[pacman83]

That is always the most important question, isn't it?

I am looking at RV applications, thinking series would be ideal to reduce wiring cost, but just learned that a small patch on one panel of shade lowers current in the whole series, when wired that way. If there's some way they could be wired as a tree, with the high amperage portion of the circuit fairly short, that seems more efficient. But then I guess I have just reinvented the power grid... I'm talking about residential scale, though, or smaller.

[p1mrx]

So you're trying to connect an array of solar panels in series, such that shading one doesn't limit the current of the others. Isn't that normally solved using bypass diodes?

[pacman83]

I guess you just solved my problem. This is a topic I'm just beginning to look into. Thank you.

But now I'm wondering why are panels made this way? I mean internally they're wired in series or at least substantially so. and I've read that shading a small portion of one panel will drastically reduce the output of that one panel. Is it possible to create a panel (e.g. nominally 12 volt system) with bypass diodes inside it? If so then why wouldn't they have been doing this all along?