Monthly Roundup: Energy and Heat Standards from October 2025

Looking back at October 2025, the Energy and Heat sector witnessed a wave of significant standardization activity. Five critical standards were released, each targeting strategic areas such as nuclear safety instrumentation, hydroelectric transient analysis, hydrogen infrastructure compatibility, advanced operator support in nuclear facilities, and rigorous testing of solar thermal collectors. This retrospective overview synthesizes these developments to help energy professionals, engineers, compliance officers, and quality managers understand their implications, catch up on pivotal changes, and grasp the broader direction of the industry.

Monthly Overview: October 2025

October 2025 represented a period of notable growth and transformation within the Energy and Heat field. The month's standards addressed pressing challenges across core domains—nuclear power plant safety, hydropower system resilience, hydrogen-ready infrastructure, human factors in complex facilities, and reliability validation for solar energy systems. Compared to typical publication patterns, this month placed a particular emphasis on digitalization, safety instrumentation, and readiness for the energy transition, especially regarding hydrogen innovation and renewable integration.

Industry signals from this month's releases include:

• A sharpened focus on advanced instrumentation and human factors in high-stakes environments (nuclear power and facilities)
• Best practice codification for managing hydraulic transients in hydropower, addressing both safety and system optimization
• Proactive guidelines for hydrogen compatibility, supporting the transition to low-carbon gas infrastructure
• Rigorous methodology for validating solar thermal collector performance, reflecting the sector's drive to scale renewables reliably

Besides mirroring global trends toward decarbonization and digitalization, these standards signify a steady alignment with evolving international safety, performance, and reliability expectations.

Standards Published This Month

IEC 63374:2025 - Nuclear Power Plants: Instrumentation Systems Important to Safety – Characteristics and Test Methods of Nuclear Reactor Reactivity Meters

Nuclear power plants - Instrumentation systems important to safety - Characteristics and test methods of nuclear reactor reactivity meters

An instrumental release for nuclear facility operators and safety engineers, IEC 63374:2025 defines the core characteristics and test methodologies for reactivity meters—instrumentation vital for real-time measurement of neutron flux and reactivity in a variety of reactor types, including pressurized water reactors (PWRs), boiling water reactors (BWRs), and fast breeder reactors (FBRs). The standard lays out guidance for the comprehensive design, production, and operational testing of on-line measuring instruments rooted in the neutron kinetic point reactor model.

It specifies:

• Criteria for accuracy, response time, and verification of reactivity meters
• Required detector types, signal profiles, and output specifications
• Methods for simulation and on-reactor testing
• Applicability across reactor states (subcritical approach, full power, safety surveillance)

The scope firmly positions the standard as indispensable for nuclear site operators, instrumentation vendors, and regulatory personnel overseeing nuclear parameter measurement domains. It fits within IEC’s safety-critical documentation network, referencing core standards for radiation detection, software validation, and electromagnetic compatibility.

Key highlights:

• Holistic test and qualification frameworks for nuclear reactivity measurement
• Integration with IEC/SC 45A safety instrumentation hierarchy
• Clear linkage to IAEA requirements and international nuclear safety guidelines

Access the full standard:View IEC 63374:2025 on iTeh Standards

IEC TS 63111:2025 - Hydraulic Turbines, Storage Pumps and Pump-Turbines – Hydraulic Transient Analysis, Design Considerations and Testing

Hydraulic turbines, storage pumps and pump-turbines – Hydraulic transient analysis, design considerations and testing

IEC TS 63111:2025 marks a significant step in codifying best practices for analyzing and managing hydraulic transient phenomena in hydro turbines, storage pumps, and pump-turbines. With expanding renewable portfolios and heightened demand for operational reliability, this specification provides comprehensive guidance and technical references for modelling, simulation, design, measurement, and validation of hydraulic transients—including waterhammer and load rejections—across hydroelectric systems.

This technical specification addresses:

• In-depth definitions and system descriptions for hydro equipment and waterways
• Methods for transient load case definition across normal, exceptional, and catastrophic events
• Systematic approaches to numerical and analytical modelling
• Requirements for test programs, instrumentation, calibration, and data acquisition
• Guidance on comparison methodology between field measurements and simulation outputs

Targeted at hydro plant designers, system integrators, maintenance teams, and grid stability engineers, the document positions itself as a best-practice yardstick for lifecycle risk mitigation and system commissioning.

