NABCEP test disclosure [RE-wrenches]

Jeff Clearwater, Village Power Design clrwater at earthlink.net
Fri Dec 5 05:52:58 PST 2003


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Hi Graham,

Yes you hit the nail on the head.  It's really an issue between 
Installer Certification vs. Designer Certification.  While I would 
hate to see two tests at this point, perhaps in the future the 
Installer test could be required for both and then have an adjunct 
certification test for designers to add credentials.

Jeff C.


>Jeff Y.,
>
>Well said, I agree.  "Certified" installers should comprehend basic trig
>functions, whether these have to be memorized as opposed to having
>references readily available in-hand is questionable.  Seems to me there
>might be a need for two different certifications allowing PV
>professionals to pursue either PV Installer Certification or PV Designer
>Certification depending on their interest and expertise.
>
>Graham
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Jeff Yago [mailto:jryago at wwjv.net]
>Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 2:37 PM
>To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
>Subject: RE: NABCEP test disclosure [RE-wrenches]
>
>
>"Thank you all for proving my point to the exam committee
>that trigonometry is beyond the scope, and maybe the ability, of a
>competent PV installer."
>
>I do not think a pv system installer needs to memorize 3 dimensional
>trig functions. However, I do think it is reasonable to expect an
>installer to know how to calculate array spacing, rear leg lengths,
>and shadow lengths using basic trig.   All solar system designers and
>installers also need to understand the basic path of the sun, and how
>time of day, latitude, and day of year impacts this path.
>
>Back in the late 70's there was a major solar hot water project that
>involved a large number of plumbing contractors installing simple solar
>hot water heaters on hundreds of homes in a large residential
>development.   I am sure there were no leaks(they were all licensed
>plumbers), but if you viewed this development from an airplane when the
>work was done, you could see every solar array faced a different
>direction including many facing due north, and most were in the shade.
>
>I have worked with many licensed electricians we have hired to help with
>pv installations, and although their work would pass code, most had no
>understanding of how to locate an array or why a nearby chimney was a
>problem.  In addition, most did not want to know.
>
>Jeff Yago
>
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-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jeff Clearwater
Village Power Design Associates
http://www.villagepower.com
Sustainable Energy & Water Solutions for Home & Village

Office:  (413) 256-6777,  Cell: (720)480-8455 
Fax:  (413) 825-0372
61 Baker Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072;
PO Box 115
Boonville, CA  95415
(707) 895-9015
Fax: (707) 897-0224

Council Member - Ecovillage Network of the Americas - http://www.ecovillage.org
Advisory Board - Living Routes - Ecovillage Education - 
http://www.livingroutes.org
Founder:  Ecovillage Research, Development, and Demonstration Program:
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~clrwater/RDD/rdd.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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