ISO 9488:2022

Overview

ISO 9488:2022 - "Solar energy - Vocabulary" is an international vocabulary standard prepared by ISO/TC 180 (Solar energy) in collaboration with CEN/TC 312. This second edition updates and expands the terminology first published in 1999 to reflect advances in solar thermal and measurement technologies. The standard provides clear, consensus definitions of basic terms used for the measurement of solar radiation and for solar energy utilization in space and water heating, cooling, industrial process heating and air conditioning.

Key topics

ISO 9488:2022 is a vocabulary standard (no normative references) that groups terms by technical area, including:

• Solar geometry: aphelion, perihelion, solar declination, solar azimuth, zenith/zenith angle, solar time and hour angle, angle of incidence, trackers and sun-path diagrams.
• Radiation concepts: radiation, radiant energy/flux, radiance, irradiance and irradiation (insolation), radiant exitance, solar spectrum, shortwave vs longwave, ultraviolet/visible/infrared bands.
• Radiation measurement: terminology for instruments and measurement concepts (pyranometers, pyrheliometers, pyrgeometers, field-of-view, circumsolar components).
• Radiation properties and processes: emission, reflection, transmission and related quantities.
• Climates, collectors and systems: indoor/outdoor climates, collector types and components, types of solar heating systems, system components beyond collectors, and some non-solar-specific terms.
• Updates: new and revised entries reflecting developments in solar thermal technology; some definitions are relevant to photovoltaic and high-temperature solar-to-electric processes, though dedicated vocabulary for those technologies exists in other documents.

Practical applications

ISO 9488:2022 is a foundational reference to ensure consistent use of terminology across technical documents, standards, specifications, test reports and academic literature. Typical uses include:

• Writing and harmonizing product specifications, test procedures and standards for solar thermal equipment.
• Interpreting and comparing measurement data (irradiance, irradiation) from sensors and meteorological stations.
• Supporting system design, simulation and performance modelling by ensuring consistent angle, radiation and spectral definitions.
• Preparing regulatory, procurement and certification documents that reference solar measurement or thermal-system concepts.

Who should use it

• Standards writers, test laboratories and certification bodies
• Solar thermal and HVAC engineers, system designers and installers
• Instrument manufacturers and calibration labs (pyranometers, pyrheliometers, pyrgeometers)
• Researchers, educators and policymakers working with solar radiation data and thermal solar systems

Related standards

ISO 9488:2022 complements other ISO and IEC vocabularies and technical standards for photovoltaic and high-temperature solar-to-electric technologies; consult the ISO Online Browsing Platform or national bodies for cross-references and more specialised vocabulary documents.