Key highlights:

• Stepwise approach to transient modelling, validation, and testing
• Nuanced differentiation between project phases and equipment types
• Explicit calibration and uncertainty quantification procedures

Access the full standard:View IEC TS 63111:2025 on iTeh Standards

CEN/TS 18173:2025 - Hydrogen Applications: Material Compatibility Evaluation and Qualification for Commercial and Industrial Equipment

Hydrogen applications - Material compatibility evaluation and qualification - Equipment used in commercial, industrial installations including gas burners, gas burning appliances and fuel gas infrastructures

Addressing one of the most topical issues in the energy transition, CEN/TS 18173:2025 provides pivotal harmonized guidance for assessing and qualifying the compatibility of materials used in equipment that handles natural gas/hydrogen blends or pure hydrogen. This document is foundational for designers, manufacturers, and operators tasked with developing or retrofitting infrastructure to accommodate hydrogen safely.

The specification details:

• General and material-specific requirements for metallic and non-metallic components
• Qualification and validation test methodologies (including fatigue and embrittlement resistance)
• Defined application limits for pressure and hydrogen content (10–100 bar for blends, up to 100% hydrogen at lower pressure)
• Classification of equipment as 'critical' or 'non-critical' based on exposure to fatigue/mechanical stress
• Alignment references to key standards (EN ISO 6892-1, ASME B31.12, CEN/TR 17924)

The standard covers commercial and industrial installations, such as gas burners, pipelines, processing equipment, and appliances. It supports risk-based decision making for material suitability in hydrogen-enriched environments—a necessity for a future hydrogen economy.

Key highlights:

• Direct support for hydrogen-ready product qualification and energy infrastructure upgrades
• Comprehensive framework for validation, including metallics, elastomers, and testing protocols
• Encouragement of better-than-minimum procedures for futureproofing

Access the full standard:View CEN/TS 18173:2025 on iTeh Standards

IEC 63435:2025 - Nuclear Facilities: Human Machine Interfaces – Operator Support Systems

Nuclear facilities - Human machine interfaces - Operator support systems

Human factors engineering continues to gain priority in nuclear operations, and IEC 63435:2025 is a forward-looking international standard outlining the principles, requirements, and lifecycle processes for operator support systems (OSS) in nuclear facilities. Targeting new conceptual designs (post-publication) and relevant upgrades, this standard interlinks with the human-machine interface (HMI) and human factors engineering (HFE) ecosystem in control room environments and related applications.

Key content includes:

• Core functional roles and performance criteria for OSS
• Lifecycle processes: needs assessment, design, verification, and validation (V&V)
• Design guidance: cognitive support, task analysis, collaboration, and fault tolerance
• Human reliability and operator time response considerations
• Applicability to both new builds and facility refits or upgrades

Aimed at nuclear utility operators, system integrators, HFE specialists, and licensing authorities, the standard is crucial for ensuring that OSS deployment fortifies operational safety, efficiency, and incident response in complex nuclear environments.

Key highlights:

• Comprehensive HFE-focused approach to OSS
• Rigorously structured design and validation process aligned with IEC SC 45A series
• Practical tools for supporting safe, efficient decision making by operators and emergency staff

Access the full standard:View IEC 63435:2025 on iTeh Standards

ISO 9806:2025 - Solar Energy: Solar Thermal Collectors – Test Methods

Solar energy - Solar thermal collectors - Test methods

A vital reference for the renewable energy sector, ISO 9806:2025 defines test methods for evaluating the durability, reliability, safety, and thermal performance of all principal types of solar thermal collectors (including fluid heating, air heating, and hybrid heat/electric designs). With laboratory and in-situ protocols, this standard covers a broad spectrum of collector constructions and technologies, aiming to ensure performance consistency and facilitate global product acceptance.

