The major changes in the eligibility requirements concern the amount of training required and the number of installations that applicants must document. All candidates will now have to document fifty eight (58) hours of PV specific training. The minimum number of installations has increased from two (2) to three (3) for all tracks except Track A where five (5) installations will be required. The full eligibility criteria can be found on NABCEP’s website here.

Ezra Auerbach, NABCEP’s executive director says, “The revisions are being phased in to ensure fairness to candidates who have been approved to test under the current criteria.”

Don Warfield, NABCEP’s chairperson says, “The revisions that were approved by our Board of Directors on December 12, 2011 incorporate a considerable amount of the input that was presented during the public comment phase of this revision process. We are grateful to our stakeholders for their participation in drafting these changes and believe that these revisions are reflective of a broad consensus.”

NABCEP wishes to remind all potential candidates for the March 2012 PV Installer Exam that the application deadline is January 13, 2012. Applications received on or before this deadline will be reviewed under the existing standards.

Ezra Auerbach, executive director of NABCEP says, “We are very excited about the depth and quality of the new Resource Guide. While it is clearly not intended to be the definitive or only resource that candidates use to prepare for the exam, we feel that it will prove to be an excellent starting point. Bill and Jim have done an outstanding job.”

The document is marked “preliminary” because another section of secondary references and recommended reading is being added. Mr. Auerbach continues, “We released the Guide in its preliminary form because we felt that, even without the additional resources section, it is a very valuable tool for candidates. I thank the Resource Guide Committee for their huge contribution of compiling references and suggested readings and look forward to adding the results of their efforts to the Guide at the earliest opportunity.”

The NABCEP PV Installer Resource Guide is available as a free download from here.

The revisions were developed through a collaborative process that involved over twenty leading subject matter experts that serve on the PV Technical Committee. Don Warfield, chairperson of NABCEP, says; “I want to thank the volunteer members of the PV Technical Committee for the huge amount of effort that they have invested in this JTA. These detailed documents are the foundation of our credentialing programs. Their work is central to our ability to deliver meaningful and market-appropriate certifications.”

The JTA is available here.

Ezra Auerbach, Executive Director of NABCEP, says, “The JTA is a core element of any certification program and regular updates are necessary to ensure that the credential offered is based on most current best practices and technology in use. The JTA we are releasing today was developed in accordance with certification industry standards and, as such, continues to ensure the relevance of the NABCEP Solar Heating Installer Certification.”

Along with the release of this JTA comes a name change for the credential from Solar Thermal Installer to Solar Heating Installer. NABCEP Board Director and co-chair of the Solar Heating Technical Committee Les Nelson says, “This name change reflects the actual work done by NABCEP certificants in the field today, and helps clarify that these individuals have demonstrated knowledge of the various skills required to safely install solar heating systems. Over the last decade, solar thermal has come to mean large-scale solar heating projects designed to produce electricity. NABCEP Solar Heating Installer Certification reflects knowledge of the skills required to install smaller-scale distributed solar heating technologies. This name change will help avoid confusion between these different applications of solar heat technologies.”

The JTA is available on the NABCEP website at Solar Heating Installer JTA.

Don Warfield, Chairperson of NABCEP states, “The PV Entry Level Exam Program has proven to be a great way for individuals to embark on careers in the solar electric industry; over 9,000 candidates have passed this exam, and many have gone on to work in PV industry related jobs. Over a quarter of those who have now become certified PV Installers started out in a PV Entry Level Program. We anticipate similar results from the Solar Heating Entry Level Program.”

Like the PV Entry Level Program, the exam will be offered in both paper and pencil and computer-based testing (CBT) format though NABCEP’s network of registered Exam Providers and Prometric testing centers. To qualify to take the exam, candidates will need to complete a training program at one of the NABCEP Registered Solar Heating Entry Level Exam Providers. A complete list of Registered PV and Solar Heating Entry Level Providers can be found at NABCEP’s website. Successful candidates for the Solar Heating Exam will receive a passing score achievement that states that they “…have demonstrated a basic knowledge of the fundamental principals of Solar Heating application, design, installation, operation and troubleshooting.”

Ezra Auerbach, NABCEP’s Executive Director states, “Thanks to the committed and hard work of a number of volunteers, we now can offer those wanting to enter the Solar Heating industry a knowledge assessment program that is meaningful and the first step towards installer certification. As always it is very important to note that a passing score achievement on an Entry Level Exam is NOT a certification, and successful candidates are in no way achieving NABCEP Certification.”

NABCEP invites all educators who are interested in training individuals for this exam to contact their office at 1-800-650-0021 for more information on becoming a registered provider. The first administrations of the exam in paper and pencil format will begin on October 1, 2011 with computer-based testing at Prometric Testing Centers to follow early in 2012.

The most significant clarifications in the criteria are:

Definition of proposal – Sales proposals must include the following information:  proposed PV system size in kW; evidence of a shade analysis; the amount of kWh the PV system is expected to produce annually; the revenue that the electricity generated will produce; the total cost of the system; any incentive or tax benefits that may be applied to the total cost.  Additional information may include the internal rate of return (IRR), payback period, cash flow over the life of the system, non-financial benefits, and any income that will be gained from renewable energy credits.

Definition of verifiable sales experience – Verifiable sales experience = Actively engaged in solar PV systems sales-related activities, including the completion of the number of solar PV system proposals required by the applicant’s Qualifying Category.  See, Section II.

For each of the four (4) solar PV system proposals to be completed in each twelve (12) month period prior to applying for NABCEP PV Technical Sales Certification, the following requirements apply:

-  At least two (2) must have resulted in completed sales and installation;

-  At least 2 must relate to systems larger than 2kW DC (peak);

-  At least 1 of the installations must be a system that is grid connected; and,

-  No more than 1 proposal may be submitted to a relative or someone residing at the applicant’s address.  This proposal must have resulted in a completed sales and installation.

Ezra Auerbach, NABCEP’s executive director says, “These clarifications were adopted to make it easier for candidates to understand what is expected of them to qualify to sit for the PV Technical Sales Exam. They are the result of reviewing applications for the previous two rounds of testing and learning which terms required better definition.”

The next round of NABCEP PV Technical Sales exam will be held from January 21 to February 4, 2012. The deadline for submitting applications for this round of exams is November 14, 2011. NABCEP encourages those who wish to sit for the next round of exams to apply early. Application fees are discounted by 25% until October 14, 2011.

Please refer to the NABCEP website for complete details regarding eligibility criteria for the PV Technical Sales Certification.