Making nested series of strings of a series, does this get around shading issues?

[timselectric]

What's the risk? I've got an array that 2s2p2p, general consensus here was that was a fine configuration....

Your configuration (series before parallel) is fine.
Parallel before series, can double the current through one of the parallel sections in a failure of the other.

 

[timselectric]

I have 8 panels total. Lowest level, 2 panels in series (2s). I have two sets of series panels in parallel (2p), then I've paralleled two sets of these 4 panels, leading to 2s2p2p.

I did this configuration for shade tolerance while still getting array voltage above battery voltage.

That's actually just 2s4p

 

[SeaGal]

That's actually just 2s4p

one of my strings is 1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s