Solar Credentials in CT: A Summary

As of September 20 2011, in Connecticut there are only:


10 people in with PV-2 licenses, 
15 people in with PV-1 licenses 
and 
17 people in with Nabcep Certification. 



What does this mean?
These kind of certifications qualify individuals to design and lead solar PV installations.  In order to implement solar electrical energy on a mass scale, more people need to qualify with licenses to ensure that homeowners are getting proper estimates, and systems are installed correctly.

What if you're a regular electrician?
Ordinary electricians with normal training are well-versed in AC wiring, and can learn the DC wiring of systems with relative ease.  The construction aspects of PV systems are slightly out of the normal range of an electrician's experience, and the design and estimation techniques are never touched upon in normal electrical training.


Why Certify?
I have proposed to the state board of licenses to offer an additional PV endorsement test for licensed electricians, such that they will become certified PV electricians through the process of reviewing material and passing a test that proves:

  • That these electricians understand NEC 690 and can answer questions like which is the ungrounded conductor, wire sizing for PV systems (voltage drop at <1%)
  • That these electricians understand waterproofing methods, aspects of roofing, can calculate hold-down strength and uplift potential, as well as dead load, and weight distribution.
  • That these same individuals can estimate the annual production of a PV system based on the methods described here in this website.  
This website contains the relevant information that will help an electrician perform these calculations.  Electricians should be tested on this material because it ensures:
  • The longevity of the system
  • The safety of the installation
  • The accuracy of the estimate
Something to consider.
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