Overview
IEC TR 62051:1999 is a technical report published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC TC 13) that provides a comprehensive glossary of terms for electricity metering. Issued as a first edition in 1999, the document collects and standardizes definitions used in current and future standards for electrical energy measurement, tariffing, load control and customer/utility information exchange systems. It also expands terminology for Distribution Automation Systems (DAS) - including Distribution Line Carrier (DLC) topics - electricity prepayment and metering dependability. This report is highly relevant to Smart Grid programs where consistent vocabulary is essential.
Key Topics
- Metering terminology: standardized definitions for physical meters, basic metering functions, configuration and auto-configuration, and access points.
- Meter reading methods: six access cases from conventional visual reading to distant WAN-based remote reading.
- Data communications and protocols: vocabulary related to OSI layers, DLMS/DLC concepts, messaging and encoding (referenced standards).
- Tariffs and billing: terms covering Time-of-Use (TOU), customer authorization and billing vocabulary.
- Load management and control: definitions for demand, load control, demand-side management and related transducers.
- Distribution Automation (DAS/DLC): terminology for distribution line carrier, remote/central units and automation architectures not fully covered in IEC 60050(371).
- Prepayment and customer/utility information exchange (CUIE): specific terms for prepaid electricity systems and customer communication gateways.
- Dependability and quality: vocabulary for reliability, maintainability, availability and other dependability topics for metering equipment.
- Acronyms and abbreviations: extensive list (e.g., DLMS, DLC, HHU, SCADA) for consistent use in standards and technical documents.
Applications
IEC TR 62051 is a practical reference used by:
- Standards writers and technical committees to ensure consistent term usage across metering standards.
- Utilities and grid operators when specifying procurement, interoperability and documentation for metering and DAS projects.
- Meter manufacturers and vendors to align product specifications, interfaces and user documentation.
- System integrators and software developers implementing meter reading, DLMS/DLC and customer information exchange solutions.
- Regulators and consultants preparing regulations, tenders and educational material for Smart Grid and advanced metering infrastructures (AMI).
Related standards (if applicable)
Relevant references and companion documents cited within IEC TR 62051 include:
- IEC 60050 (International Electrotechnical Vocabulary / IEV)
- IEC 61107 (meter reading, tariff and load control data exchange)
- DLMS / Distribution Line Message Specification
- IEC 60027, IEC 60417, IEC 60617 (symbols & letter symbols)
- ISO/IEC OSI references (e.g., ISO/IEC 7498) and other IEC/ISO protocol and encoding standards
IEC TR 62051:1999 is best used as the authoritative glossary when drafting, reviewing or implementing metering-related standards, specifications and Smart Grid projects.