Quote: "1) I like to put the fuse as close as possible to the power source, in this case the PV panels."

The power "source" on a boat is always the battery bank. Even alternators are current limited sources and do not need fuses at the alternator end, only the battery end. With properly size PV wire you should not ever be able to light a fire in your solar wiring. Heck in order to "fuse it for a short" at the panels the fuse would need to be at near max operating capacity for the PV thus causing a lot more voltage drop than is wanted and this will lead to an eventual early failure of the fuse as they should not be loaded to more than 80% continuously..

You ideally don't want to add any more unnecessary connections, and the resulting voltage drop associated with fuses/connections, at the panels. It is a net loss not a gain.

The fusing should be within 7" of the + battery terminal as the batteries are the only "source" than can cook that wire and they can do that easily... Dave Marchand was very succinct and correct on that...