Overview
EN ISO/IEC 13273-2:2016 (ISO/IEC 13273-2:2015) is a horizontal vocabulary standard that establishes a common international terminology for renewable energy sources. Its primary purpose is to provide transversal concepts and clear definitions to improve consistency across International Standards and technical committee outputs. The standard focuses on vocabulary - not on technical performance or safety requirements - and is aligned with the principles of IEC Guide 108.
Key Topics
This part of ISO/IEC 13273 organizes terms and definitions to promote a shared language across the renewable energy domain. Major elements include:
- Core energy concepts: definitions such as energy, energy source, renewable energy source, non‑renewable energy source, and intermittent energy source.
- Source‑specific terms: vocabulary for principal renewable sources including biomass, hydro, marine, solar, wind, geothermal, and aerothermal energy.
- Renewable energy concepts: terms distinguishing renewable energy, replenishment rates, and exclusions (for example, recovered or wasted energy).
- Structure and methodology: a concept‑based arrangement (see Annex A) that maps relationships among terms to aid comprehension and consistent use.
- Scope limitations: the standard covers transversal energy terminology and does not define topic‑specific terms for areas like environmental sustainability or nuclear energy.
Applications
EN ISO/IEC 13273-2 is intended to be used wherever a consistent vocabulary for renewable energy is required. Typical practical applications:
- Standards development: technical committees use the vocabulary when drafting and harmonizing new International or European standards to ensure consistent terminology.
- Technical documentation & procurement: writers, engineers and procurement specialists adopt standardized terms in specifications, tenders and contracts to reduce ambiguity.
- Policy & regulation: policy makers and regulators reference the standard to align legislation and guidance with internationally agreed definitions.
- R&D, education & communication: researchers, educators and industry communicators use the glossary to ensure clarity in reports, curricula and public information.
Who uses it: standards developers, national standards bodies, engineers, energy planners, policymakers, consultants, and educators engaged with renewable energy, energy efficiency, and related projects.
Related Standards
- ISO/IEC 13273-1 - Part 1: Energy efficiency (companion vocabulary for energy efficiency terms)
- IEC Guide 108 - Guidance on horizontal standards and terminology development
- References in the document also reflect alignment with standards such as ISO 50001 (energy management) where relevant terminology overlaps.
Using EN ISO/IEC 13273-2 helps improve interoperability, reduce misunderstandings, and supports more effective international collaboration in the renewable energy sector.
