Hi guys,
Oregon has some of the most stringent laws in the country. In order to
become an installer you must first complete a 4000 hour apprenticeship.
This must be done under a currently licensed solar installer, or under a
journeyman or higher electrical license. Currently the state is only
accepting about 2-3 people a year into this apprenticeship, so it is
really
difficult to break into installing here.
Believe it or not, for a while I was not even allowed to install rails and
Lfeet on a roof because it was part of an electrical installation. This
one still blows my mind.
As far as commercial goes there is a 25kW limit to the scope of the Solar
license. That means anything above 25kW requires a journey or higher
level
license from the state. We are trying hard to get these rules changed,
but
the IBEW is fighting too.
My mantra here is this: We are the ones who have been working hard to
learn
how to design and install these systems so that they are compliant with
NEC,
local UBC, and will operate to our predicted standards. The Electricians
have put little to no time into learning this technology, and as a result
I
end up training electricians all the time. So why is that state allowing
people who could have cared less about solar a few years ago to suddenly
be
at the forefront of the big money jobs?? It is baffling to me.
I am currently working to change this in Oregon. If any of you are
willing,
would you please contact me off-list and let me know what the licensing
requirements are in your state? This would help me show the state of
Oregon
that they are taking work away from the most qualified people to install
and
design it. If anyone else has any points or arguments to be made against
the way the state of OR currently runs things please help me by contacting
me. THANKS!!!
Jeff Blick
PV installer
Sunlight Solar Inc.
4 NW Franklin
Bend, OR 97701
direct: 541-306-4196
fax: 541-322-1911
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.sunlightsolar.com
-----Original Message-----
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Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 3:06 PM
To: re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
Subject: RE-wrenches Digest, Vol 1, Issue 244
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Today's Topics:
1. State licensing for PV installers in Texas
(North Texas Renewable Energy Inc)
2. Re: State licensing for PV installers in Texas (Bob Maynard)
3. Re: State licensing for PV installers in Texas
(North Texas Renewable Energy Inc)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:44:37 -0500
From: "North Texas Renewable Energy Inc" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [RE-wrenches] State licensing for PV installers in Texas
To: "RE Wrenches" <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Wrenches
the Texas Dept of Licensing and Regulation has (finally) proposed a
Limited
Solar Electric License for installers in Texas. There is currently no
"solar
license" in Texas.
Among other fairly arbitrary and borderline ridiculous potential
requirements (IMHO) is a 50 kWDC cap on the size of systems allowed, based
on inverter rated output. Also the license holder may not work on
commercial
installations.
Are these typical of the license restrictions in other states?
thanks
Jim Duncan
North Texas Renewable Energy Inc
817.917.0527
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.ntrei.com
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Message: 2
Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:50:52 -0500
From: "Bob Maynard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] State licensing for PV installers in Texas
To: "RE-wrenches" <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org>
Message-ID:
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Jim,
In Oregon we have a Limited Renewable Energy Technician license. We are
capped at 25kw and can do residential and commercial. The LRT license
does not allow us to make final AC connections on any system and
requires a site visit from an electrician.
Regards,
Bob Maynard
VP NW Distribution Sales
groSolar What the World Needs. NOW
535 NE Westbrook Way
Grants Pass, OR 97526
Direct: 541.291.4044
TollFree: 800.467.6527 x4044
Fax: 541.476.7480
Mobile: 541.761.1636
groSolar.com <http://www.grosolar.com/>
http://blog.groSolar.com <http://blog.grosolar.com/>
North America's Premier Installer, Distributor and Integrator of Solar
Energy Solutions
Distributor for Evergreen Solar, Suntech Power, SMA, Fronius, PV
Powered, Outback Power, GridPoint, UniRac, Heliodyne SHW and other
premier renewable energy products
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of North
Texas Renewable Energy Inc
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 2:45 PM
To: RE Wrenches
Subject: [RE-wrenches] State licensing for PV installers in Texas
Wrenches
the Texas Dept of Licensing and Regulation has (finally) proposed a
Limited Solar Electric License for installers in Texas. There is
currently no "solar license" in Texas.
Among other fairly arbitrary and borderline ridiculous potential
requirements (IMHO) is a 50 kWDC cap on the size of systems allowed,
based on inverter rated output. Also the license holder may not work on
commercial installations.
Are these typical of the license restrictions in other states?
thanks
Jim Duncan
North Texas Renewable Energy Inc
817.917.0527
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.ntrei.com
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Message: 3
Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:05:31 -0500
From: "North Texas Renewable Energy Inc" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] State licensing for PV installers in Texas
To: "RE-wrenches" <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Also to elaborate, The Texas license will restrict any work "on the AC
side
of the inverter" by anyone but a State licensed Electrical Contractor. I
am
stating, in a reply (to the group working on the language) "since the
inverter AC output is current-limited by design, from a safety perspective
the DC side could be considered as or more dangerous than the AC side."
Is this statement a valid one?
Jim
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
----- Original Message -----
From: Bob Maynard
To: RE-wrenches
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 4:50 PM
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] State licensing for PV installers in Texas
Jim,
In Oregon we have a Limited Renewable Energy Technician license. We are
capped at 25kw and can do residential and commercial. The LRT license
does
not allow us to make final AC connections on any system and requires a
site
visit from an electrician.
Regards,
Bob Maynard
VP NW Distribution Sales
groSolar What the World Needs. NOW
535 NE Westbrook Way
Grants Pass, OR 97526
Direct: 541.291.4044
TollFree: 800.467.6527 x4044
Fax: 541.476.7480
Mobile: 541.761.1636
groSolar.com
http://blog.groSolar.com
North America's Premier Installer, Distributor and Integrator of Solar
Energy Solutions
Distributor for Evergreen Solar, Suntech Power, SMA, Fronius, PV Powered,
Outback Power, GridPoint, UniRac, Heliodyne SHW and other premier
renewable
energy products
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of North
Texas
Renewable Energy Inc
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 2:45 PM
To: RE Wrenches
Subject: [RE-wrenches] State licensing for PV installers in Texas
Wrenches
the Texas Dept of Licensing and Regulation has (finally) proposed a
Limited Solar Electric License for installers in Texas. There is currently
no "solar license" in Texas.
Among other fairly arbitrary and borderline ridiculous potential
requirements (IMHO) is a 50 kWDC cap on the size of systems allowed, based
on inverter rated output. Also the license holder may not work on
commercial
installations.
Are these typical of the license restrictions in other states?
thanks
Jim Duncan
North Texas Renewable Energy Inc
817.917.0527
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.ntrei.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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