Can the solar panels on a string be pointing in different directions without having a negative effect on the performance of that string?
Meaning that the sun does not fall at the same angle on all panels.

My understanding is no - all the panels in a string should ideally produce the same amount of power - i.e. they should be the same Wattage (and preferably the same brand and type of panels), and should be facing the same direction and preferably the same angle of inclination. If not, it would be likely that the string would be limited to the production of the weakest panel. Different strings, connected to different MPPT controllers - no problem...

24 minutes ago, HennieL said:

My understanding is no - all the panels in a string should ideally produce the same amount of power - i.e. they should be the same Wattage (and preferably the same brand and type of panels), and should be facing the same direction and preferably the same angle of inclination. If not, it would be likely that the string would be limited to the production of the weakest panel. Different strings, connected to different MPPT controllers - no problem...

Thanks Hennie
Am I correct by saying if I have shade on one panel the output of the other panels will drop to that of the shaded panel (in that specific string)?

1 hour ago, AndreGreyling said:

Thanks Hennie
Am I correct by saying if I have shade on one panel the output of the other panels will drop to that of the shaded panel (in that specific string)?

Yes, you are partially correct. To quote my friend Google: "Partial shading of one panel in a series string significantly reduces the overall power output of the entire string. The shaded panel acts as a bottleneck, limiting the current flow for all panels in the series, causing a substantial drop in voltage and consequently, power generation. While the string doesn't completely fail, the output can be drastically reduced, potentially to near zero, depending on the severity of the shading"

The partial shading effect on a single panel can, however, be partially addressed by using so-called bypass diodes (factory installed in many modern PV panels), but even so, I believe that some "throttling" of the unshaded panels still takes place.

Another, often overlooked, negative side effect of shading is that localised "hot spots" can occur in shaded areas of the PV panels, and this can over time damage the panels, leading to premature failure. This is not serious if it occurs whilst the sun is not fully bright (early mornings or late afternoons), but is more problematic when the PV panels are producing near peak power during the middle of the day.

Edited June 16, 20251 yr by HennieL
better wording...