Jump to How to Apply: Solar Thermal Installer Certification
How to Apply: Solar PV Installer Certification Exam
NOTE: NABCEP encourages candidates for the Solar PV Installer Certification Exam to complete the application electronically. Click here to start the Electronic Application Form process.
1. First, read the Solar PV Candidate Information Handbook, available online by download.
2. Review the entry options. Choose the entry option that best fits your personal background, experience, and training. Be sure you understand the Entry Requirements, the Code of Ethics, the fees, and how to prepare to take the written exam which is offered around the U.S. twice a year.
3. Review the Application Form (available inside theSolar PV Candidate Information Handbook) and prepare the documentation you will need to complete the application.
4. Fill out the Application Form completely, attaching required copies of permits, inspection certificates, and training transcripts, as well as optional documentation such as letters from customers and employers, photos of systems you’ve installed, etc.
5. Be sure to sign the application and enclose the $100 application fee.
6. You will hear back from NABCEP after review of your application, informing you that you were or were not approved to sit for the exam.
7. If you are approved, you will be sent, and need to immediately return the PV EXAM SCHEDULING FORM, along with the $300 first-time exam fee.
8. About three weeks before the scheduled exam date, you will receive your Admission Slip confirming that you are approved to sit for the Exam at your selected test site.
Fees
(All fees are non-refundable)
Application Fee: $100
First time fee to sit for the PV certification exam: $300
Re-examination fee: $200
Recertification Fee (every three years): $300
Written Exam
Each candidate must pass a written examination to qualify for certification. The examination will be based on supplied scenarios and situations, with approximately 60 multiple-choice questions requiring various calculations, knowledge of the relevant National Electrical Code sections, knowledge of safety practices, PV-system assessments, installation requirements, and customer interaction issues.
Fifteen of the test items are general knowledge items. The other 45 items assess the candidate’s ability to apply PV information to six different scenarios. The scenarios are problem-based situations that address real-life decision-making tasks that a candidate might face when installing an actual PV system. As each item is developed, it is matched to the corresponding task on the Task Analysis in a test matrix.
NABCEP supplies each candidate with a clean and current copy of the National Electrical Code (NEC), an approved calculator, and pencils for the exam. Candidates will have four hours to complete the examination.
To prepare to take the NABCEP exam, NABCEP recommends that candidates closely review the PV Installer Task Analysis, as it provided a blue print for the development of the exam. In addition, a list of references and documents pertaining to the test is available in the Candidate Information Handbook for NABCEP PV Solar Installer Certification. A Study Guide for PV System Installers with sample questions is also available to help you prepare for the exam.
How to Apply: Solar Thermal Installer Certification
NOTE: NABCEP encourages candidates for the Solar Thermal Installer Certification Exam to complete the application electronically. Click here to start the electronic application process.
1. First, read the Solar Thermal Candidate Information Handbook, available online by download.
2. Review the entry options. Choose the entry option that best fits your personal background, experience, and training. Be sure you understand the Entry Requirements, the Code of Ethics, the fees, and how to prepare to take the written exam.
3. Review the Application Form (available inside the Solar Thermal Candidate Information Handbook) and prepare the documentation you will need to complete the application.
4. Fill out the Application Form completely, attaching required copies of permits, inspection certificates, and training transcripts, as well as optional documentation like letters from customers and employers, photos of systems you’ve installed, etc.
5. Be sure to sign the application and enclose the $100 application fee.
6. You will hear back from NABCEP after review of your application, informing you that you were or were not approved to sit for the exam.
7. If you were approved, you will be sent, and need to immediately return the Solar Thermal EXAM SCHEDULING FORM, along with the $300 first-time exam fee (if you have already taken the exam at least once and are trying again, the fee is $200).
8. About three weeks before the scheduled exam date, you will receive your Admission Slip confirming that you are approved to sit for the Exam at your selected test site.
Fees
*Note: all fees are non-refundable
- Non-refundable Application fee $100
- First time fee to sit for the certification exam $300
- Re-examination fee (see Section 8.9) $200
- Recertification fee (every 3 years, see Section 11) $300
- Recertification Late Fee (see Section 11.1) $50
- Replacement Certificates (see Section 9.4) $25
Written Examination
The examination consists of approximately sixty equally weighted multiple-choice questions, with four (4) choices per question. The time limit for the examination is four (4) hours. Exam questions cover fundamental trade knowledge, codes and standards, and accepted industry practice in the context of installation scenarios using system diagrams and equipment specifications. The content for the examination is based on a Task Analysis for the Solar Thermal system installer, and includes the following twelve major job/task areas and percentage of questions in each area:
- Working Safely with Solar Hot Water and Pool Heating Systems …………(12%)
- Identifying Systems and Their Components……………………………………..( 7%)
- Adapting a System Design………………………………………………………….( 7%)
- Conducting a Site Assessment…………………………………………………….( 7%)
- Installing Solar Collectors……………………………………………………………( 12%)
- Installing Water Heater and Storage Tanks…………………………………….. ( 8%)
- Installing Piping, Pipe Insulation and Connecting System Piping ………….( 10%)
- Installing Mechanical/Plumbing Equipment and other Components ……….( 10%)
- Installing Electrical Control Systems………………………………………………( 8%)
- Installing Operation and Identification Tags and Labels………………………..( 5%)
- Performing a System Checkout……………………………………………………..( 6%)
- Maintaining and Troubleshooting a Solar Thermal System…………………….( 8%)
To prepare to take the NABCEP Solar Thermal exam, NABCEP recommends that candidates closely review the Solar Thermal Installer Task Analysis, as it provided a blue print for the development of the exam. In addition, a list of references and documents pertaining to the test is available in the Solar Thermal Candidate Information Handbook. A Solar Thermal Study Guide with sample questions is also available to help you prepare for the exam. In addition, please refer to the “RESOURCES” section of this website for more study suggestions.
In addition to the specific content areas listed above, knowledge and skills in the following areas are required:
- Reading and interpreting plans and specifications
- Reading and interpreting codes and standards
- Basic mathematics (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, calculations of area and volume, fractions, decimals, percentages, calculating the sides of triangles, square roots, powers of numbers, and solving simple algebraic equations for unknown variables)
You should be prepared to respond to examination questions on any of the content areas listed. Questions asked and content areas tested on previous examinations should not be assumed to be the only possible questions to be asked or content areas to be tested on this examination.