NABCEP Certifcation

Hi All,

I was looking into the NABCEP (entry level Certificate of Knowledge aimed at students wanting to get into the solar photovoltaic field) certification and was wondering if this is valuable enough to kick start a Solar panel installation business. How is the solar panel installation industry in general?

Thanks a bunch for your feedback.

Pavneet

Pavneet,

This is my opinion only and others may disagree ( I welcome other viewpoints):

Short answer - The industry in Dallas is stagnant. Unless your willing to wait it out and hope for the best possibly next year, you may want to consider other options.

Long answer - I would say that attaining an NABCEP certificate could be beneficial to you (BTW - the next testing date is March 2010). Currently many companies are requiring or prefer an individual to have their NABCEP certificate even for a basic installation level job. The catch here is that to before you can petition to take the test, an individual must have completed at least two installations totalling 1Kw of power and in the capacity of the "Responsible Installer" and have a "permitting" or someone qualified a such, sign off on the installations.
So...you have to have installation experience prior to the NABCEP certificate and to get the installation experience, you should have your NABCEP. Neat how that works huh? Not much different than any other industry certification process actually (SAE - Automotive Mechanics, CPA's, Insurance Adjusters, etc.) however in those fields, there are opportunities to work your way to attaining your certification while on the job.
Currently DFW is a "dead zone" with regards to any significant PV installation. Austin is at the forefront of PV installation work with Houston and San Antonio following behind closely.
The Texas Legislature dropped the ball on some bills recently that would have sparked the PV industry in Texas and that has put many local companies back into "hibernation mode" given that there is not much interest in having PV systems installed without the major incentives residents of California, Arizona and many other states benefit from (both State AND Federal credits).
Solar Thermal (Hot Water heating/power) is popular here but that doesn't get you where you want to go with regards to the NABCEP.

One solution if your adamant about pursuing this field and the NABCEP certificate, would be to volunteer to help on any installation possible in the area no matter how small. Any experience is good experience.
One day Texas (Dallas specifically) will wake up and the light will go on regarding PV benefits and you will be in demand for your skill set.

Good luck,

Brad

Thanks Brad. I appreciate the honesty here.

What other renewable energy areas are doing better in DFW area? I picked up Solar Thermal, are there any other?

Pavneet

Pavneet,
I'm interested in launching an entrepreneurial solar PV venture here in Dallas but am discouraged by the current market conditions and general lack of "buzz". But perhaps this is the time to get something started. I don't know. Get in touch if you'd like to get together to discuss sometime. (I'm new to this site - Is there a "private msg" function on meet-up site?)

Brad,
Can you recommend a good resource for staying abreast of solar PV incentives in Texas, and Dallas specifically? I'm familiar with DSIRE but that doesn't indicate what might be in the pipeline. Also, would you recommend any designer/installers? I'm unemployed now and wouldn't mind volunteering on a couple projects.

Thanks,
Will

I'm with Brad on this one. The solar industry, especially PV here in Dallas is pretty much dead. Our local government did a fine job recently of killing all incentive to install a PV system. I found this out the hard way when my meter was switched out for a new Smart Meter. My automatic reduction in my commercial electrical use is now gone and the utility gets my excess electricity for free. I have to install a larger system and negotiate with the utility company to see a return on excess generation above what my house uses. Of course I also have to pay Oncor for reporting the outflow meter reading to my utility company now.

I was hoping that this group would be willing to start pushing our politicians in the right direction. It appears that the PUC and ERCOT are making decisions that are for the utility companies, which is fine, but they are failing to include positive steps to help those of us who wish to use alternative energy. What's worse is that they are not only not moving forward with alternative energy programs and plans but they are also hindering. This is a win utility lose alternative energy direction, which is in my opinion is the wrong direction.

I hope to make the next meeting and hear what the group discusses. Hopefully there'll be some interest in working with our local politicians to get some recognition of and for our efforts to use less commercial utilities.

All,
Unfortunately, there aren't many economically viable Renewable Energy options for the average North Texas homeowner at this time.
PV is out in most cases due to the initial cost to the owner for a system large enough to gain any benefit from it's installation (i.e. Net Metering or Off-Grid Living). It almost seems from an outsiders view looking in that the State in conjunction with the PUC and our local utilities are doing everything they can to prevent or discourage people from using PV systems to supplement their energy usage (this being experienced first hand by Todd) however, we shouldn't be shocked since this represents lost revenue for them if and when it catches on. There also is the issue of biting the hand that feeds you with regards to the government supplementing our purchase of these systems. In some states the combined Federal and State rebates is 60% of the purchase price, but alas not in Texas anytime soon.

I saw a comment not to long ago from a respected individual in the industry that still to this day really gets my blood pressure up. The individual responded to a person legitimately asking if an Inside/Outside salesperson type role would help the local PV industry. The reply was the "Solar sells itself". This type of mindset is why the majority of homeowners are clueless to what PV can offer and always get hung up on the cost. You can't expect to move a product without some form of sales and marketing. I believe that is what is lacking and preventing the right company locally from becoming a leader in PV and other forms of Alternative Energy. Most people will do the right thing to help the environment if given a push or the right "incentive".
I will admit that the price of the system is the biggest hurdle to having PV on my house. I have been working at designing a system for my house trying to find a magic formula that would reduce the cost to the point that the subsidies wouldn't have so much of a factor in the overall purchase decision. There are other factors that contribute to the design of a PV system however I'll save that discussion for another time.

