Requirements
To be eligible for NABCEP Small Wind Installer Certification, candidates must first meet these basic requirements:
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Meet prerequisites of related experience and/or education as outlined in Section 5.2.1 below
- Complete an application to sit for the Small Wind Installer Certification exam and document all requirements (you may wish to complete the online application)
- Sign and agree to uphold a code of ethics
- Pay application and exam fee
- Pass a written exam
- Complete continuing education and installation requirements within the recertification timeframe
Prerequisites/Education
There are several ways that you may qualify to sit for the certification examination. NABCEP recognizes that professionals in the field of renewable and sustainable energy and energy efficient technologies receive their training and work experiences in a variety of ways. NABCEP also recognizes that installation experience, and not accumulated years, is the critical factor in determining a person’s experience and readiness to sit for the small wind installer’s certification exam.
Therefore each requirement to qualify for the exam stipulates specific training and/or experience. The NABCEP Application Review Committee will review each application to determine compliance with eligibility criteria. Compliance with the requirements of one of the Qualifying Categories must be documented.
Qualifying Categories for the Small Wind Installer Certification Examination
The qualifying categories can also be found in the Candidate Information Handbook for Paper and Pencil Exams.
To qualify to sit for the NABCEP Small Wind Installer Certification examination, the candidate must demonstrate that he/she meets at least ONE of the following minimum entry requirement tracks:
To qualify to sit for the NABCEP Small Wind Installer Certification examination, the candidate must demonstrate that he/she meets at least one of the following minimum entry requirement tracks:
a) Four wind system installations within 4 years of submitting the application; AND a minimum of 70 hours cumulative training ( see installation and training definitions below or in Sections 5.2.2 and 5.2.3 of the Candidate Information Handbook); OR
b) Three years experience as a contractor with relevant experience in concrete, foundations, electrical, or tower construction; AND 4 installations within 4 years of submitting the application (see installation definition below or in Sections 5.2.2 of the Candidate Information Handbook); OR
c) Three years in a government or trade union approved apprentice program with training relevant to wind systems and their installation; AND 4 installations within 4 years of submitting the application (see installation definition below or in Sections 5.2.2 of the Candidate Information Handbook); OR
d) Two year or four year construction related, engineering technology, engineering, or renewable energy technology or technician degree from an accredited educational institution with training relevant to wind systems and their installation; AND 4 installations within 4 years of submitting the application (see installation definition below or in Sections 5.2.2 of the Candidate Information Handbook);
e) Be an ISPQ Small Wind Instructor or have instructed a minimum of 400 Hours of training that cover core competencies of the Job Task Analysis at an acceptable training institution; AND 4 installations within 4 years of submitting this application
Definition & Qualification of Small Wind Experience and Levels
A small wind energy system is defined as a grid connected or off-grid system with or without batteries rated at 100 kW or less.
There are 3 different tiers of installation experience under which an applicant may qualify to sit for the Small Wind Installer certification exam. These tiers are reflective of an installer’s experience with different types of small wind systems (crane and tilt-ups) and tower heights. An installer may qualify under one of three (1 of 3) experience levels for the installation of small wind systems.
Note: All candidates will be taking the same Small Wind Installer Certification exam, based from the same Small Wind Installer Job Task Analysis, not matter which experience level they qualify under.
Note: Once certified at a certain level, a Small Wind Certified Installer™ may change their certification level by submitting the appropriate information to NABCEP by using the Small Wind Installer Certification Level Change Form (appendix X). Please see Section 5.Y for details on changing your level of certification.
Installation Experience for “Certification with Experience Level 1”
Note: There is no minimum rotor diameter, swept area, or tower height required for this level of installation requirements
- At least two of the four (2/4) submitted installations must have been continuously operational for a minimum of 1 year
- At least one of the four (1/4) must be on a guyed tilt-up tower AND
- At least one of the four (1/4) must be a crane installation on a tower
Installation Experience for “Certification with Experience Level 2”
Note: There is no tilt-up tower requirement this level of installation requirements
- At least two of the four (2/4) submitted installations must have been continuously operational for a minimum of 1 year
- At least one of the four (1/4) must be a crane installation on a minimum of an 80’ tall tower AND
- At least two of the four (1/4) installations must be of turbines with minimum rotor diameters of 11.5’ or greater than 100 square feet of swept area.
Installation Experience for “Certification with Experience Level 3”
- At least two of the four (2/4) submitted installations must have been continuously operational for a minimum of 1 year
- At least one of the four (1/4) must be on a minimum of an 80’ high guyed tilt-up tower AND
- At least one of the four (1/4) must be a crane installation on a minimum of an 80’ tall tower AND
- At least two of the four (2/4) installations must be of turbines with minimum rotor diameters of 11.5’ or greater than 100 square feet of swept area.
For purposes of this process, a Small Wind installation will qualify only if the applicant has a responsible role in decision-making on the job. This includes the foreman, supervisor, manager, instructor, or mentor responsible for the small wind installation, or experienced person performing tasks direct without supervision. Up to three (3) applicants can claim to have a responsible role on an installation. There may be workers, subcontractors, interns, or apprentices that do not carry the charge of responsibly on the jobsite but who are aspiring to this role. In these cases, the supervisor may be called upon to make a judgment as to the role of the worker in the process of documenting their experience.
