Solar Panel Installation » Education

NABCEP Solar PV Installer Certification

Dave — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:01:06 +0000

Note: this post was written by Timothee and Sue of NABCEP:

Firstly, NABCEP is a non-profit organization, led by a volunteer board of renewable energy stakeholder representatives, which develops high quality credentialing programs for renewable energy practitioners to support the RE industry.

NABCEP offers two levels of programs:
1) The NABCEP PV Entry Level Program
The PV Entry Level Exam is designed for those individuals wanting to get into the solar field; passing the NABCEP PV Entry Level Exam shows basic knowledge of the fundamental principles of the application, design, installation and operation of grid-tied and stand-alone PV Systems suitable for an Entry Level position. Passing this exam does not guarantee any employment however.

An individual can become eligible for NABCEP PV Entry Level Exam by taking a course that covers the 10 Learning Objectives offered by a Registered Provider of the NABCEP Entry Level Exam. There are over 160 providers around the country with more becoming registered each month. You can find a complete listing here: Entry Level Registered Providers List

Future Entry Level programs include ones for Solar Thermal and Small Wind technologies.

*** Entry Level achievement should NOT to be confused with a PV / Solar Thermal Installer Certification

2) The NABCEP PV Solar Installer / Solar Thermal Installer Certification
Certification is a voluntary process which offers the public a high degree of protection and confidence since practitioners have to meet minimum eligibility requirements and then pass a rigorous exam developed by Subject Matter Experts. Certification is not a license, does not supersede any local or state requirements to install and should not be confused with licenses which are requirements to practice certain trades.

To sit for any NABCEP Certification exam, the applicant must meet the respective Eligibility Requirements, which are found in section 3 of our Candidate Information Handbook

These eligibility requirements are a combination of training or education and experience as an installer. NABCEP Certification is considered the gold standard for an installer and is not a point of entry for an installer.

There are currently 830 Certified PV Installers and 110 Solar Thermal Installers. With the results of the March 2010 exam to be released shortly, NABCEP expects the number of Certified PV Installers to grow by 25%.

The PV Solar Installer and Solar Thermal Installer Exams are administered twice a year in March and September. You can find the dates on our website calendar

Future Installer Certifications include the Small Wind Installer to be administered in September 2010 and the PV Technical Sales Certification to be available later this year.

Candidates can read our “In the news” for updates and future NABCEP Certifications.

Post from: Dave Dugdale SolarDave.com I will be offering Solar Panel Diagrams soon. NABCEP Solar PV Installer Certification

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Quick Review of 4 Day Solar Training Course

Dave — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:38:48 +0000

I subscribe to several LinkedIn.com’s solar discussion groups and I ran across a review of a solar training program in Colorado. Since many of my followers are interested in solar installation education I wanted to share a quick review of Red Rocks Community College solar training course from Peter. I asked Peter if it was OK to re-post his review here and he said it was OK. I would share the link with you to the discussion but it appears you need to have a LinkedIn account to view the Colorado Solar Community group – sorry.

I took a two weekend (4 day) course at Red Rocks CC in the summer of 2008. It was a good class, but really geared more towards installation and not much else. However, there was some good background information and it would be benificial for anyone looking to install an array on their house. I wouldn’t say they are the best classes for everything. They are focused on people who want to be installers or put panels on thier own house. Anything more in depth will be elsewhere-it was a great intro though, and also very affordable and enjoyable- I think I paid 194.00 for the entire class as a resident. Non-resident was about twice that.

Post from: Dave Dugdale SolarDave.com I will be offering Solar Panel Diagrams soon. Quick Review of 4 Day Solar Training Course

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Cracked Solar Panel [Picture]

Dave — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 21:05:24 +0000

I hiked Twin Sisters yesterday and found a radio tower that appears to be powered by solar panels. It appears they kept adding panels over the years and as they need more power and perhaps one on the oldest panels (see lower right one) was the oldest or it had the weaker glass and was more prone to hail damage on top of the mountain.

I wonder if this cracked solar panel still works. I am guessing it does but the efficiency has been reduced because of the cracks.

Post from: Dave Dugdale SolarDave.com I will be offering Solar Panel Diagrams soon. Cracked Solar Panel [Picture]

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I Want to Change My Career To Solar – How?

Dave — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:33:32 +0000

I get the follow question a lot in my inbox, especially in the past few days.

I don’t mind answering these questions I get, but I think I have received 4 of them in the past couple of days (perhaps the start of the new year gets people thinking about a new career?). So I thought I would write an email response here on the site so others can see my answer.

Dave, I am really interested in getting into the Solar Industry as a career at ANY level. I have 15+ experience in (fill in blank), but not Solar. Can you please advise/suggest who may be hiring…. it can be management, estimating, assembly position… or tell me how to get some training or education to make the career switch. Thank you very much in advance!