Wind Power is a unique option however the local regulations in most Urban settings are to prohibitive for turbines to be used (especially the numbers needed to compensate for turbine size, height of the tower, sustained wind's, etc.) not to mention the friendly HOA's getting involved.

Rain water harvesting seems to be the latest and seeming most simple and somewhat cost effective option however, I am not really sure if that counts as renewable energy per se. It seems to resemble "recycling" versus renewable. In any case with water soon to become a major issue for us in Texas, conservation of this resource should become a priority in the near future.
There will be a presentation on this subject Saturday Aug 8th at the monthly meeting for the North Texas Renewable Energy Group. You don't have to be a member to attend and there are some very knowledgeable people in attendance from all areas of Alternative Energy.
Here is their website url: http://www.txses.org/...
Click on events for the meeting details.

In addition to the NTREG, here are a couple places to gain insight to the pulse of the industry both locally, nationally and globally:
American Solar Energy Society http://www.ases.org/... (Becoming a member of the Texas chapter also enrolls you into the NTREG group)

Renewable Energy World http://www.renewablee...

Texas Climate News http://www.texasclima...

Backwoods Home Magazine http://www.backwoodsh...

Home Power Magazine http://www.homepower....

Depending on your interests, I have many more links to informative blogs and forums pertaining to PV and other Alternative Energy sources.

If your interested in discussing the aforementioned issues in more detail, believe you can click on the "Mail" link below my post ID to send me a Private Mail.

I will be at the NTREG meeting on the 8th. there and look forward to having more discussion on the state of PV in North Texas (get there early for a good seat as the room fills up fast!).

Brad

All,
Here's a link many of you may find interesting as it touches on the subject Pavneet originally started: http://ases.org/index...

I have looked into NABCEP certification, I have been doing solar since 1980 and doing installations since 1999. The test is really for experianced installers, not first timers. Most insurance companies are going to start requiring that any solar panel installation must be done by a NABCEP installer or they will not insure it for losses. Right now as solar and alternative energy industry has started cutting its teeth, many of the solar governing and regulating organizations that are in bed with Uncle Sam are making changes to the regulations for this industry. And also changing the cost of getting certified. Last time I looked at NABCEP you had to have done three complete solar installations before you could even get ready to take the test. They also want proof of the installation work with contact names, pictures, phone numbers and addresses. I do feel the NABCEP is a good thing for this industry, but there are a lot of politics involved that have nothing to do with helping the solar industry prosper, more over they help many of this individual regulating agencies to prosper $$$... I will end up taking the test and getting certified one of these days, and there are some installation company owners that have prep classes for the NABCEP in the DFW area sometimes. I was hoping one of the local community colleges would jump onboard and have classes. Anyway thats my two cents worth. I would be more than willing to help anyone wanting to start out in this buisness and pass on to them all that I have learned, mostly the hard way. Myself I do not think the north Texas area is ready for any more solar installation companies. The ones that are here are struggling and have been doing a good job. Contact some of them and offer your labor to help get those three complete installations under your belt so you can be ready to take the test. I have done three complete sysrtems so far. I have one of the study guides for the NABCEP test but it is about three or four years old, I am sure a lot has changed since then, I know the N.E.C. code section 690 seems to change all the time trying to keep up with the solar industry. Good luck, let me know if I can be of any help. Dave R. C.E.T.

Great write up Brad, thanks for posting all the links too. Hopefully I'll be able to make it to the NTREG meeting on the 8th.

I do understand the reluctance of the industry to embrace alternative energy users, though I think this mindset is a bit archaic. The solar PV market is very small and it would take a lot of cost reduction of PV panels to make this a threat to the power industry. The other problem is of course with the return on investment. My panels are on my roof but not permanent mount. I don't plan to live in Texas long enough to see a return on my panels, so they will be coming with me when I move. I've intentionally built them to be easily removed, something most home owners would not want. Yet I know if I try and sell them with the house, I will never get the value out of them. When friends ask about the panels cost, I tell them what I've put into them, not including labor and they think "what a deal!". Then they ask about having commercial panels with industry professional installation done. When I tell them take my numbers and multiply by 4, well then a PV system isn't very attractive in this area. Too bad, we have a lot of good sunshine here to exploit.

I would love to have a wind gen but local ordinance prohibits that. A micro-hydro gen would also be very nice but finding property with a stream is also difficult, especially one with enough of a head and flow to make the micro-hydro run.

For now, I'll just keep building my solar panels and putting them up as a hobby with benefits.

Thanks again for the write up.

Todd

I forgot to mention - I use only about 2/3rds the minimum water use per month (this includes watering the yard), so though rain collection is a great idea, there's no incentive other than environmental for households that use around the minimum gallons per month from the city.

One area that I would like to see a change in would be with trash collection. Ever since the large blue recycle bins replaced those little useless baskets several years ago I have cut my trash by a good 3/4th's, yet I'm still charged as if I had a full green bin each week. An incentive would be to switch to paying by the pound or mass. This last week my green bin had two standard size kitchen bags of trash in it. The green bin was pretty much empty. The blue recycle bin was about half way full of recycle material.

Todd