using low voltage lighting. It is very common for outdoor lighting and is designed for safety. Even if the electrical lines were to get in the pond directly, there wouldn't be enough current to hurt anything. The fish may not even feel it.
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Not enough, it won't. You'd need a large, efficient array (the more expensive type) and very efficient lights, such as white LEDs. You'd want an efficient store as well, one with little or no leakage - maybe a super-capacitor rather than batteries. Basically it's very hard to get something out of nothing. Couldn't you locate the solar cells further away, or higher up, so that it was in the direct sun? Then you could use standard, cheap materials (although high efficiency lights are still necessary).
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