NABCEP Update [RE-wrenches]

[matthew tritt]

Glad you have the time and interest to do this. Without you guy's presence
our quirky business would soon be transformed into just another union niche!

Carpe Diem!

Matt
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob-O Schultze, Electron Connection" <econnect at snowcrest.net>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 4:58 PM
Subject: NABCEP Update [RE-wrenches]


> Amigos,
> Last week I attended the NABCEP BoD meeting in Austin, TX. For those
> of you who don't know, I sit on that board along with Don Loweburg. I
> let myself get drawn in to the deal for several reasons.
> 1) the organized labor presence was too high and the RE Wrench
> presence was too low.
> NABCEP recognizes this and we are taking steps to even it out. NABCEP
> is pretty committed to making sure that the Wrenches and
> non-traditional newbies have access to certification. The union reps
> were not happy campers with that position, but it is going forward
> anyway. Any of y'all who have read Chuck Marken's article in the most
> recent Home Power can probably relate to some if not all of his
> concerns. (Attaboy Chuck, your concerns needed to be expressed)
> At this point, NABCEP has already dealt with some of them. NABCEP
> realized very quickly that the overwhelming union response to the
> original stakeholder questionnaire did NOT represent what was really
> going on in our industry and have greatly modified the requirements
> to sit for the certification test to include as many of us
> independent working Wrenches as possible.
> 2) Whether we like it or not, I believe that national certification
> is going to happen. Most of us OGs (old guys) can remember the happy
> days before NEC 690. While I still have some issues with that, I
> gotta admit that it is a good thing overall. Here's why it's going to
> happen and why we need to do it:
> Money.
> For RE to continue to go mainstream, we will need incentive programs.
> (Yes, I fully agree that if the oil, coal, and gas incentives went
> away we'd be cost effective tomorrow, but let's get real. That ain't
> gonna happen. Certainly not under Dubya or the Demos for that matter.
> Even if Ralph had won, I doubt whether he would have had the juice to
> stop them.)
> Since incentive programs are funded through "public benefit" funds,
> ie the people's dough, it is reasonable and correct to require good
> value for money spent. A huge part of that is good design and
> installation. No arguments there, eh? While all states currently
> having RE incentive programs allow (and will continue to allow)
> owner/builder installations, some are now seriously looking at
> promoting certified Wrench installations in one way or another. As
> soon as the data is in from a few of these programs, we all know that
> it will show that real Wrench installations will overall outperform
> the others. Apparently in Florida there is already data to suggest
> that certified contractor installs cost a bit more but last far
> longer. It seems like a no-brainer to me that data like that will
> prompt other state programs to adopt similar provisions.
> At the same time, some manufacturers are looking at programs where
> installations by certified Wrenches have increased warrantees. In
> some cases, if you aren't licensed and/or certified and trained in
> their products, there is NO warrantee. How 'bout them apples?
> 3) Pride. I'm proud of what I do and I'm proud of my craftsmanship.
> Aren't y'all? While I don't NEED another certification to do my job,
> if there is one worth having which will tell my clients to hire the
> best and forget the rest, I want it. I'm all over it. Bring it on.
>
> So, one way or another, I figure we should do this. In the best case,
> it will put more money in our pockets and allow us to compete with
> (and hopefully say bye-bye to) the incompetents. I don't see this as
> putting the competent, but uncertified, shade tree Wrench out of biz
> at all. He/she just may not get the higher end jobs. Oh well.
> In the worst case, our industry goes the way of most electrical and
> plumbing trades. Very controlled and hard to break into. I believe
> that by steering NABCEP we can avoid this. Looking down the road, if
> NABCEP is a hit, we can steer State programs to some degree as well.
> After all, are we or are we not the damn experts around here?
> OK, I figure this is bound to spark debate. Let's have it. If Don and
> I are to represent the Wrenches effectively, we need to hear all of
> it. Just keep in mind, especially if you disagree with the whole
> concept, that we ain't the enemy...
> Best, Bob-O
>
> --
> Bob-O Schultze, Electron Connection
> PO Box 203, Hornbrook, CA 96044
> 800.945.7587 or 530.475.3402
> fax 530-475-3401
> www.electronconnection.com
>
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