NABCEP News NABCEP Releases Small Wind Installer Certification Resource Guide; first small wind certifying exam on 9/11/10

NABCEP Releases Small Wind Installer Certification Resource Guide; first small wind certifying exam on 9/11/10

FOR RELEASE:  June 15, 2010

Contact: Ezra Auerbach

(Clifton Park, NY) – The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) has just released its Small Wind Installer Certification Exam Resource Guide, a useful and practical resource for those planning to take NABCEP’s Small Wind Installer Certification Exam.  The first small wind certifying exam is scheduled for Saturday, September 11, 2010, at various locations in the U.S.

The small wind installers’ exam is based on the task analysis, a blueprint of the various skills required by an installer to successfully and safely install any small wind-electric system.  The task analysis was developed by NABCEP’s small wind technical committee and vetted by a number of small wind stakeholders including successful installers, manufacturers, supply chain companies, public benefits program administrators, state energy offices, and small wind advocates.

“The committee has chosen what it feels are useful references for the skills, knowledge set, and practices cited in the task analysis,” said Ezra Auerbach, NABCEP’s Executive Director.  “We are confident that a working knowledge of the content of the resources we have listed will go a long way to successfully and safely installing any small wind-electric system, and prepare you for taking the exam.”

The task analysis contains eight sections.  The percentage assigned to each section represents the emphasis that the exam committee gave to each section when creating and choosing questions for the NABCEP small wind installer exam.

Included in the Guide is a list of basic skills, from computer to utility interconnection to construction is included, and a list of basic tools, from tape measure to hard hat.

The resources are categorized as ‘general’ and ‘specific.’ The general resources precede the task analysis.  “A competent small wind installer should be quite familiar with these resources,” said Auerbach.   Specific resources are those that show up in the individual sections of the task analysis, are supplemental to the primary resources, and pertinent to the section in which they are listed.

According to Auerbach, the resources have not been prioritized or weighted in any way.  “All of them are of significant value,” he said.  “Practitioners may also have a working knowledge of favorite resources that have served them well for small wind installations.  It’s important to realize that these are resources, not study manuals or keys that will unlock the small wind installer exam questions.”

Deadline to apply for the September 11, 2010 small wind certifying exam is July 9th.

You can download NABCEP’s Small Wind Installer Certification Resource Guide.

For more information, visit www.nabcep.org