Overview
IEC TR 62837:2013, Energy efficiency through automation systems, is a technical report from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) that provides a framework for developing and adapting standards, guidance and documents to improve energy efficiency in manufacturing, process control and industrial facility management. The report helps technical committees and practitioners align automation system design, components and operational practices with energy‑saving objectives.
Key topics and technical content
IEC TR 62837 organizes practical guidance and models without prescribing mandatory limits. Major technical topics include:
- Terms and definitions: clear definitions for energy, energy use, energy efficiency, energy performance and energy management to ensure consistent interpretation across standards.
- Functional models: maps energy functions to production system hierarchies (references IEC 62264) to align energy considerations with automation levels.
- Energy Managed Unit (EMU): concept and architecture for defining the boundary and responsibilities of energy‑managed subsystems.
- KPIs and measurement: guidance on defining Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for energy efficiency, baseline models and methods to measure savings and track performance.
- Generic tools & methods: recommendations on architecture for energy sourcing, low power states, standardized component interfaces, managed energy efficiency and simulation of systems/components.
- Applications: sector guidance for discrete manufacturing, process industry, building automation and facility management - including examples and gaps in existing standards.
- Components and control technologies: considerations for actuators, drives, control loop performance, combustion control, APC (Advanced Process Control), sensors and measurement technologies that support energy efficiency.
- Supporting annexes: informative annexes include energy baseline models, KPI approaches, energy labels, RENKEI control (integrated control approach), and measurement/control technology examples.
Practical applications and target users
This TR is a practical reference for:
- Standards developers and IEC technical committees - to create or adapt standards with energy efficiency in mind.
- Control engineers and system integrators - to design automation architectures that enable energy monitoring and optimisation.
- Plant and facility managers / energy managers - to define KPIs, establish energy baselines and implement EMUs for continuous improvement.
- OEMs and component manufacturers - to adopt standardized interfaces, labeling and energy performance metrics.
- Consultants and sustainability teams - to evaluate system‑level energy opportunities and design measurement strategies.
Related standards and references
IEC TR 62837 maps energy functions to the production hierarchy of IEC 62264 and refers to KPI modeling consistent with ISO 22400‑2 concepts. It complements domain standards by adding energy‑centric guidance for automation systems.
Keywords: IEC TR 62837, energy efficiency, automation systems, manufacturing energy, process control, industrial facility management, KPIs, energy baseline, energy managed unit.