Renogy 550W Panel system.

[MisterSandals]

I was worried about being so close to the wire's amp rating.

If its made to handle 30A on a worst case scenario (Isc current backfeed), then it should readily handle the Imp. You can check for warmth in the Y connectors when its working to get an idea if they are stressed.

I was under the impression that some kind of cutoff between panels and controller was a necessity.

It kind of is a necessity while you are messing with your array or SCC. If your array is handy enough to throw a blanket over it, that works too. Working at night works too but most issues with solar happen while the sun is up...