Electron storage rings are in use or planned for use in the extension
of radiometry into ranges of higher photon energies, from the visible
spectral region continuously to the x-ray region up to photon energies
of at least 100 keV. The storage rings serve as broadband primary sta
ndard sources for the development of a source-based radiometry and as
sources of tuneable monochromatic photon fluxes for the development of
a detector-based radiometry in combination with primary standard dete
ctors. The state of the art is briefly summarized based on results obt
ained at the Berlin storage ring BESSY I (maximum electron energy 850
MeV), which was optimized for radiometry from the outset. Further prog
ress in radiometry is expected at the future storage ring BESSY II (st
art of operation in 1998). At this third-generation storage ring (maxi
mum electron energy 1,9 GeV) radiation from undulators, wigglers and w
avelength shifters will be used for radiometry in addition to traditio
nal synchrotron radiation from bending magnets. Furthermore, there are
prospects at BESSY II to extend radiometry into the gamma-ray range w
ith photon energies in the MeV region by scattering laser and undulato
r photons at stored relativistic electrons.