Certification Handbook
NABCEP Certification Handbook V7.2-06.09.2014
Applications for all N ABCEP Certifications are available at:
WWW.N ABCEP.ORG
N orth American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (N ABCEP)
56 Clifton Country Road, Suite 202
Clifton Park, N Y, 12065
w w w .N ABCEP.org
Email
General Inquiries: info@N ABCEP.org
Certification & Applications: applications@N ABCEP.org
Recertification & Continuing Education: info@N ABCEP.org
Phone: (800) 654-0021
Fax: (518) 899-1092
STATEMEN T OF N ON D ISCRIMIN ATORY POLICY
The N orth Am erican Board of Certified Energy Practitioners is d ed icated to the principles of equal opportunity and
equal access to its program s and services. N ABCEP d oes not d iscrim inate against any ind ivid ual on the basis of
religion, gend er, ethnic background , nationality, d isability, sexual orientation, or other reason prohibited by law .
N ABCEP grants certification w ithout regard to an Applicant’s m em bership or non -m em bership on any organization,
association or other group.
Disclaimer St at ement :
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
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NABCEP is a non-profit cert ificat ion organizat ion for professionals in t he field of
renew able energy.
NABCEP issues v olunt ary cert ificat ion credent ials t o t hose qualified professionals w ho
sat isfy eligibilit y requirement s est ablished by t he Board of Direct ors.
NABCEP cert ificat ion is not a professional license issued by a gov ernment agency , and
does not aut horiz e a cert ificant t o pract ice.
NABCEP cert ificant s must comply w it h all legal requirement s relat ed t o pract ice,
including licensing law s
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
Introduction ..................................................... 1
2
Overview .......................................................... 2
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
3
3.5
4
DOCUMENTING TRAINING ..................................... 7
DOCUMENTING LICENSURE ................................... 7
DOCUMENTING EMPLOYMENT OR APPRENTICESHIP7
DOCUMENTING EDUCATION .................................. 7
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMEN TS ................................... 8
Q UALIFYIN G FOR TH E EXAMIN ATION .................... 8
EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS .................................. 9
D OCUMEN TIN G EXPERIEN CE .................................. 9
4.4.1
4.4.2
4.5
4.6
4.7
Documenting Employment ...................................... 9
Documenting Installations....................................... 9
TRAINING REQUIREMENTS ................................... 10
D OCUMEN TIN G TRAIN IN G ................................... 10
D OCUMEN TIN G LICEN SURE ................................. 10
PV Technical Sales Professional Certification
Requirements ................................................ 11
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
5.7
5.8
6
OSHA 10 Training .................................................. 6
PV Training ............................................................. 6
Solar Heating Installer Certification
Requirements .................................................. 8
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
5
System Summary ..................................................... 5
Documenting System Installation............................ 5
Documenting Decision Making Role ....................... 5
TRAINING REQUIREMENTS ..................................... 6
3.5.1
3.5.2
3.6
3.7
3.8
3.9
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS ................................. 11
QUALIFYING FOR THE EXAMINATION .................. 11
EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS ................................ 12
DOCUMENTING EXPERIENCE ................................ 13
TRAINING REQUIREMENTS ................................... 14
DOCUMENTING TRAINING ................................... 15
NABCEP PV ENTRY LEVEL EXAMINATION
REQUIREMENT ............................................... 15
DOCUMENTING LICENSURE ................................. 16
Small Wind Installer Certification
Requirements ................................................ 16
6.1
8
TH E SMALL W IN D C ERTIFIED IN STALLER ............ 16
9
A PPLICATION P ROCESS ........................................ 16
VERIFICATION OF EMPLOYMEN T AN D EDUCATION 17
A PPLICATION REVIEW ......................................... 17
N OTIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY OR IN ELIGIBILITY . 17
REFUN D P OLICY ................................................... 17
ELIGIBILITY P ERIOD .............................................. 18
Preparing To Take the Examination ......... 18
8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS ................................... 3
QUALIFYING FOR THE EXAMINATION .................... 3
EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS .................................. 4
DOCUMENTING EXPERIENCE .................................. 5
3.4.1
3.4.2
3.4.3
Application for Certification ...................... 16
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6
P URPOSE ................................................................. 2
C ERTIFICATION TIMELIN E ...................................... 2
CERTIFICATION PERIOD .......................................... 2
FEES ........................................................................ 2
