[RE-wrenches]

[Tom Lane, Energy Conservation Services]

I am in full agreement with the opposition to the NABCEP certification
program. Tomorrow as Vice President of FlaSEIA and head of the technical
committee I am going to put forth a motion of non support for
NABCEP and to petition the Florida Solar Energy Center to withdraw all
personnel and support. I intend to ask my congressman to request that
all governmental agencies
refrain from giving personnel time and support of their agencies to
NABCEP. No tax payer money should be wasted on this bureaucratic
nightmare. I challenge all
members of the NABCEP Board to give me or the industry what they think
their qualifications are to be on this board. I see extremely few people
on this board who:

1.) Make a living without money from the State Government, the Federal
Government, or the academic world.

2.) Have any qualifications of contracting with solar electric power in
the real world of private industry. I challenge all those who are not an
IPP member or on the wrenches
list to provide us proof of independent non-government subsidized work
that they have contracted since 1996 with private non-governmental
agencies. It is obvious to me
that this is another waste of taxpayer money to fund a bureaucratic
empire.

Adequate training is already in place:

1.) Industry - Shell Solar and other Solar Electric Manufacturers are
doing quite well in creating their own training programs.

2.) The Florida Solar Energy Center and North Carolina have their own
training programs.

3.) Solar Energy International - Johnny Weiss has an excellent private
training program in Carbondale, CO. Why should you take business away
from the private sector.

There is no need for a quasi-government agency to start a training
program. If unions want a training program they should subcontract it
out to private enterprises. Other industries, like the HVAC industry,
the airline industry, and the medical industry do not need
quasi-governmental training programs, why us?

The solar industry should not spend one dime of tax payers money in any
form to create this agency.

The post I read on the wrenches online group is right about the SRCC.
The SRCC ought to be disbanded since it has failed both the consumers
and the industry. The SRCC OG300 has been a
miserable program that resulted in a fiasco in Sacramento. The SRCC has
a terrible history of ineptitude and lack of real representation from
industry.

The basic reasons why NABCEP is totally uncalled for is as follows:

1.) It adds a "qualification" that is totally unnecessary and
meaningless. A 'requirement' to put another useless hurdle in front of
contractors.

2.) The National Electrical Code stands alone as all electricians need
to know as far as the code requirements for contracting. John Wiles '
excellent book interpreting
these requirements, suggestions, etc. thoroughly covers the subject.

3.) All states have their own requirements for contacting that will not
be superseded by NABCEP training. They can only add to grant programs
etc.

4.) The training can only be seen as a way for bureaucrats to try to
gain control over government or state grants or tax credits.

5.) No one without a state license in solar energy, electrical
contracting as it applies to their scope of operation, is going to
become a licensed
contractor without this 'test.' That alone makes it mandatory.

6.) The 300 'stakeholders' polled in no way reflect the living,
breathing solar industry that makes a daily living contacting,
distributing, or manufacturing solar equipment.
Government agencies and academics are not stake holders - they are,
except for John Wiles, an annoying nuisance and an unnecessary drain on
taxpayer funds.

Make no mistake - the real world of contracting does not need this test
or certification.

I know of no solar manufacturer who supports or recommends this
certification.

If the NABCEP does not discontinue this unnecessary effort, I suggest
that the wrenches and the SEIA chapters put up an online petition and
e-mail these people - The agency's creator Mark Fitzgerald -
markfitz at ispq.org and Les Nelson - NABCEP Board chair - (949) 713-3500
lnelson at westernrenewables.com

I am going to suggest polling all FLASEIA members to stop this.

I suggest we, the real industry, start a petition of opposition soon if
they don't listen to reason.

All honorable men on NABCEP should disband this 'agency' and go to work
in the private sector where their efforts will find a just reward.


-Tom Lane



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

- - - -
To send a message: RE-wrenches at topica.com

Archive of previous messages: http://www.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/

List rules & etiquette: http://www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/etiquete.htm

Check out participant bios: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/index.html

Hosted by Home Power magazine

Moderator: michael.welch at homepower.com

==^================================================================
This email was sent to: michael.welch at homepower.com

EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bz8Qcs.bz9JC9
Or send an email to: RE-wrenches-unsubscribe at topica.com

T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail!
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register
==^================================================================