What angle of bend can be designed for the solar array to be effective/not break?

Solar cell limitations.
Optimal angles for absorption.

The best case scenario for a solar array to absorb energy is when it is perpendicular to the sun. Different seasons have different angles that the array should be tilted based on the suns position to the earth, but since we are racing in the summer months (when the sun will be highest in the sky), the optimal angle for the solar panels is around 20degrees from the horizon. Panel arrays can be placed anywhere on the vehicle, but the best spot to put them would be on the southern-most facing side of the vehicle, under the assumption that the equator is south of where we will be racing.

https://sunpower.maxeon.com/int/solar-panel-products/flexible-solar-panels

^the same company that manufactures the Maxeon Gen 3 Solar cells we use on our car made a panel out of Gen 2 cells for consumers to purchase, advertising that the 46x22 inch, 110 W array can flex up to 30degrees.

It should be noted that the optimization of where the solar panels are laid out on the vehicle should be considerate of before/after, and during the race. It is important to lay out the arrays so that during the race we can absorb the most sun while driving.

Pages 97-100 of The Winning Solar Car: PDF Library - Mechanical - Confluence (atlassian.net)

Pages 39-45 of A Solar Car Primer: PDF Library - Mechanical - Confluence (atlassian.net)