References will be requested and evaluated by NABCEP. Please review Section 5.3 on how to document training and installation experience.
Training and Education Optional
Although training is strongly encouraged, it is not a requirement for achieving this certification when candidates meet other entry requirements. However, the exam is such that some level of training will likely be necessary for most applicants to achieve a passing score. It is recommended that applicants look for training courses with Institute of Sustainable Power Quality (ISPQ) accreditation (or similar accreditation) or offered by an ISPQ Certified Instructor or Master Trainer. Information about the ISPQ accreditation can be found at www.IRECusa.org
NABCEP will accept training to meet entry requirement option (a) when the training meets the following outcomes:
- 70 accumulated hours of classroom training which must include:
- a minimum of 35 hours of active, hands-on and in the field, training
- Site assessment and tower sizing training
- Training on turbine performance estimation for specific site conditions.
Repeated courses with the same installation, turbine, or tower style will not be accepted.
Acceptable training institutions may include but are not limited to:
- Training programs accredited by the Institute for Sustainable Power (ISP);
- Training recognized by a state renewable energy public benefits program (i.g. NYSERDA (New York); Focus on Energy (Wisconsin));
- Training offered by an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the federal Department of Education (i.e. Universities, Community Colleges, Technical colleges….etc. ) ;
- Manufacturer’s technical installation training may be acceptable but manufacturer’s training that focuses on marketing and sales does not qualify.
Training Related Installations
NABCEP recognizes Small Wind installations performed by participants during the course of a workshop or training program. The typical goal of these installations is to provide participants with hands-on experience in simulated on-the-job conditions. Acceptable practices and requirements for purposes of using training related installations to meet experience requirements are listed below:
- It is acceptable for the student responsible or the installation to use other students as his/her “crew” as would be customary in an regular installation for a customer
- Up to 3 students and their instructor per training course may claim the title of “responsible installer” for purposes of listing the installation on the NABCEP Application.
- Up to 2 of these training-related installations is allowed per NABCEP application.
- Upon successful completion of the installation, a Letter of Reference from the instructor should document that the applicant played a key role in the installation equals one installation.
Documentation of Employment, Experience, & Education
To show that you have been working in the Small Wind field for the number of years required by the Qualifying Category you chose (see Section 5.2.1 above), the Application Form will ask you to list Small Wind related employment in chronological order, starting with most current employment. You will need to write a job description, summarize the # of/type of systems you helped install, and provide contact information for your supervisor. In addition, a supervisor will need to sign off on your current employment. If you are self-employed, the Application Form will ask you to provide a detailed description of your work and sign off on it yourself. Your Small Wind installations will act as verification of your employment.
Formal education and training are optional depending on the Qualifying Category you chose, even though NABCEP believes that applicants will benefit from quality training when preparing to take the certification exam. If your Qualifying Category requires education, copies of official transcripts or diplomas attesting to your attendance and degrees earned will need to be attached to the application form.
Documentation of System Installations
In order to document the minimum 4-systems required, candidates are asked in the Application Form to list qualifying installed systems (see Section 5.2.2 above) and provide a concise description of work performed at the job site, including the system size, a list of components, the level of their responsibility on the jobsite, number of full-time equivalent workers supervised, and any other pertinent information.
Up to three (3) applicants can claim to have a responsible role on the same installation. There may be workers, subcontractors, interns, or apprentices that do not carry the charge of responsibly on the jobsite but who are aspiring to this role. In these cases, the supervisor may be called upon to make a judgment as to the role of the worker in the process of documenting their experience
In addition, for each system, applicants will need to provide: a) location of the job site, including some combination of the following: county, lot #, and/or physical address; b) if required in the jurisdiction, permit number(s) and permitting authority for any permits required to perform the work; c) system-owner contact information; d) a photograph of the system (optional); and e) copies of any inspection certificates or permits involved.
NABCEP reserves the right to contact system owners/operators, permitting authorities, and responsible contractors to verify work listed in this section.
The Application Form will prompt you to attach supporting documents to verify the installation which include:
Copies of any permits or inspection certificates acquired, a letter from the system owner, as built design documents, a letter from the building inspector or permitting authority or authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), final invoice from installation company or letter from a public benefits program.
Note: A letter from the system owner or public benefits program is mandatory to support the requirement that at least two of the four installations must have been continuously operational for a minimum of 1 year.
In cases where insufficient information is supplied on any of the 4 required systems, the Application Review Committee (details in Section 6.3) will make decisions about eligibility based on supplied documentation. Optional documentation includes anything that you feel verifies the installation and demonstrates your successful role. For example, you might attach letters from customers, design plans, photos, a letter from your employer asserting that you performed the work listed, or other documentation.
Licensure Requirement
If a license for Small Wind installation is required in the jurisdiction in which the work is performed, candidates must submit their license number — or the license number under which the work was performed.