NABCEP certification [RE-wrenches]

Mark Robinson Mark at TheEnergyGrid.com
Thu Jun 5 06:09:26 PDT 2003


	About 25 years ago, I was involved when there was an outcry in New
Hampshire because the state was mandating that electricians be licensed.
Imagine that. Current electricians were upset because they were afraid they
wouldn't pass the tests.... They shouted "Live Free or Die!" (that's the
state motto... We don't have to wear motorcycle helments either.)

	Now, hiring an unlicensed electrician is considered rather foolish.
Masters wear their licenses as a badge of honor (I am a Master Electrician
and I brag about it... see, I just did). When you meet a master electrician,
you assume he's qualified... And he probably is... I know of no stories
where qualified electricians were unable to pass the tests... Although many
of us had to take it several times.

	Past experience tells us that certification will not remain
voluntary and that ALL qualified installers will be able to pass the tests,
some after several tries. Mandatory licensing will raise the bar of the
field gaining us respect and credibility. There will be fewer piss-poor
solar installation. Maybe, just maybe, it will even get inspectors to tend
to believe us when we tell them we're properly grounded.

	This is how we get real, guys.

Mark Robinson
New Gig 6/1/03: Nextek Power Inc.


-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Brooks [mailto:billb at endecon.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2003 5:26 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: RE: Fw: Update on NABCEP certification: WAKE UP !!!! people.
[RE-wrenches]


Jay,

Several people on the wrenches list participated in reviewing the exam and
providing feedback. It is not the Board of Directors job to scrutinize every
technical detail. It is the job of the Technical Committee and a select
group of competent subject matter experts to oversee technical matters like
the exam questions.

I think the exam is good and will be challenging to good installers and very
difficult for crappy installers. A test is only one of several requirements
that an installer must deal with to get certified. No test is perfect and
there are always folks that are good at taking tests that are not that great
at doing field work--that is a reality in every trade. That is why the
certification requires documented experience.

Is certification going to solve all the problems with the PV industry? As I
have said many times--absolutely not. However, I believe it will be a
benefit for the California market. I'm not sure about other markets in the
U.S.--the jury is still out because other parts of the country are not
seeing the number of players (I use that term loosely) in the industry as
California.

The CEC wants to pursue it. They have the gold, so they make the rules.
Let's give it a go (as they say in Britain) and see if we can benefit from
it.

Bill.


-----Original Message-----
From: Jay Peltz, Peltz Power [mailto:jay at asis.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2003 7:44 AM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: Re: Fw: Update on NABCEP certification: WAKE UP !!!! people.
[RE-wrenches]


Hi Bob-O,

One of my big worries with all these "tests" is who is writing the
questions?  I am now even more worried when you say that the board  NABCEP
not only isn't but has no idea of what they are. If the people on the board
were not chosen for their professional experience and qualifications, then
why were they chosen?  If they are not part of the biggest piece of NABCEP
ie the test, how its written etc then whats up?

jay

- - - -
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

- - - -
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 sbcglobal.net

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

TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE!
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html
==^================================================================







More information about the RE-wrenches mailing list