[RE-wrenches] UL PV certification?

[Darryl Thayer]

I was talking to a fellow at ASES conference about the UL training, he compared it to my course, He said it was a joke, the instructor did not have the understanding of the potential problems with DC and it appeared he may not have enen ever installed a system. He was greatly disapointed.  Perhaps they are just cutting their teeth, on solar, and will get better.  Of course I teach a NABCEP directed course, but my union has asked me to look into UL
Darryl 

From: boB Gudgel <boB at midnitesolar.com>
To: glenn.burt at glbcc.com; RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2011 2:11 PM
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] UL PV certification?



This is an interesting observation regarding this that we heard about.....
boB



We have a friend from Washington State that also took the UL class. The instructor was not a UL employee, but rather a professional installer from Florida. His class was ok, but nothing in depth for anyone that already has hands on knowledge of installing PV systems. There was one very troubling aspect of their training. They had the inverters and disconnect switches and all the associated components of a PV system on the wall with one exception. When it came to the combiner, it was clear that the combiner had been removed from the wall. Written in pencil was the word “PV combiner”. When asked, the instructor had to admit that UL forced him to remove the MidNite solar combiner because it was ETL listed, not UL! Almost all the combiners are ETL listed. I personally do not think UL is doing anybody a good service by only discussing UL listed components. Stick with the experts in training. You all know who they are.
Robin GudgelMidnite Solar





On 7/21/2011 6:52 AM, Glenn Burt wrote: 
Don’t you have to be a licensed electrician as part of the prereqs to sit for the test?
>Glenn
> 
>From:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of dan at foxfire-energy.com
>Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2011 9:46 AM
>To: RE-wrenches
>Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] UL PV certification?
> 
>I took the UL/NFPA class in Atlantic City last spring... thinking it might make another useful tool in the tool box (especially if I could get some kind of recognition from UL).. I was not impressed. The presentation was ambiguous, confusing and sometimes downright misleading. I got more useful information from Bill Nye the Science Guy.. and no certification. Beware the Rabbit Hole.
> 
>db
> 
>
>Dan Brown
>Foxfire Energy Corp.
>Renewable Energy Systems
>(802)-483-2564
>www.Foxfire-Energy.com
>NABCEP #092907-44
> 

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