First off I want to repeat that I am not a solar expert at all, I just interview a lot of people that are. But here is what I know.

Watch this video to start of with:

Then this one:

Next this one:

Then read this one to find place where you can start:

http://www.solardave.com/index.php/solar-panels-education/

Then I would attend conferences like SunFest and national conferences.

Learn about the different tests and certifications out there.

I hope people don’t think I am being impersonal by answering emails in this fashion, but since this site is just a hobby for me I need to manage my time better.

Post from: Dave Dugdale SolarDave.com I will be offering Solar Panel Diagrams soon. I Want to Change My Career To Solar – How?

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Home Depot Solar Exhibit Display [Picture]

Dave — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 16:36:39 +0000

I went to Home Depot yesterday and saw this exhibit outside the store. My oldest and I had fun standing in front of the panel to watch and listen to the fans (on the left side) slow down and speed up.

Home depot has been selling solar panel systems for a while now in CA and CO, but I get the impression that they are not selling that many systems out of the Louisville Colorado store.

Post from: Dave Dugdale SolarDave.com I will be offering Solar Panel Diagrams soon. Home Depot Solar Exhibit Display [Picture]

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SunFest 2008 Solar Festival in Denver

Dave — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 04:39:34 +0000

[Update: You can watch a video I did of the SunFest Event.]

There is a solar festival coming to Denver in a few weeks that people might be interested in attending. I plan on going and bring my video camera to shoot some interviews of some of the people in the solar industry.

If you are going to be there and have an interesting story to tell in solar let me know and we can set up a time to do a quick interview.

Map is from the SEIA site.

Here is the information on the event that I got from a friend:

SUNFEST
Wednesday, August 27
12:00 – 4:00 pm
Coors Field and Wynkoop Walkway
Denver, Colorado

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is a sponsor of the Democratic National Convention in Denver on August 25-27, 2008. We will be working throughout the week to educate delegates, the media, opinion-leaders and decision-makers on benefits of solar energy and to highlight the great success that solar has enjoyed in Colorado and across the nation. Our capstone event will be SUNFEST, a marquee entertainment event during the Convention.

SUNFEST will provide the sponsors with a high-profile showcase for its commitment to solar energy development. The event will occur as an afternoon, outdoor event prior to the main convention activities, attracting thousands of convention delegates, staffers, the local public and the media. SEIA will take the lead in organizing the event and has already identified the following resources:

Speakers and Entertainment Resources – SEIA has already secured commitments from two members of Colorado’s congressional delegation, Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) and Representative Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), to perform keynote addresses. We will also be reaching out to other Members of Congress and Governor Ritter’s office. SEIA also plans to arrange for nationally recognized musical entertainment, as well as refreshments from locally operated companies with solar-powered facilities. We also intend to have a group of Congressmen (with musical talent) perform on the stage.

Education and Participation Resources – SEIA has many nonprofit partners in Colorado that will help us make this event a success from an educational and participation perspective. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association, the American Solar Energy Society, the Solar Alliance, and Solar Energy International all maintain their headquarters in Colorado and will bring educational displays to the rally to share information with the participants. Regarding participation in the event, the solar non-profits will publicize the event to their members and supporters to help increase the crowd. SEIA will also work with state delegations to the convention, local universities, and others to promote high turnout.

Exhibitors include: Allied Building, American Solar Energy Society, Applied Materials, Apricus, ASES, Bella Energy, Cool Solar, Colorado Solar Energy Industry Association, Environment America, Golden Solar, Metro Solar, MolsonCoors, Namaste Solar, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Nova Solar, Q-Cells, REC Solar, Sharp Solar, Simple Solar, SkyFuel, Solar IPS, Solar Monkey, Standard Renewable Energy, SunEdison, Sunsense, Suntech America, USA Solar Power, LLC and Vibrant Solar.

Post from: Dave Dugdale SolarDave.com I will be offering Solar Panel Diagrams soon. SunFest 2008 Solar Festival in Denver

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Electrical Test For DIY Solar Panel Installers

Dave — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:20:49 +0000

I didn’t know this so I thought I would pass it along.

This information comes from Eric Johnson that is installing a DIY solar panel system in Denver Colorado:

I just finished getting my permit with the City of Denver – they said that the line drawing and the site plan were perfect (I also had to print out the data sheets for the panels and inverter) and take an open book electrical test to do the install myself. Line drawing attached.

ya – so as a resident self installer in Denver – you need to pass a 30 question multiple choice test where you need to get 21 correct. You are able to use two electrical industry books and if you fail you just have to wait 30 minutes to take again. No fee for that and it lasts for 1 year. Most of it is common sense but you do need to do a little digging in the books during the open book test, I also think this is likely managed independently by each jurisdictions so, your experience may not be the same.

Post from: Dave Dugdale SolarDave.com I will be offering Solar Panel Diagrams soon. Electrical Test For DIY Solar Panel Installers