I'm am building a simple BEAM "robot" that, with solar panels, charges three capacitors and then spins a motor. I have two solar panels I am using. Should I put them parallel or in line to charge the capacitors faster?
Two indentical paralleled solar panels put out twice as much current as either panel alone, but will have an open-circuit voltage one half compared to having the panels in series.
Which means if you put them in parallel it will charge faster, but in series it will charge to twice the voltage (meaning twice the power but at half the speed of the parallel one). Depends on your voltage and total power needs from the discharging of the capacitor.