Reference
Which standard governs which equipment
A distribution project is governed by several documents at once, and the common error is applying the right standard to the wrong object.
The equipment you buy, the installation you build around it and the act of connecting to a network are three different things, and each is governed by different documents. A specification that quotes the installation standard to a manufacturer of type tested equipment is asking for evidence that standard was never written to produce.
Every scope below was read from the publisher's catalogue record rather than paraphrased from a secondary source. The standards themselves are copyright and are bought from their publishers.
Transformers
| Standard | Title | Scope as published |
|---|---|---|
| IEC 60076-1:2011 | Power transformers, Part 1: General | Three phase and single phase power transformers, including auto transformers, except certain small and special transformers |
| IEC 60076-11:2018 | Power transformers, Part 11: Dry type transformers | Dry type power transformers with highest voltage for equipment up to 72.5 kV and at least one winding above 1.1 kV |
| IEC 60076-7:2018 | Power transformers, Part 7: Loading guide for mineral oil immersed power transformers | Loading of mineral oil immersed transformers |
| IEEE C57.12.00-2021 | General requirements for liquid immersed distribution, power and regulating transformers | Electrical and mechanical requirements for liquid immersed transformers |
| IEEE C57.12.01-2020 | General requirements for dry type distribution and power transformers | Ventilated, non ventilated and sealed dry type transformers |
| IEEE C57.12.34-2022 | Pad mounted, compartmental type, self cooled, three phase distribution transformers | 10 MVA and smaller, high voltage 34.5 kV and below, low voltage 15 kV and below |
| EN 50708-1-1 and EN 50708-2-1 | Additional European requirements for power transformers and medium power transformers | Replaced EN 50588-1:2017, which was withdrawn on 28 May 2020 |
A specification that still cites EN 50588-1 cites a withdrawn standard.
Switchgear and substations
| Standard | Title | Scope as published |
|---|---|---|
| IEC 62271-1 | Common specifications for alternating current switchgear and controlgear | AC switchgear and controlgear above 1000 V, service frequencies up to 60 Hz |
| IEC 62271-100 | Alternating current circuit breakers | Three phase AC circuit breakers on systems above 1000 V |
| IEC 62271-200 | AC metal enclosed switchgear and controlgear above 1 kV up to and including 52 kV | Prefabricated metal enclosed assemblies, indoor and outdoor |
| IEC 62271-202:2022 | AC prefabricated substations above 1 kV up to and including 52 kV | Service conditions, ratings, structure and tests of prefabricated substations, operated from inside or outside |
| IEC 61439-1:2020 | Low voltage switchgear and controlgear assemblies, Part 1: General rules | Definitions, service conditions, construction and verification of low voltage assemblies |
| IEC 61439-2:2020 | Power switchgear and controlgear assemblies | Rated voltage up to 1000 V AC or 1500 V DC |
| IEC 60947-2:2024 | Low voltage switchgear and controlgear, Part 2: Circuit breakers | Circuit breakers on circuits up to 1000 V AC or 1500 V DC |
Protection, enclosures, voltages and installation
| Standard | Title | Scope as published |
|---|---|---|
| IEC 60255-1:2022 | Measuring relays and protection equipment, Part 1: Common requirements | Common rules for measuring relays and protection equipment |
| IEC 60529 | Degrees of protection provided by enclosures, the IP code | Classification of the protection enclosures provide |
| IEC 60038 | IEC standard voltages | Preferred nominal voltages of supply systems, including 230/400 V and 11 kV |
| IEC 61936-1:2021 | Power installations exceeding 1 kV AC and 1.5 kV DC, Part 1: AC | Design and erection of installations above 1 kV AC. It does not cover the design of prefabricated, type tested switchgear or prefabricated substations |
The boundary most specifications get wrong
IEC 61936-1 governs the design and erection of the installation as a whole. Its own scope states that it does not apply to the design of prefabricated, type tested switchgear or prefabricated substations, because separate standards exist for them. The station you buy is proven by its manufacturer to IEC 62271-202, and the installation you build around it is designed to IEC 61936-1.
EU regulation
| Regulation | What it governs |
|---|---|
| (EU) No 548/2014, as amended by (EU) 2019/1783 | Maximum losses and minimum efficiency for power transformers placed on the market, still applied in Great Britain |
| (EU) 2024/573 | Fluorinated gases, including the prohibition on putting into operation new medium voltage distribution switchgear with fluorinated gas, up to 24 kV from 1 January 2026 and above 24 kV up to 52 kV from 1 January 2030 |
Sources
| Record | Where it was read |
|---|---|
| IEC standards | IEC webstore publication records |
| IEEE standards | IEEE Standards Association standard pages |
| EN 50588-1 and EN 50708 | BSI Knowledge and NBS records |
| EU regulations | EUR-Lex, and legislation.gov.uk for the GB position |
Verified on 16 September 2026. Standards are revised, so a row that matters to a decision should be checked against the current edition.
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