Fw: Use of Certificant Seal [RE-wrenches]

Tue Oct 31 09:45:12 PST 2006

This should clarify the issue re the NABCEP seal and use policy. I am forwarding to the list so that more may benefit.
Allan at PosE

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Peter Sheehan 
To: walters at taosnet.com ; 'Bob-O Schultze' ; 'Don Loweberg' ; 'Ezra Auerbach' ; 'Don Loweberg' 
Cc: 'Allan Sindelar' 
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2006 9:29 AM
Subject: Use of Certificant Seal 

Ray,

I'm responding to your recent thoughtful post on use of the mark (see below.) First off, we encourage its placement on your truck as a symbol of your pride in being certified by NABCEP. We've had certificants do just that and it has worked out very well. When I get a picture of it, I'll send it to you. 

In terms of placement of the mark next to the company the overriding concern is the impression that the viewer gets in terms of who/what is certified. The critical sentence from our policy is: "The Mark may not be positioned, displayed or used in a manner which may lead the public to believe a company (organization) itself is certified or otherwise endorsed by NABCEP."  When you look at Bob-O's ad in Home Power, his name is right next and surrounding the seal. Because of that it is clear that HE'S the one certified, and not Electron Connection. It's Ok with us.

In terms of reading the ad, if it's on the truck, you can read it just fine. I do recognize that on a business card, you need a magnifying glass to read it. We're not as concerned about that because it's the whole look of the seal itself that is important and recognizable.  We haven't had anybody mention that they couldn't read our name from a business card so it isn't a big issue at this point. 

And, we always encourage our certificants to send us a mock up of what they want to print/display first. So feel free to do so and I'll check it out. Thanks for getting involved in this and getting in touch with us on it. 

Regards

Pete Sheehan 

North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners

10 Hermes Road

Malta, NY 12020

Tele. 518-899-8186

This was Ray's original posting on this matter: 

Could we consider some changes in the rules that might benefit NABCEP

and its certificants? I looked at Bob-o's ad in Home Power, and I see 2

problems:

1) The logo is right below the company name and quoting from the NABCEP

rule book: "The mark.... may not appear immediately above, below, or

otherwise adjacent to the name of the certified individual's employer or

company." So if the rules are bendable, how much lee way? I was ready to

put the logo on our truck, and I already have it (apparently illegally)

in a yellow pages ad, and on my website.

2) The 2nd problem with Bob-o's ad is another I've also had: You just

can't read the writing around the edge of the logo: "North American

Board of Certified Energy Practioners", which I think is pretty

important. (I requested stickers from NABCEP, because my graphics guy

didn't think he could make a legible recreation of the Mark under 10

inches diameter.)

Oh, and rule #6 says that certificants have a resposibility to report

misuse, or other violation.... So I already ratted on my self ......and

super sorry Bob-o....

(I don't mean to be a pain, but years of parsing Code language has

damaged me possibly.)

Actually my goal is noble: that every person with even a passing

interest in solar energy would know about NABCEP, and why our

organization was relevant. Advertising both locally and nationally,

getting that logo out there and readible, getting some real web

presence, etc. is all part of pushing not only NABCEP, but the idea that

we all on this list are striving for: Solar design and installation of

the highest standards to insure that the world adopts renewable energy

without fear.

Ray

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

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