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PD IEC GUIDE — Overview of Guidelines on Inclusion of Energy Efficiency Aspects in Electrotechnical Publications and Preparation of Energy Efficiency Publications
PD IEC GUIDE Series Overview (IEC GUIDE 118 and IEC GUIDE 119 Energy Efficiency Guides)
🔋 PD IEC GUIDE is the BSI Published Document (PD) series adopting IEC Guides, overseen by the British Electrotechnical Committee. This batch covers two single-file guides: PD IEC GUIDE 118:2017 specifies inclusion of energy efficiency aspects in electrotechnical publications, and PD IEC GUIDE 119:2017 specifies preparation of energy efficiency publications and the use of basic and group energy efficiency publications. Together they serve the IEC standardization strategy on energy efficiency, providing a unified methodology for the development and publication of energy efficiency indicators for electrical and electronic products.
💡 IEC GUIDEs are guidance documents published by IEC to govern the preparation of IEC’s own publications, rather than mandatory requirements for end products. PD IEC GUIDEs are adopted and published by BSI for reference by UK standardization staff and technical professionals.
1. Series Overview 📌
Energy efficiency is an important topic in electrotechnical standardization. IEC promotes the systematic inclusion of energy efficiency aspects in standards through a series of guides, enabling different technical committees (TCs) to adopt a coordinated energy efficiency framework and indicator system when developing product standards. IEC GUIDE 118 and IEC GUIDE 119 are the core tools of this strategy.
The two guides in this batch address the “inclusion” and “preparation” questions respectively: IEC GUIDE 118 answers “how to include energy efficiency aspects in electrotechnical publications,” specifying the principles, elements, and implementation path for incorporating energy efficiency considerations into standards; IEC GUIDE 119 answers “how to prepare energy efficiency publications and use basic/group energy efficiency publications,” specifying the structure, methods, and cross-referencing rules. Together they form the complete methodology for IEC energy efficiency standardization.
⚠️ Both guides are readable-text versions, published by BSI on 30 April 2017. This article is based on the guide text and table of contents; specific content should be confirmed against the official BSI published edition.
2. Standard List and Technical Overview 📋
| Standard No. | Title | Year | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| PD IEC GUIDE 118:2017 | Inclusion of energy efficiency aspects in electrotechnical publications | 2017 | Inclusion of energy efficiency aspects |
| PD IEC GUIDE 119:2017 | Preparation of energy efficiency publications and the use of basic energy efficiency publications and group energy efficiency publications | 2017 | Preparation of energy efficiency publications |
Both guides are first editions of the IEC Guides (published March 2017), issued in the UK by BSI as Published Documents (PD), classified under ICS 27.015 (Energy efficiency and energy saving in general).
3. Key Technical Requirements 🔧
3.1 PD IEC GUIDE 118:2017 — Inclusion of energy efficiency aspects in electrotechnical publications
This guide specifies methods for including energy efficiency aspects in electrotechnical publications. Key technical content includes:
- Inclusion principles: Specifies principles for technical committees to consider energy efficiency aspects when developing product standards, including definition of energy-efficiency-related concepts, selection of energy efficiency indicators, and measurement methods.
- Element system: Defines the composition of energy efficiency elements, including product energy efficiency indicator system, energy efficiency measurement methods, energy efficiency classification and labelling, and declaration requirements.
- Implementation path: Provides steps and examples for incorporating energy efficiency elements into standard text, helping standard writers coordinate energy efficiency requirements with product functional requirements.
- Coordination with other guides: Explains the relationship with guides such as IEC GUIDE 109 (environmental aspects) to avoid duplication and conflict.
3.2 PD IEC GUIDE 119:2017 — Preparation and use of energy efficiency publications
This guide specifies methods for preparing energy efficiency publications. Key technical content includes:
- Publication types: Defines the concepts and positioning of basic energy efficiency publications and group energy efficiency publications.
- Preparation methods: Gives steps for preparing energy efficiency publications, including scope definition, energy efficiency indicator determination, measurement method selection, class division, and declaration rules.
- Use rules: Specifies how technical committees reference and use basic/group energy efficiency publications, avoiding inconsistency among product standards.
- Coordination mechanism: Explains the coordination between energy efficiency publications and product/test standards, ensuring consistency and implementability of energy efficiency requirements.
✅ Together the two guides form the methodological basis for IEC energy efficiency standardization: GUIDE 118 addresses “what to include,” and GUIDE 119 addresses “how to prepare and use,” so that product standards from different technical committees are coordinated on energy efficiency.
4. Representative Standard Technical Interpretation 🔍
PD IEC GUIDE 118:2017
Scope: Specifies requirements and methods for including energy efficiency aspects in electrotechnical publications.
