“What do I need to do to become a licensed solar installer?”
This is the most common question we hear from the experienced professionals who take HeatSpring solar design and installation courses. There are always a few hoops to jump through, but it’s not always clear what those hoops are. We have always tried to stay current on this information by communicating with state licensing boards and surveying past students, but it can get overwhelming at times. We hoped someone would create a one-stop database of state license requirements.
The Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s Solar Licensing Database has done exactly that.
“In the database, licensing requirements for installing photovoltaic and solar thermal systems are documented for each state. These are organized alphabetically. Today, only 14 states have established specific solar license classifications, usually sub-classifications of electrical or plumbing licenses, and often specifically defined to limit the scope of work to direct solar installations and maintenance tasks. For additional information, resource links to state-specific websites and documents are included. IREC will update the database to keep pace with those changes as they become available.”
Click to view IREC’s Solar Licensing Database
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Spotted your blog via bing the other day and absolutely enjoy it. Carry on the fantastic work.
Thanks very much for the words of encouragement.
Mr. B. Hyden, enjoyed your site/been in the water well buis. for years and semi-retired but have been very interested in using my capabilities in getting homes and buis. off of the grid. Need to know who i can talk with or about the direction i need to address. i’am very interested in learning all i can about clean alternative energy. Proud to see people with a great mission, it’s about our children and grand kids/May God Bless you Folks, gpeeksr
Gary – give me a call any time at 800-393-2044 x44. It’s my job to help people with those kinds of questions. What about geothermal heat pumps? That’s an obvious step for well drillers. But there are a lot of other ways you can go too, depending on the options in your area. Thanks for the note!
The Solar PV course and training offered on Jan. 31 also provides and Entry Level Test NABCEP. Does passing this test meet the requirements for Pennsylvania and the Sunshine Rebate Program and the certified contractors list.
Yes, it does. The Sunshine Rebate Program requires an IREC accredited training program, which HeatSpring’s Solar Installer Boot Camp is. We provide a certificate of completion for the course which can serve as the required documentation for the state program.
Sad to see that AZ has put in barriers to entry for solar electric – you must be a licensed electrician. This slows down the adoption of the technology.
We are experts in solar thermal space heating systems – obvious knowledge that transfers to PV. But I would have to get an electricians license (including 4 years experience in electric) to be able to add PV to our offerings.
This in a supposedly free market state.
[…] After that initial screen, we address the equally important questions of licensing and ability to compete in the marketplace. This is a different conversation in every state, but it’s getting easier and easier to get answers about what you need to do. For more on this topic, read this previous article: “What License Do I Need To Install Solar?” […]