Use of NABCEP Certification [RE-wrenches]

[Ray Walters]

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I too turn many bogus jobs down. But I think that as the solar market 
continues to expand at a near exponential rate, there will not be enough 
NABCEP installers to actually do all the installs themselves.  What is 
the alternative? In our state NABCEP means nothing, regular electricians 
with no, and I mean zero experience get to legally install solar all 
day. Wouldn't it be better to have them consult with a NABCEP installer, 
and/or have him inspect the system? Obviously having a NABCEP installer 
turn every screw would be best, but I think NABCEP certificants should 
be allowed to operate as a consultant for the design, and install of 
systems that they themselves do NOT install. Obviously we need clear 
guidelines, standard agreements limiting liability, etc., and if a state 
requires it to be _installed_ by a NABCEP person, they can't just sign 
off on it. The deal is, they are not "buying" your approval, they are 
buying your independent, unbiased inspection. You only sign off on a 
system that really looks and performs properly, with the caveat also, 
that you are not guaranteeing it or its performance or safety.

We can break all installs into 4 tiers:

1) DIY- mail order mess, "get what ya pay for".
2) Local Licensed electrician du jour with zero to some solar expertise.
3) NABCEP over site only of a fully permitted, legal installation.
4) Complete NABCEP design and installation.

 Last I checked, there were only 255 NABCEP installers in the world. 
Every PV install is not going to be a #4. We have to teach, consult, 
design, oversee, inspect, and basically do everything we can, to 
possibly cover even a fraction of the systems being installed in our 
areas. I will sleep better knowing a NABCEP installer at least looked 
over someone else's work, as opposed to what some here are saying which 
basically  is "buy from us, or else!"

Bottom Line: Which is better for NABCEP and the solar industry: keep 
letting idiots go it alone until someone is killed, or have a program 
that allows our expertise to extend to more systems and possibly catch 
someone else's mistake before its fatal?

Ray

Todd Cory, Mt. Shasta Energy Services wrote:

>
> Jeff,
>
> I could not agree more. None of the local RE installers or licensed 
> electricians will touch jobs they did not do the design or provide the 
> materials for. I have gotten a few calls this year asking for me to 
> install customer purchased equipment, and told them I won't touch 
> their job and why this is the case (markup and liability). I then 
> suggest they return the equipment to the cheapestsolarwhoresaler.com 
> and that then I would be happy to do a design and install for them. 
> That being said, I do feel a bit bad for the people that somehow 
> figured they could get by on the cheap like this, only to end up with 
> a pile of basically worthless materials. If we all behave like this, 
> the internet wholesale to the public dealers will find their market 
> drying up.
>
> Todd
>
>
> Jeff Yago wrote:
>
>> <snip> if our firm did not design, size, furnish all of the solar 
>> related equipment, and made several site visits during installation, 
>> then we do not get involved. 
>> We turn down jobs every month from do-it-yourselfers who want to use 
>> some mis-match equipment they order at the lowest internet mail-order 
>> site, try to wire all the mess together, then they ask us to "just 
>> check it out to be sure its safe".  As far as we are concerned, if we 
>> even just drop by to look at it, regardless of getting any pay or 
>> not, you can bet we would be involved in a multi-party "shotgun" law 
>> suite if somebody gets shocked or a house burns down.  Anytime any 
>> attorney is called in after any death or property damage suite, they 
>> sue everyone that has ever had any part of the project as they know 
>> that allows them to make sure somebody can be found guilty and the 
>> others can spend thousands of dollars proving they were not the cause.  
>> If we all agree to stay away from having any part of these type jobs 
>> and weed out anybody who is caught doing these "sign-offs", this 
>> problem will go away.
>>
>> Jeff Yago
>> Dunimis Technology Inc.
>>
>
>
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>


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