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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'>Thanks Andrew for offering to present the observations and comments to the NABCEP board for consideration.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'>I know I am having a hard time staying on this thread due to work load. I encourage all of you to list in order of priority what you would like to see different in the NABCEP process.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'>I live in a state and area that does not have solar Licensing and I do welcome the accreditation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'>There are so many newbie’s coming up and I would hate to see RE get a bad reputation. I think that the NABCEP process should help to avoid this.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'>Andrew my list for the NABCEP board is:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>1.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'>Better access – local/proctored testing. The carbon foot print of a 14 hour round trip drive is ridiculous and a waste of time & resources. We actually had 1 sort of local test after I contacted most of the Colorado western slope solar companies and it was administered at a local college in Gunnison. However it was still a 5 hour round trip drive for most of the companies, instead of being offered in Grand Junction or Montrose [both of which have colleges of varying sizes] which would have been very central for the majority of the attendees. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>2.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'>Increasing the test frequency to 3 or even 4 times a year.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>3.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'>A basic PV grid tie cert. for 50KW and under.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>4.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'>Having separate adders for over 50 KW and off grid. These would be additional and acknowledging that you have passed the basic 50 KW and under.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'>List away folks & Thanks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'>Dana Orzel - Great Solar Works, Inc - E - <b><a href="mailto:dana@solarwork.com">dana@solarwork.com</a></b> - V <b>970.626.5253</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'>F - 970.626.4140 C - 970.209.4076 web - <a href="http://www.solarwork.com">www.solarwork.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'>"Responsible Technologies for Responsible People since 1988"<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:green'>Please consider the environment before printing this email</span></i></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'> </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'>NABCEP # 051112-136</span><b><i><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#99CC00'><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> <a href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a> [<a href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Andrew Truitt<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, May 31, 2012 4:16 PM<br><b>To:</b> RE-wrenches<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] NABCEP<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Wrenches - I'd like to address some of the aforementioned concerns about NABCEP. I do not claim to present the official NABCEP "company line", but I have been a certificant since 2007, have been involved with a few programmatic committees, and currently sit on the board of directors.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5'>I certainly sympathize with Dana's frustration with having to drive a full day to get to a testing center. There are many others in a similar situation and it is one of the complaints about NABCEP that I hear most often (along with exam frequency). Unfortunately NABCEP is still a very small certification body relative to trade licensing and, as a voluntary certification, we just don't have the resources that states do.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5'>Allan is correct about the processes the Exam Committees have to undergo in order to follow defensible psychometric principles and maintain NABCEP's ANSI accreditation.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5'>What additional resources would people like to use at the exam? I would be happy to take suggestions to the Board.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5'>I think most certificants would agree that there would be a value in multiple, specialized NABCEP PV certifications. If fact there has been numerous internal discussions about exactly that and I think the next certification that NABCEP develops will fall into this category. However, certification development takes time and money, and some of the programs that NABCEP has developed have not received the interest that was anticipated, so we need to perform our due diligence before committing the sizable resources that it takes to create a new certification. As the PV Installer certification stands now, it is intended to test a broad variety of knowledge, largely because historically companies were smaller and employees were more likely to be generalists. The industry has obviously grown very rapidly with one result being increased specialization and NABCEP does intend to keep up with this trend. With all that in mind NABCEP welcomes targeted donations for developing new credentials. <o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5'>Certification certainly is a business, though I think that its worth noting that NABCEP was created by installers who were concerned with the workmanship of RE system installations and didn't want to see a repeat of what happened to the solar water heating industry in the '70s. Since its inception NABCEP has been a volunteer-driven non-profit entity, guided by some of the most knowledgeable and dedicated people in the industry (many of whom are on this list-serve). <o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5'>We are well aware of the fact that NABCEP certs often get "promoted off the roof" and find themselves in design, sales or managerial rolls. Obviously this reflects well on NABCEP certificants, but it is a problem for a program that requires ongoing field work for re-certification. This is yet another challenge that we hope to address with future, more specialized certifications. Note that it takes somewhere between 12 and 18 months to properly develop a credentialing program, and NABCEP has been quite busy over the years responding to market demands for Entry Level, Technical Sales, Small Wind, and now Company Accreditation. We know that the industry is changing and we need to change with it, so keep the suggestions coming!<o:p></o:p></li></ul></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>I think everyone I've ever met has had some idea about how NABCEP could be better, and often times they are right. Unfortunately NABCEP operates under the real-world constraints of budgets, fund raising, volunteer availability, consensus building, accreditation requirements, etc... In the end I think it is hard to argue that NABCEP has not benefited our industry. NYSERDA did a study and found that systems that were installed by NABCEP Certified PV Installers had less issues at inspection than those built by non-NABCEP installers. As someone who cares deeply about installation quality and safety, this tells me that NABCEP does provide value and fills a needed roll in our industry.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:#006600'>For a brighter energy future,<br><br><br>Andrew Truitt <br>NABCEP Certified PV Installer</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#006600'>™</span><span style='color:#006600'> (ID# 032407-66)</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:#006600'>Principal<br>Truitt Renewable Energy Consulting</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:#006600'><a href="tel:%28202%29%20486-7507" target="_blank"><span style='color:#1155CC'>(202) 486-7507</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-truitt/8/622/713" target="_blank"><span style='color:#147DBA'>http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-truitt/8/622/713</span></a><br><br><span style='color:#147DBA'><br></span>"Don't get me wrong: I love nuclear energy! It's just that I prefer fusion to fission. And it just so happens that there's an enormous fusion reactor safely banked a few million miles from us. It delivers more than we could ever use in just about 8 minutes. And it's wireless!"<br><br>~William McDonough<o:p></o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>On Wed, May 30, 2012 at 5:56 PM, Chris Mason <<a href="mailto:cometenergysystems@gmail.com" target="_blank">cometenergysystems@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>One of the issues I have with the NABCEP certification is the title. When I look at the subject matter, comparing the scope to other similar certifications, I feel "installer" is not really accurate. I have a couple of workers that install PV systems with me, and they are able to get the job done. They are what I would call installers. They don't work with the customer to design the right solution and solve problems, lay out the best approach and develop the right bill of materials.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>The skills that the NABCEP PV certification Job Task Analysis requires is more of a systems designer. An installer does not need trigonometry, electrical theory and mechanical design to that extent.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>In other disciplines, anyone with the depth of knowledge the NACBEP requires would be a systems designer and project manager. The title "Installer" does not properly convey this knowledge and skill set, and does not give the customer an accurate representation of the role of the professional. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#888888'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#888888'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#888888'>-- <br>Chris Mason<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#888888'>President, Comet Systems Ltd<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#888888'>NABCEP Certified PV installer 092411-103<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#888888'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>_______________________________________________<br>List sponsored by Home Power magazine<br><br>List Address: <a href="mailto:RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org" target="_blank">RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>Options & settings:<br><a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org" target="_blank">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>List-Archive: <a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org" target="_blank">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>List rules & etiquette:<br><a href="http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm" target="_blank">www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm</a><br><br>Check out participant bios:<br><a href="http://www.members.re-wrenches.org" target="_blank">www.members.re-wrenches.org</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>