<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif;font-size:12pt"><div>Hi<br><br>Thanks for the responses.<br><br>Agreed- there are many paths to the education route- NABCEP, SEI, Licensed Electrician with ancillary training etc. I think we all agree that this is not a hobby, although a hobbyist could have found their new vocation and make solar a way of life.<br><br>The one commonality to all of this is really the passion to constant learning. The Japanese have a word- Kaizen- constant improvement.<br><br>So, it seems that if someone wants to apply themselves to this industry, they must have the burning desire to sponge up all they can find to continuously understand the product knowledge and how it relates to what we do. There are many facets of the industry that have already been touched upon, relating to the field work that still will need to be sorted out in
the future.<br>Where there will be challenges- in the electrical portion/aspect of the work for urban/suburban settings and the identification of what constitutes work that is supposed to be done by a licensed electrician with a proficiency in understanding all of the specific nuances of the PV industry, which are many.<br><br>The questions I had pertained to the amount of time one should split between the classroom learning environment vs doing an actual installation can vary. It seems to me to be a 60-40 split- gaining the knowledge of the how and why things are done and incorporate it into the field for the latter half seems to be the most productive way to marry both needs and satisfy the intended goals of the student. However, the time it takes to make a solar installer proficient varies and their scope of work will depend upon the applicability of what they learned and absorbed.<br><br>There is also the demarcation point of what would constitute
electrical work vs what is mechanical work. These two distinctions should also be identified and more thoroughly chunked down to separate the skill sets needed to perform the functions related to the field work. <br><br>There is a very diverse subset of professionals fraternizing in this group- from management folks, engineers/designers, electricians, electrical contractors, manufacturers etc. They all bring with them, great skills that don't stop with their related skill sets, but a real passion for making a difference which we all can agree upon and find mutual respect and admiration for.<br><br>On the topic of money, and just doing it for the money, might not be telling the complete story. Personally, I believe that we should make money at what we are doing, as we should value our combined knowledge and the importance that it contributes to our way of life. If money or profit is perceived as unsavory, we can always decide to donate it to our favorite
charity or church of our choosing. Where it is peculiar to me, is to see us not being able to charge enough to take care of our families and co-workers (team mates) on the ship of life. From a business perspective, I again reference that this is generally not a hobby and a majority of small businesses have not paused to take a look at understanding their business acumen through further training and schooling. I am constantly astonished that we can send someone through a 5 year apprenticeship program, with zero mention of business fundamentals and understanding the correlation of the income statement or balance sheet. Keeping score is something their CPA does in April, when it should be done more frequently.<br><br>Anyway, how do we get better as an industry- standardization and training our future workforce to innovate and collaborate in order to make things better for all of us. If we don't invest in ourselves and our team, we have only ourselves to
blame when we don't receive the desired end results- a company or organization to be admired and looked to as leaders.<br><br>I consider the work we do ground breaking, as paralleled by the governments decision in the 1960's to push DARPA to the forefront and all of the technology that is spawned, like the internet. Energy, in my opinion is the next frontier and we will make great strides over the next decade in areas we probably didn't see coming- it could be something as simple as figuring out how photosynthesis can be replicated and energy be mimicked and shared....fill in your own science fiction story, as it always seems to be like Get Smart- the Shoe Phone did come to life, like Dick Tracy's wrist-watch phone.<br><br>We are all living in a time in our energy futures where we are breaking barriers by testing and believing it is all possible and we need to further understand how people and education will play a central role in accelerating our
success.<br><br>Aloha<br><br>Keith<br></div><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><hr size="1"><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b> Joel Davidson <joel.davidson@sbcglobal.net><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> RE-wrenches <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Saturday, July 18, 2009 5:50:24 AM<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar Installers Education<br></font><br>
<style></style>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">I agree. I have DIY customers who know more
about PV systems than a lot of so-called PV professionals. Designing and
installing PV systems is a continuous learning experience. We
are practitioners because, like doctors, we practice our trade,
expand our knowledge, and hone our skills. I
tell people who wants to get in the PV business to put a PV system
on their own home. People who tell me
that they want to sell PV but can not go solar personally for
whatever reason have less credibility. They get less respect
from prospective customers who use the same reasons or excuses for not
going solar. They either don't last long in the business or are in it only
for the money. Granted, there are less operational nuances to a batteryless,
grid-tied PV system than a battery-based system or wind or water generator,
but living with your work is essential. It makes you keenly aware of unique
subtleties and helps you better understand your customers concerns.</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">Joel Davidson</font></div>
<blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 0px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 0px;">
<div style="font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;">----- Original Message ----- </div>
<div style="background: rgb(228, 228, 228) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"><b>From:</b>
<a rel="nofollow" title="walters@taosnet.com" ymailto="mailto:walters@taosnet.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:walters@taosnet.com">R. Walters</a>
</div>
<div style="font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;"><b>To:</b> <a rel="nofollow" title="re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org" ymailto="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches</a> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;"><b>Sent:</b> Saturday, July 18, 2009 12:05
AM</div>
<div style="font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;"><b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar
Installers Education</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>For Off grid, no one should even attempt being a designer/ installer
without living for a full year on their own off grid system. </div>
<div>GT w/ batteries, you need off grid smarts and understand GT.</div>
<div>Training newbies, I can't imagine them being able to do anything other
than schlep modules/ do grunt work for a couple of years.</div>
<div>I could see a licensed electrician with a year of full time training
being able to do GT w/o batteries.</div>
<div>Most of the market and all the growth is in the GT w/o batteries, so I
think your training should concentrate there.</div>
<div>I've taught a semester long PV class, and all I was able to do was create
well educated consumers.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>
<div><span style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); word-spacing: 0px;" class="Apple-style-span">
<div>R. Walters</div>
<div><a target="_blank" href="http://Solarray.com">Solarray.com</a><span style="white-space: pre;" class="Apple-tab-span"></span></div>
<div>NABCEP # 04170442<span style="white-space: pre;" class="Apple-tab-span"><span style="white-space: pre;" class="Apple-style-span"> <br> </span></span></div>
<div><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span></div><br>
<div>
<div>On Jul 17, 2009, at 9:44 AM, Keith Cronin wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
<blockquote type="cite">
<div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<div>Hi gang<br><br>I was wondering, what percentage do you believe
represents the ratio of classroom training to field training for PV and what
percentage you believe should be performed by licensed electricians vs what
is deemed mechanical work?<br><br>Residential Grid Tie w/out
batteries<br>___% classroom- electrician<br>___% field-
electrician<br><br>Residential Grid Tie w/out batteries<br>___% classroom-
mechanical<br>___% field- mechanical<br><br>Commercial Grid Tie w/out
batteries<br>___% classroom-electrician<br>___%
field-electrician<br><br>Commercial Grid Tie w/out batteries<br>___%
classroom-mechanical<br>___% field-mechanical<br><br>Residential GT with
batteries<br>____% classroom-electrician<br>____%
field-electrician<br><br>Residential GT with batteries<br>____%
classroom-mechanical<br>____% field-mechanical<br><br>Any takers on the off
grid market percentages?<br><br>Commercial w/ batteries is utility scale and
I don't think it can be quantified today as the projects are generally
design build and perhaps hard to put an exact # on
these.<br><br>Thanks<br><br>Keith<br></div></div>
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