I am still in the brainstorming phase of solar panel construction. We do occasionally get large hail in the mid western US.
I have not seen any protection schemes against hail storms. Last year we had hail large enough to break the safety glass in autos. That doesn't happen very often, but we do get 3 inch diameter stuff once every other year.
A few ideas...
1. Cover with a sheet of safety glass. That would do the job but might inhibit their power production.
2. Mount the panels on a rack similar to this.The panels could be rotated so they face downward during bad weather.
3.Enlist the help of James Bond to make an automatic device to lower the panels into a vault. LOL
4. Forget the whole idea and take my chances.
I don't want to buy insurance against solar panel damage. That would be an expensive add-on to the policy.
Any ideas?