William, Nice to meet you -however briefly- at the Solar Zoo in Anaheim. If you don't see the value in being NABCEP certified, then you shouldn't bother with it. If your state- as more than a few have- decides to recognize it in some way that affects your pocket, then you'll likely change your mind PDQ. I've personally gotten one or two jobs that I know about because I was Certified and the other bidder was not, but our bids were very close in price. Low-ballers, like head lice, are just a nasty fact of life. While I generally agree with you on your point #2, it varies a lot state to state. I'm licensed in CA and OR. While I understand the rules in CA are changing, enforcement is, and has always been, a joke. In OR, you need a 4000 hour apprenticeship AND 256 hours of general electrical classroom time to get a Renewable Energy license. A general journeyman license is twice that. I've had inspectors come to our job site and check that everyone is licensed. In OR, you don't lay hands on a wire without a license. Ever hear of the like in CA? Maybe in the big cities, but nowhere else. We're totally on the same page about the IBEW. If you understand that their goal is total domination of the electrical trade everywhere, a lot of how they operate makes sense. I'm a pro-Union kinda guy as a rule, but, like religion, too much of a thing is way worse than none. As to experience with EMT and the like, again it varies state to state and certainly region to region. In this neck of the woods, if you can't bend an offset or saddle bend, you are either a new apprentice or unemployed. Best, Bob-O
On Nov 24, 2009, at 11:48 PM, William Miller wrote: Friends: I'd like to make two brief points on the training/NABCEP debate: 1. If I thought NABCEP certification would get me one more job I'd normally lose to a low-ball bidder, I'd be inclined to sit for the test, but it won't. 2. Most solar electric installers could not be considered electricians. Until they learn the trade, they are not qualified to install the most basic grid tie system. Conversely, many electricians with the most basic electrical skills think they know all that needs to be known to design and install solar-electric. Wrong again. I don't support the IBEW concept of taking over the solar industry by force, but I do respect their concept of actually encouraging well rounded electrician's skills. How many solar installers can actually lay an offset into a stick of EMT? Not many. Most are glorified stereo installers, plugging and praying. Respectfully, William Miller
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