November 2025: New Standards Advance Safety and Digitalization in Electrical Engineering

Electrical engineering is undergoing transformative change, with November 2025 marking the release of four pivotal international standards. These publications directly influence safety, digital construction, power system reliability, and the precision of magnetic components. Covering requirements for lightning protection, digital data exchange in low-voltage assemblies, substation auxiliary power systems, and the calculation of magnetic parameters, these standards are set to become reference points for engineers, quality professionals, and compliance leaders worldwide.

Overview

The electrical engineering industry is the backbone of all modern infrastructure, supporting sectors from construction and energy to automation and electronics. International standards play a crucial role in this field, defining the safety, performance, and interoperability requirements that drive technology adoption and ensure public safety.

In this article, you’ll discover:

• The critical updates and new requirements introduced by four November 2025 electrical engineering standards
• How these standards shape compliance, digital processes, and reliability
• Key technical insights and implementation recommendations

Detailed Standards Coverage

EN IEC 62561-2:2025 – Lightning Protection: Conductors and Earth Electrodes

Lightning protection system components (LPSC) – Part 2: Requirements for conductors and earth electrodes

This newly revised standard sets out the minimum requirements and verification tests for metallic conductors (excluding 'natural' conductors) and metallic earth electrodes used in lightning protection systems. Applicable to any building, industrial plant, or structure where lightning protection is required, this third edition replaces its 2018 predecessor and incorporates significant technical enhancements:

• Expanded definitions for new conductor types
• Updates to environmental resistance in line with IEC 60068-2-52:2017 (salt mist) and ISO 22479:2019 (humid sulphurous atmosphere)
• New Annex H for material, configuration, and cross-sectional area testing
• New Annex I clarifying applicability to previously passed tests
• Introduction of requirements for equipotential earth grids

Key requirements and specifications:

• Rigorous physical and environmental testing of all conductors and electrodes, including salt mist and corrosion tests
• Enhanced marking, durability, and installation documentation obligations
• Electrical and mechanical performance, including tensile strength and resistivity
• Essential material standards for earth rods, plates, grids, and couplers, with defined test flows for each component

Who must comply:

• Electrical contractors/installers
• Building maintenance and safety managers
• Manufacturers and suppliers of LPSC components
• Inspectors and certification bodies

Practical implications: Organizations installing or maintaining lightning protection systems must ensure all metallic conductors and electrodes, including newly recognized types, meet stricter test protocols and marking standards. Updates facilitate performance verification in aggressive environments—improving long-term reliability and safety.

Notable changes from previous editions:

• New environmental test references
• Additional definitions, marking, and test requirements for emerging component designs
• Updated requirements for equipotential grids and connectors

Key highlights:

• Major technical revision from the 2018 edition
• Enhanced requirements for modern hostile environments
• New annexes support advanced material and test transparency

Access the full standard:View EN IEC 62561-2:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN IEC 62683-2-2:2025 – BIM-Ready Low-Voltage Switchgear Assemblies

Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Product data and properties for information exchange – Engineering data – Part 2-2: Switchgear and controlgear assembly objects for building information modelling

This first edition provides the essential data models, property definitions, and workflows to support digital building information modelling (BIM) of low-voltage switchgear and controlgear assemblies covered under IEC 61439. It represents a substantial leap forward in architectural, engineering, and construction data workflows, aligning electrical assemblies with global standards for open, intelligent design.

Scope and requirements include:

• BIM object models for all types of switchgear assemblies, enabling seamless data exchange in construction and operations
• Standardized property libraries and classification structures based on IEC CDD and ISO 16739
• Detailed object and attribute decomposition for electrical assemblies
• Clear guidance on BIM object creation, including geometry, property assignment, and connectors

Who should comply:

• Switchgear and controlgear manufacturers and suppliers
• BIM managers, electrical designers, MEP consultants
• Construction project managers and digital twin developers
• Procurement and asset management professionals

Practical implications: Conformance delivers powerful BIM-ready device models, ensuring interoperability across design, construction, and facility management platforms. The standard supports advanced lifecycle management, data-driven procurement, and compliance with increasingly digitalized project requirements.

Notable exclusions:

• Internal components of assemblies
• Safety-related control systems for machinery
• Detailed electrical/mechanical configurations, and logistics info

Key highlights:

• First comprehensive standard for electrical BIM assembly objects
• Built on open, international data formats (IFC, bSDD)
• Strengthens transparency and repeatability in digital construction

Access the full standard:View EN IEC 62683-2-2:2025 on iTeh Standards

IEC TS 63346-2-3:2025 – Low-Voltage AC Auxiliary Power in Substations

Low-voltage auxiliary power systems – Part 2-3: Design criteria – Low-voltage AC auxiliary power systems for substations

This technical specification is the latest in a multi-part series supporting optimal design, layout, and operation of low-voltage (≤1 kV AC) auxiliary power systems (APS) in electrical substations. It presents a unified set of rules and methods covering system configuration, power source selection, wiring, protection, equipment sizing, and layout principles.

