Panel strings-arays and options

[Pearce80]

Hi. New to solar but have working 12V -250 setup and building a 24V 1000W setup. One question is solar array and strings.
One panel or 20 panels is a array?
Two wired in series or 2 parallel is a string?
4 panels -both wired series then all in parallel is two strings?
This configuration only double volts and amps of one panel output, even tho 4 panels, two pairs are wired series and only doubles amps, even tho 4 are wired in parallel?
But if I wired all 4 in series, volts per panel x 4 not 2 if also in parallel?
I plan to confirm output of different configurations with watt meter before wiring to controller but don’t have it in front me.
Thanks

 

[rmaddy]

One panel or 20 panels is a array?

A panel array is however many panels you have connected together.

Two wired in series or 2 parallel is a string?

Typically a string of panels is two or more panels all wired in series. If you have two or more such strings then you can connect the strings in parallel. That whole set is your array.

4 panels -both wired series then all in parallel is two strings?

That is confusing. Perhaps you mean 4 panels wired in 2S2P which means you take two panels and put them in series. You take the other two panels and also put them in series. You now have two strings of panels. Now connect those two strings in parallel.

This configuration only double volts and amps of one panel output, even tho 4 panels, two pairs are wired series and only doubles amps, even tho 4 are wired in parallel?

Yes, a 2S2P configuration will double the voltage and double the amperage of a single panel. It's still 4 times the wattage of a single panel since it is 4 panels.

Things in series you add the voltage.
Things in parallel you add the amperage.

If you put all 4 panels in parallel (4P) then it is the same voltage but 4 times the amperage.
If you put all 4 panels in series (4S) then it is 4 times the voltage but the same amperage.

But if I wired all 4 in series, volts per panel x 4 not 2 if also in parallel?

If you have 4 panels and you put all 4 in series (4S) then nothing is in parallel.