Key elements of ISO 9806:2025 include:

• Sequence and methodology for internal pressure, leak, thermal shock, mechanical load, and impact resistance tests
• Performance requirements for both fluid and air heating collectors, as well as hybrid cogeneration units
• Procedures for addressing active self-protection mechanisms and external power dependency
• Guidance for test reporting, uncertainty estimation, and performance declaration
• Exclusions related to electrical safety and non-separable thermal storage units

The standard is essential for manufacturers, testing laboratories, regulatory agencies, and procurement professionals seeking to benchmark and validate solar collector products against international best practice.

Key highlights:

• Application to all solar collector configurations, including tracking and hybrid models
• Rigorous, repeatable test protocols to underpin product certification and market acceptance
• Direct support for renewables deployment by assuring collector safety and quality

Access the full standard:View ISO 9806:2025 on iTeh Standards

Common Themes and Industry Trends

October 2025’s Energy and Heat standards collectively highlight several cross-cutting industry themes:

• Safety as a Foundational Value: Nuclear and hydropower standards deepen the emphasis on systematic, validated instrumentation and human-centric operational design. This is indicative of continuous efforts to embed assurance methodologies, from reactor core monitoring to OSS lifecycle design and validation.

• Hydrogen Infrastructure Readiness: The clear shift toward hydrogen compatibility across industrial and commercial gas systems is evident. This aligns with global energy transition policies and sector decarbonization goals, anticipating the rapid scaling of hydrogen blending and conversion projects.

• Systemic Digitalization and Human Factors: Emerging standards accentuate lifecycle digital system integration and advanced user interfaces, especially in nuclear and power plant contexts, prioritizing robust decision support and situational awareness.

• Renewable Integration and Assurance: The solar thermal collector test standard underscores expanding expectations for product durability, safety, and conformance within the solar energy segment, supporting both policy and market demands for reliable renewable technologies.

The standards also reflect multidisciplinary engagement—blending electrical, mechanical, human, and ICT domains—with increased convergence between traditional energy production, advanced automation, and sustainability imperatives.

Compliance and Implementation Considerations

Organizations impacted by these October 2025 standards should take a structured approach to compliance and practical implementation:

1. Gap Analysis: Evaluate current processes and product/system specifications against new requirements—prioritize understanding of core changes in reactivity meter qualification, hydraulic transient simulation, and hydrogen material validation.
2. Cross-functional Stakeholder Engagement: Include technical, safety, operations, and quality teams in review workshops to interpret standard requirements and coordinate updates.
3. Update SOPs and Training: Revise standard operating procedures (SOPs) and operator training programs—especially in nuclear/HMI contexts and for hydrogen equipment fabrication or operation.
4. Testing and Validation: For laboratories and manufacturers, align commercial product/service validation processes with prescribed test protocols. For example, solar collectors should be recertified in accordance with ISO 9806:2025 prior to market release in regulated jurisdictions.
5. Timeline Management: Engage with product and system lifecycle planning. Some standards apply to new builds or conceptual designs post-publication (e.g., IEC 63435:2025), but certain safety or material requirements could trigger retroactive alignment in the event of upgrades.
6. Engage with Certifying Bodies and Authorities: Initiate early communication with relevant regulators, notified bodies, and/or independent testing agencies to validate interpretation and conformity roadmap.

For further guidance or to obtain the complete standards, professionals are encouraged to reference the full texts via the provided iTeh Standards links.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways from October 2025

Reflecting on October 2025’s Energy and Heat standards, it is clear that the sector is charting a dynamic course through the twin imperatives of safety assurance and readiness for the energy transition. The most impactful outcomes of this month include:

• Adoption of validated, real-time instrumentation and human-centric design in nuclear power
• Deployment of holistic hydraulic transient analysis methodologies in the hydropower segment
• Mainstreaming of material compatibility best practices for hydrogen infrastructure
• Further systematization of OSS lifecycle and human factors in nuclear facility operations
• The institutionalization of definitive test methods for solar collector products supporting expanded renewables integration

For engineers, quality managers, compliance personnel, and procurement specialists, staying abreast of these standards is paramount. Not only do they encapsulate international best practice, but they also advance the industry’s alignment with critical global priorities—from decarbonization to resilient, safe system design. Exploring the detailed documentation available via iTeh Standards will further enhance organizational readiness and industry leadership.

Stay up to date with Energy and Heat standards—visit iTeh Standards for comprehensive access and expert guidance.