TS EN ISO 9488

TS EN ISO 9488 is a vocabulary standard for the core terms and definitions used in solar energy. It provides a common technical language for concepts related to the measurement of solar radiation and to the use of solar energy in space heating, cooling, industrial process heating, and air conditioning. Standards of this kind help designers, laboratories, and engineers use the same terms consistently across documents and projects.

A shared terminology for measurement and utilisation

The document focuses on the basic concepts used within the work of ISO/TC 180. In practical terms, that means it covers terminology for both measuring solar radiation and describing how solar energy is applied in thermal systems. Clear terminology is especially important in solar engineering because system performance, collector behaviour, storage, heat transfer fluids, and energy balance discussions all depend on precise wording.

Relation to photovoltaic and high-temperature solar thermal technologies

The scope also notes that some definitions remain useful for photovoltaic technologies and high-temperature solar thermal systems that convert heat into electricity or supply elevated process temperatures. At the same time, those fields are covered in more detail by other vocabulary documents. In that sense, TS EN ISO 9488 provides a foundational solar-energy glossary rather than an exhaustive terminology source for every specialised subfield.

• Basic terms for solar radiation and solar energy utilisation
• Concepts used in space heating, cooling, and air-conditioning applications
• General terminology connected with industrial process heating
• Definitions that can also support photovoltaic and high-temperature solar thermal contexts