We often hear from people who are interested in becoming certified in solar and starting their careers. The main challenge for these people is NABCEP’s required on-the-job experience to qualify for certification. Fundamentally, one must already be a PV installation professional to qualify for recognition as a NABCEP-Certified PV Installation Professional. Those who don’t have any solar work experience often feel caught in the classic chicken-and-egg scenario.
This situation is becoming increasingly common, as more state and utility financial incentive programs, government and business request for proposals, leasing programs, OEM dealer networks and educated consumers are relying on NABCEP certification as a quality-assurance mechanism. So how does one go about getting the experience necessary to become a certified PV installation or technical-sales professional if they aren’t already in the field?
This conundrum has existed for as long as there have been organized professions. Construction trades have solved this issue through structured apprenticeship programs. Medical professions, similarly, have rotation and residency programs during and after schooling. Also, the legal, finance, public policy and other similar professions have formalized internship programs. The solar industry, however, has yet to adopt any minimum education standards for new employees.
But NABCEP has provided a great start for what could someday be standard industry requirements. For instance, its network encompasses several hundred educational institutions that offer fundamental courses to qualify students to take an entry-level exam in PV, solar heating and, soon, small wind. Whether you’re a young person just starting out, or a seasoned professional who wants to expand your business to include renewables, these entry-level courses are a great place to start.
Anyone looking to be a professional in the solar industry should expect to have an extended learning period including basic — and then on-the-job — training, followed by various continuing-education opportunities. It always surprises me how many people think they can become a proficient solar installer after only completing a week or so of introductory coursework.
Even journeyman who have completed substantial education and apprenticeship requirements in the electrical trades will find there is a great deal to learn about photovoltaics. An installation for a paying customer should never be used as a learning situation unless:
The learner is being supervised by one or more experienced PV installer(s), or
The customer understands that the contractor who they have hired for the work is new to solar – even if they have plenty of other relevant knowledge and skills.
The best way to learn the trade is to get a job with a company that has a well-managed training and career-advancement program. Volunteering with organizations like Habitat for Humanity or Grid Alternatives is also great way to gain solar installation experience. Working with other experienced professionals is the best way to learn the tools and tricks of the trades.
For those that insist on going it alone, it is imperative to learn as much as possible before experimenting on a client’s home or business. Attend trainings, read books and devour trade publications. Experts in the industry have shared countless years of experience through textbooks, magazine articles, webinars and radio interviews. Many of these materials are available free online, such as the NABCEP PV Installation Professional Resource Guide, so take advantage of what they have to offer.
One should never stop learning, but at some point that knowledge will need to be applied. What better place to start than on the roof of your own home or business, or those of your friends, family, church or local non-profit that you support? If you are in an incentive territory that requires NABCEP, your first few customers may not be eligible for financial rebates. Whether they are or not, it is reasonable to consider charging little to nothing for your time working on the design and installation of these systems. Each system will be an incredible learning experience. With time, your experience will grow, and with it your confidence – and your hourly rate.
By Richard Lawrence, executive director at NABCEP and SPW contributor
Richard Lawrence says
The NABCEP PV Installation Professional Certification is accredited to the ANSI/ISO/IEC standard for personnel certification. This international standard has many layers to it, but at the heart of the program is ensuring that the certification has been developed and validated by all stakeholders – without any stakeholder predominating. Electrical contractors were involved in the design and validation of our Job Task Analysis and minimum eligibility requirements. In fact, when the certification was originally developed the NABCEP Board had positions specifically carved out for a representative from the independent electrical contractors and the electrical unions (since then the structure of the Board has been modified such that there are no specific industry stakeholder positions). Other stakeholders were also involved in the development and validation of the credential, and they identified that more than just electrical work was necessary for a successful PV installation.
The solar industry has evolved significantly in the more than ten years since the certification was launched. NABCEP recently re-validated the Job Task Analysis when the name of the credential was changed from Solar PV Installer to PV Installation Professional. With that change the broader solar industry reiterated again that there are many more professionals involved in the successful design, installation, and maintenance of PV systems then just electricians – and that they should all be able to be recognized by NABCEP as competent professionals working in the PV installation industry. Electricians are an incredibly important – if not absolutely required – for most PV installation projects, but the solar industry continues to employ, and put in positions of seniority, many individuals who are not. Until the solar industry is actually comprised of only journeymen, NABCEP will in all likelihood continue to certify these other professionals that are involved in ensuring the quality and serviceability of the systems because we must include all stakeholders in order to run a personnel certification program according to the international standards for doing so.
Marvin R Hamon, P.E. says
I believe that this is a failure on the part of NABCEP to provide direction to the industry in how to use certifications and a failure to require that people applying for the certification actually have a journeyman level of on the job PV installation experience. NABCEP has failed to teach the industry that certification is something that only journeyman level installers with a professional background in PV installation can be expected to obtain.
I think it makes the certification less valuable and meaningful if it is something a junior level person with little or no actual on the job experience can get. If someone can take a few courses, do a couple of volunteer installs for a non-profit, pass a test, and then call themselves a NABCEP certified PV installer what does that really say about the certification being an indication of professional experience? Not much to me. NABCEP needs to change the apprenticeship qualifications to sit for the test to something that a journeyman PV installer would be expected to have.