Key points: This guide is directed at IEC technical committees, guiding systematic consideration of energy efficiency when developing product standards. The guide emphasizes that the inclusion of energy efficiency aspects should follow a clear framework: first determine the energy-efficiency-related functions and boundaries of the product; then select appropriate energy efficiency indicators (e.g., standby power, operating efficiency, energy efficiency class); then specify unified measurement methods to ensure comparability of energy efficiency across manufacturers; and finally clarify declaration and labelling requirements. The guide also emphasizes coordination between energy efficiency requirements and basic requirements such as product safety and electromagnetic compatibility, avoiding trade-offs.
PD IEC GUIDE 119:2017
Scope: Specifies the preparation of energy efficiency publications and the use of basic and group energy efficiency publications.
Key points: To avoid each product standard developing energy efficiency requirements independently, IEC established a two-level system of “basic energy efficiency publications” and “group energy efficiency publications”: basic energy efficiency publications specify general energy efficiency concepts, definitions, and measurement principles; group energy efficiency publications specify concrete indicators for product families (e.g., standby/off-mode power of household appliances). Product standards referencing the relevant energy efficiency publications obtain coordinated energy efficiency requirements. The guide provides detailed preparation steps, structure templates, and referencing rules for these two types of publications, serving as an important operational guide for IEC energy efficiency standardization work.
5. Engineering Practice and Application 🛠️
In electrical product standardization, PD IEC GUIDE 118 and PD IEC GUIDE 119 are used at the following stages:
- Standard drafting: Product standard writers systematically incorporate energy efficiency elements into product standards per the guides, ensuring coordination between energy efficiency requirements and product functional requirements.
- Energy efficiency indicator development: Develop coordinated product energy efficiency indicator systems and measurement methods per the basic and group energy efficiency publication framework.
- Product design and certification: Manufacturers design and test products per the energy efficiency requirements in standards, and manufacturers and laboratories evaluate product energy efficiency using unified measurement methods.
- Energy efficiency labelling and declaration: Apply energy efficiency labelling on products or packaging per the declaration and labelling rules in the guides, ensuring transparency and comparability of energy efficiency information.
⚠️ IEC GUIDEs are guidance documents for standard writers, not product requirements. Manufacturers should evaluate product energy efficiency based on the relevant product standards (not the guides themselves); the guides are for understanding the drafting logic of the energy efficiency requirement system.
6. FAQ ❓
What is an IEC GUIDE, and how does it differ from an IEC standard?
An IEC GUIDE is a guidance document published by IEC to govern the preparation of IEC’s own publications and guide the work of technical committees, rather than mandatory technical requirements for products or services; IEC standards (e.g., the IEC 60000 series) are technical requirements for products and systems.
An IEC GUIDE is a guidance document published by IEC to govern the preparation of IEC’s own publications and guide the work of technical committees, rather than mandatory technical requirements for products or services; IEC standards (e.g., the IEC 60000 series) are technical requirements for products and systems.
What is the difference between GUIDE 118 and GUIDE 119?
GUIDE 118 specifies “how to include energy efficiency aspects in electrotechnical publications” (inclusion principles and element system); GUIDE 119 specifies “how to prepare energy efficiency publications and reference basic/group energy efficiency publications” (preparation methods and use rules). Together they form a complete methodology for energy efficiency standardization.
GUIDE 118 specifies “how to include energy efficiency aspects in electrotechnical publications” (inclusion principles and element system); GUIDE 119 specifies “how to prepare energy efficiency publications and reference basic/group energy efficiency publications” (preparation methods and use rules). Together they form a complete methodology for energy efficiency standardization.
What are basic and group energy efficiency publications?
Basic energy efficiency publications specify general energy efficiency concepts, definitions, and measurement principles; group energy efficiency publications specify concrete indicators for specific product categories. Product standards referencing the relevant energy efficiency publications obtain coordinated energy efficiency requirements.
Basic energy efficiency publications specify general energy efficiency concepts, definitions, and measurement principles; group energy efficiency publications specify concrete indicators for specific product categories. Product standards referencing the relevant energy efficiency publications obtain coordinated energy efficiency requirements.
Are manufacturers directly bound by GUIDEs?
Not directly. GUIDEs are guidance documents for standard writers. Manufacturers should evaluate product energy efficiency based on product standards (whose energy efficiency requirements are developed per the GUIDE framework) and comply with relevant regulations and certification requirements.
Not directly. GUIDEs are guidance documents for standard writers. Manufacturers should evaluate product energy efficiency based on product standards (whose energy efficiency requirements are developed per the GUIDE framework) and comply with relevant regulations and certification requirements.
How can the official text be obtained?
Obtain the official edition of the PD IEC GUIDE publication from BSI (BSI Standards Online / British Standards Online) and check its amendment and confirmation status.
Obtain the official edition of the PD IEC GUIDE publication from BSI (BSI Standards Online / British Standards Online) and check its amendment and confirmation status.