I think that AA batteries might be a helpful example to use when explaining The Difference Between Series and Parallel Circuits. You may have noticed that the traditional flashlight comes in various sizes to accommodate a varying number of batteries stacked end to end. These batteries are in a series. The longer the series, the more Volts you have running through the bulb. Three 1.5 Volt batteries provide 4.5 Volts.

The second picture shows three batteries set up in parallel. Devices that require more current are typically designed to use larger cells because the larger cells are capable of delivering a proportionally larger current. The battery cells in a laptop are set up in a combination of series and parallel to provide the correct current and voltage. 4S2P means four cells in a series and two parallel.

An individual solar cell can provide about 0.5 Volts. That’s not very useful on its own but once you grasp the basic math involved in assembling series and parallel circuits you can design a panel to match your requirement for voltage and amperage. The number of cells in each series should should be twice as high as the voltage required by your system. The number of series wired together in parallel should will be determined by the current required.

If you plan to build you own solar panels, it makes a lot of sense to source things like inverters before planning the layout of your cells. For a very basic application such as charging a 12 volt battery, a single series of 36 solar cells is adequate. 18 volts are required for this purpose.

It is common practice for solar cells within a panel to be arranged in series and solar panels to be connected in series.

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