Likewise for solar -- the DC voltage and current a panel puts out is dependent on both insolation and load -- only in the most simple applications can you just

Likewise for solar -- the DC voltage and current a panel puts out is dependent on both insolation and load -- only in the most simple applications can you just hook in directly to a panel, without involving a DC-DC converter. Even grid-tie installations often use DC-DC converters, called "power optimizers" [1], to optimally tie multiple panels to a single bus. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_optimizer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_optimizer