NABCEP & Training [RE-wrenches]

[Brad Bassett]

I think that training MUST be an intergral part of any certification 
program, how else will installerrs learn how it should be done without 
the years of experience that most wrenches have? If pv is going to 
continue to expand as most of us hope, there will have to be many new 
installers. It is these installers that we must get to, and train to do 
installations in a manner that will serve the industry and the customer.

I see lots of effort by NABCEP to certify experienced installers, but I 
do not see an effort to have a training program or to certify new 
installers. How are new installers supposed to get the experience they 
need? What kind of installtions are they going to do until they have 
that experience? Without a training program and certification for 
installers who have passed this training, this will be just another "old 
boys club". The NACBEP may want to come up with a training program or we 
may have to accept what the IBEW & NECA based NJATC comes up with, which 
would of course be part of union training and apprenticeship.

I think that there should be a training course that is required, with 
maybe some grandfathered in wrenches, but only if the test is very 
rigorous. Perhaps there could be different certification levels, one for 
newbies who have passed the test and one for experienced installers. 
There could also be different certifications for residential and 
commercial work, just as there is for electricians in many states.

I would also like to see a separate certification for PV designers. This 
will increasingly be a different task than system installation, and can 
be done wrong just as easily. Other industries often have this 
certification separately. 

Take a look at 
http://www.radiantpanelassociation.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=185 
for an example of a certification program in a sort of similar industry.


One other note is that in my experience with a past project consisting 
of many potential installs in CA a few years ago, the IBEW and NECA were 
very aggressive about trying to exclude non-union PV installers, and 
their playing card was supplying the training for the installers. Unless 
they have changed their tune, I would be wary if you don't want to be 
union or excluded in some way.


Brad Bassett
bsbassett at earthlink.net

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