Key requirements and specifications:

• System design must ensure both reliability and stability under fault and external disturbance
• Sizing and configuration methods for transformers, loads, and redundant power sources (diesel generator, UPS)
• Detailed protection and coordination requirements (overcurrent, insulation, harmonic withstand)
• Wiring principles, system grounding, and physical layout recommendations
• Clear exclusions of offshore and nuclear plant substations, and traction-specific needs

Who must comply:

• Substation designers and project engineers
• Utilities and transmission system operators
• Equipment vendors and system integrators

Practical implications: Adopting this specification ensures robust, maintainable LV auxiliary networks that meet both routine operational needs and high-reliability safety requirements. It provides clarity on equipment selection, redundancy, and modernization for existing installations.

Key highlights:

• Emphasizes reliability and resilience for critical infrastructure
• Covers nominal voltage up to 1 kV AC
• Standardizes protection, control, and equipment layout

Access the full standard:View IEC TS 63346-2-3:2025 on iTeh Standards

prEN IEC 60205:2024 – Calculation of Magnetic Effective Parameters

Calculation of the effective parameters of magnetic piece parts

This draft European standard (prEN) offers a unified, precise methodological framework for calculating the effective physical and magnetic parameters of ferromagnetic circuit pieces—an essential task in transformer and inductor design for power electronics, electrical machines, and magnetics applications.

Scope and technical guidance:

• Prescribes formulas and calculation rules for a wide variety of core types (ring, U, E, ETD/EER, pot, RM, EL, ER, PQ, EFD, and more)
• Specifies dimensional and geometric conventions to ensure calculation accuracy and repeatability
• Emphasizes uniformity in parameter derivation, ensuring measurement and design outcomes are consistent across manufacturers and design teams
• Details requirements for effective magnetic length, cross-sectional area, and volume, with associated formulae for different magnetic core shapes and assemblies

Who benefits:

• Designers and manufacturers of magnetic components
• Power supply and converter engineers
• Electrical R&D teams
• Testing and certification laboratories

Practical implications: By standardizing parameter calculations, the specification streamlines component design, validation, and inter-company communication in every part of the electrical value chain where magnetic circuit elements are used. It supports improved design quality, efficiency, and traceability.

Key highlights:

• Major revision and update over the previous edition (2016)
• Enhanced clarity for modern core geometries and calculation procedures
• Facilitates digital and simulation workflows in magnetic design

Access the full standard:View prEN IEC 60205:2024 on iTeh Standards

Industry Impact & Compliance

The November 2025 suite of electrical engineering standards introduces both immediate and long-term impacts for organizations across construction, utilities, manufacturing, and product design:

• Enhanced safety and reliability: New testing protocols and technical criteria shore up protection against lightning, electrical faults, and system outages.
• Digital transformation: Standards for BIM data and component modeling modernize design and operation, paving the way for smarter, more efficient buildings and substations.
• Product development acceleration: Transparent, harmonized requirements boost global market access, reduce compliance ambiguity, and minimize risk in certification.
• Compliance timelines: Adherence to these new standards is typically expected shortly after national or regional adoption, with legacy standard withdrawal dates usually set 2–3 years later to facilitate orderly transition.

Risks of non-compliance include increased liability for failures or outages, ineligibility for contracts requiring up-to-date certification, and inefficiencies stemming from outdated processes.

Benefits:

• Reduced project risk and warranty claims
• Improved asset reliability, maintainability, and value
• Better integration and lifecycle management with digital tools

Technical Insights

A few themes cut across these new standards:

Common technical requirements:

• Rigorous documentation and traceability, especially for test reports and digital data
• Specific mechanical and environmental validation (EMC, corrosion, strength) for external and infrastructure components
• Digital object model completeness and interoperability (particularly in BIM for switchgear assemblies)
• Repeatable parameter calculation methods in magnetic design

Best practices for implementation:

1. Gap analysis: Assess current systems/components against new standard requirements
2. Documentation review: Ensure all marking, labeling, and technical documents align with updated clauses
3. Stakeholder training: Update your teams and relevant partners on new technical and documentation requirements
4. Testing and validation: Update laboratory protocols and checklists to conform to revised test flows
5. Digital transformation: For BIM and design data, migrate to new models and exchange formats early to avoid project delays

Testing and certification: Many of these standards are referenced by conformity assessment services—making early demonstration of compliance an asset for procurement, market access, and project bidding.

Conclusion / Next Steps

November 2025’s new electrical engineering standards represent a decisive push toward greater safety, resilience, and digital maturity. Whether your role focuses on design, engineering, compliance, or procurement, these standards warrant careful review and swift action.

Key takeaways:

• Major updates in lightning protection, digital data modeling, and substation APS design
• Harmonization of calculation methods for critical magnetic components
• Early compliance brings technical, operational, and competitive benefits

Recommendations:

• Download and study relevant standards through iTeh Standards
• Engage internal stakeholders and supply chain partners in transition planning
• Monitor future revisions and related technical developments

Stay current with global standards, optimize your practices, and strengthen your projects with authoritative guidance from iTeh Standards.