NABCEP [RE-wrenches]

[Bill Brooks]

Joel,

This discussion has been blown way out of proportion. The NABCEP board and
its requirements are very explicate about this being a VOLUNTARY program and
in no way supplants state licensing processes. Even though they say this
over and over again, some people don't get it as in the case with the CEC.

The CEC was "misguided" when they made the statement that they intend to
make NABCEP certification a requirement. I was very upset that they made
this statement because I knew full well that all the nay-sayers would point
their fingers and say "see, I told you so--it's all a big NABCEP conspiracy
to say they are voluntary while they secretly are pushing for certification
to be a requirement." Even CalSEIA assumed that NABCEP was involved in
drafting the language and fired off a terse letter to NABCEP stating the
CalSEIA position.

This is blown way out of proportion. That is why I said that the CEC simply
was misguided--nothing more. The CEC was trying to do the right thing and
unfortunately hurt the NABCEP process by saying they intended it to be a
requirement.

Bill.


-----Original Message-----
From: Joel Davidson [mailto:joeldavidson at earthlink.net]
Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 2002 10:59 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: Re: NABCEP [RE-wrenches]


Dear Bill,

PV is still an emerging technology, yet a lot of education has been and is
taking place. Millions of hours of on-the-job-training have occurred.
Thousands
of people have taken training courses, seminars and classes. I think that
Article 690 has been reprinted and copied more than any other NEC Article
ever.
Every year, thousands of pages are written about PV system design,
installation,
testing and maintenance. Sure, there should be more PV education, but
compares
well to the electrical, radio and television industries during their early
years.

If NABCEP is a voluntary certification program for PV installers who wish to
distinguish themselves by meeting its requirements, then this discussion has
been blown way out of proportion. There are PV practitioners who want to
take
tests and have their systems critiqued by peers. Almost every occupation and
profession from cooks to utility linemen have tests and contests.

However, NABCEP seems to be more than just a voluntary program and that has
a
lot of people concerned. NABCEP management can end some of the controversy
by
simply stating that they do not want NABCEP certification to be a
requirement
for installing PV systems or for buydown rebates and incentives.

Joel Davidson

Bill Brooks wrote:

> Joel,
>
> So then why is so little education happening. Education is only one of
> several needed efforts and in no way lessons the need for a competency
> metric for installers.
>
> I calls 'em like I sees 'em. Call "misguided" and "wrong" political
rhetoric
> all you want--it's the truth.
>
> Bill.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joel Davidson [mailto:joeldavidson at earthlink.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 2002 7:20 PM
> To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
> Subject: Re: NABCEP liability (Wrenches) [RE-wrenches]
>
> Bill,
>
> License. Certificate. Call it what you will. CalSEIA opposes any State
> requirement that PV contractors must be certified by NABCEP or any
> certification
> body. The CEC programs are mandated by State law and calling the CEC
> "misguided"
> and CalSEIA "wrong" sounds like political rhetoric.
>
> Some wrenches recall the first discussions about the PV buydown rebate
> program.
> Everyone was concerned that bad PV systems would hurt consumers and the
> industry
> kill the rebate. I remember listening over and over about how Republicans
> used
> bad solar water heaters installed by fly-by-night companies as reasons to
> kill
> the 40% federal tax credit that, by the way, Democrats enacted. In the
end,
> we
> all decided that educating consumers, inspectors and installers was the
> right
> thing to do. I think we all still agree that education is the right thing
to
> do.
>
> Joel Davidson
> CalSEIA Member
>
> Bill Brooks wrote:
>
> > Joel,
> >
> > That is the desire of the NABCEP board as well. The CEC put the language
> in
> > without consulting either organization. Not political--just misguided.
> >
> > CSLB is not a certification body so CalSEIA is wrong there.
>

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