My solar install!

JimM68 wrote:
My thinking was, since just a partial shading on one panel can take out a series set, 3 series sets would help eliminate shading as a problem, while still providing the mppt controller with enough voltage to do it's thing.

That depends. My 3 series panels with bypass diodes function better than parallel in partial shade. With 3 bypass diodes/panel I do better than parallel with 0.67 panel in the sun since parallel would have no output. Ditto 1.33, 1.67, 2.33, 2.67. 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 panels in the sun is basically the same between parallel and series. This is all part of the "magic" of MPPT.

If the series panels do not have bypass diodes then you are correct that parallel would be better in partial shade.