Passive wind-stow systems respond row by row without grid power, batteries, anemometers or a site-wide command; active systems depend on sensing, communications and a control decision.
The distinction matters most in the exact conditions where stow is needed: during grid loss, communications failure or rapidly changing local wind.
A 2026 vendor-commissioned analysis validated a modelled energy-loss advantage under defined assumptions. The useful editorial task is to state the boundary of that result.
The question
Input signals and response granularity
Passive approaches use local aerodynamic response; active approaches use measured wind and a central or distributed command. We tabulate inputs, response granularity and behaviour on loss of power side by side.
What we compared
What 'validated' means here
Validation of a model is not a field trial across all sites. Results depend on site wind climate, row geometry and the assumed stow threshold; the analysis itself states that results vary by site conditions.
Linking to the standard
Stow energy consumption and stow time are measurable quantities in IEC 62817. A fair comparison should use those definitions rather than an annual-yield estimate alone.
Data box
| Field | Value as reported |
|---|---|
| Strategies compared | Passive vs active wind stow |
| Passive inputs | Local aerodynamic response, no grid power or anemometer |
| Response | Row-level / independent |
| Validation | Vendor-commissioned DNV analysis of modelled energy loss |
| Scope | Assumption-dependent; results vary by site |
All figures above are quoted with the unit and reference period used by the primary source. They are reproduced here for reference, not independently re-measured.
Where this reading can be wrong: verification note
DNV validated modelled energy loss for a defined set of assumptions in a vendor-commissioned analysis. We do not extrapolate it to a universal conclusion.
What to watch next
Independent field measurements using the IEC 62817 stow-energy and stow-time definitions.
Primary sources
- ARRAY Technologies Wind XP / DNV-validated wind-stow energy-loss analysis
- ARRAY '5 Challenges' technical article, 2026-10
- kWh Analytics Resilient Power Report 2026
Researched and written by the solarrack.wiki editorial desk. Every figure in this article carries a source and a verification note; where a claim could not be confirmed against a primary document, it is labelled as such. Corrections: [email protected]
