Quote:
Originally Posted by All Darc
Why not connect many solar panels together in series (not parallel) to combine voltage, adding enough panels to reach 110/120 volts or 220/240 volts for residential use?
I know inversors not just convert voltage but also convert direct current to alternate current to allow energy be used for homes or go to the grid. But maybe inversors could be simpler or cheaper if they needed just to convert dirrect to alternate current and not also convert voltage.
If one panel fail, or if a cell of one panel fail, in a series connected panels, the entire system lose power, stop working, am I correct ?
If one or two panels get shadow, while the other still get sun (due some object making shadow), would the voltage be altered? I bet not.
Well, did I sounded idiot ?
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No, it's a good question. Solar panels are sometimes connected in series, and it saves on wiring and loss due to voltage drop. The problem is the whole system is limited to whatever the output of the lowest wattage panel is, so shading becomes a problem.
With parallel designs, there are more wires to connect the panels and more loss due to voltage drop, but wattage can vary between panels without affecting output of the others.