NABCEP Certification = Higher Salary (70% of the Time)

The NABCEP PV Installation Professional Certification is the gold standard for solar installers. Passing the test is notoriously hard. NABCEP doesn’t publish statistics but the general consensus is that it’s only around a 50% passing rate. Last month we sent out a survey to 571 HeatSpring customers who had taken the 40-Hour NABCEP Advanced PV Certification Training. That’s the most popular course for people going for their NABCEP PVIP Certification. We’ve received 58 responses so far, and the full report is available here.

The big takeaway is that of those who have taken the exam, 91% say they have passed! We acknowledge some selection bias in the data, since people are more likely to respond to the survey if they passed. But of everyone who took the exam – both pass and fail results – 86% said they thought the HeatSpring course helped improve their score. That’s great news, since our whole job is to help grow the industry.

For those who already had a job when they passed the NABCEP test, certification led to a higher salary 70% of the time. And 35% of the people who were looking for a job got one after passing the test.

The work NABCEP does is a cornerstone in the foundation of the solar industry. Without NABCEP, every state and jurisdiction would have to create their own rules and standards.

So how do we continue to improve on these numbers and get 100% of our students into the high paying jobs everyone wants? We think it has something to do with teamwork and community. We think maybe there’s an opportunity to encourage more people to study and learn in teams – within companies and self-organized study groups.

HeatSpring for Groups how we’re encouraging coworkers to learn and study together. We provide a no-cost Team Dashboard and discounted group training.

Organizing study groups for individuals has been harder. So far we’re doing that through our many free course discussion boards and within the NABCEP courses themselves. Sean White is great at keeping things informal and fun.

But we’re looking and open to new ideas, too. How can we better support you on your journey to NABCEP certification? Email me or call me if you have a suggestion to share: bhayden at heatspring.com or 800-393-2044 x1.

Go solar in 2021!