PV Installation Professional Certification
Requirements .................................................. 3
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
7
SCH EDULIN G EXAMIN ATION SITE & TIME ........... 18
EXAM C ON TEN T ................................................... 18
SPECIAL TESTIN G A CCOMMODATION S ................ 19
EN GLISH AS A SECON D LAN GUAGE ..................... 19
Taking the Examination .............................. 19
9.1
9.2
9.3
9.4
9.5
9.6
A DMISSION TO TH E EXAMIN ATION ...................... 19
W H AT TO BRIN G TO TH E EXAM ........................... 20
W H AT N OT TO BRIN G TO TH E EXAMIN ATION ..... 20
A TTIRE – W H AT TO W EAR FOR TH E EXAM .......... 21
A N SWER SH EETS .................................................. 21
TEST TAKIN G A DVICE .......................................... 21
10 Examination Administrative Policies ....... 21
10.1
10.2
10.3
10.4
10.5
10.6
10.7
RULES ................................................................... 21
EXAM SECURITY ................................................... 22
LATE A RRIVALS ................................................... 22
C AN CELLATION AN D RESCH EDULIN G P OLICY .... 23
EXAM LOCATION CHANGE .................................. 23
FAILURE TO A PPEAR ............................................ 23
C OMMEN T P RIOR TO SCORIN G ............................. 23
11 Scoring and Grade N otification ................. 24
11.1
11.2
11.3
11.4
11.5
11.6
11.7
11.8
11.9
P RE-TEST EXAM Q UESTION S ................................ 24
SCORIN G P ROCEDURES ........................................ 24
D ETERMIN ATION OF P ASSIN G SCORE ................... 24
EXAM SCORIN G TIME FRAME ............................... 24
C ON TEN TS OF TH E SCORE REPORT ....................... 24
SCORE IN FORMATION M ADE P UBLIC ................... 25
C H ALLEN GIN G EXAMIN ATION RESULTS .............. 25
RE-EXAMIN ATION IN FORMATION ........................ 25
C AN CELLATION OF SCORES ................................. 25
12 Certification Status ...................................... 26
12.1
12.2
12.3
12.4
D URATION OF C ERTIFICATION C REDEN TIAL ....... 26
D ISPLAYIN G A C ERTIFICATION M ARK ................. 26
REPLACEMEN T C ERTIFICATES .............................. 26
M ISCON DUCT ....................................................... 26
13 Recertification ............................................... 26
13.1 IN TRODUCTION .................................................... 26
13.1.1 Statement of Purposes ........................................... 26
13.1.2 Basic Requirements for Recertification .................. 27
13.1.3 Recertification Cycle .............................................. 27
13.1.4 A pplication Time Line............................................ 27
13.1.5 A pplication Process ................................................ 27
13.1.6 N otification of Recertification A cceptance ............. 28
13.2 PV IN STALLATION P ROFESSION AL RECERTIFICATION
REQUIREMEN TS ............................................. 28
13.2.1
13.2.2
13.2.3
13.2.4
Installation Requirements ...................................... 28
Definition of a Qualifying PV Installation System 28
Documenting PV System Installations .................. 28
Continuing Education Requirements for PV Installation
Professional Recertification................................ 28
13.3 SOLAR H EATIN G IN STALLER RECERTIFICATION
REQUIREMEN TS ............................................. 28
13.3.1
13.3.2
13.3.3
13.3.4
Installation Requirements ...................................... 29
Definition of a Qualifying Solar Heating System .. 29
Documenting Solar Heating System Installations . 29
Continuing Education Requirements for Solar Heating
Installer Recertification ..................................... 29
13.4 PV TECH N ICAL SALES P ROFESSION AL
RECERTIFICATION REQUIREMEN TS................ 29
13.4.1 Requirements ......................................................... 29
13.4.2 Definition of a Qualifying PV Installation System 29
13.4.3 Documenting the Sale of a Qualifying PV Installation
System ............................................................... 29
13.4.4 Continuing Education Requirements for PV Technical
Sales Professional Recertification....................... 29
13.5 SMALL W IN D IN STALLER RECERTIFICATION
REQUIREMEN TS ............................................. 30
13.5.1
13.5.2
13.5.3
13.5.4
Installation Requirements ...................................... 30
Definition of a Qualifying Small Wind System ..... 30
Documenting Small Wind System Installations .... 30
Continuing Education Requirements for Small Wind
Installer Recertification ..................................... 30
14.1 EMERITUS STATUS ................................................ 34
14.1.1
14.1.2
14.1.3
14.1.4
14.1.5
14.1.6
14.1.7
Eligibility ............................................................... 35
Related Fees ........................................................... 35
Recognition and Participation ............................... 35
Use of Emeritus Status Credential and M ark ........ 35
Reinstatement to A ctive Certification Status ........ 35
Relinquishment of the Credential .......................... 35
Prohibited Use of the Credential ............................ 35
15 Confidentiality.............................................. 36
15.1 C ON FIDEN TIALITY OF A PPLICATION M ATERIALS 36
15.2 C ON FIDEN TIALITY OF SCORES .............................. 36
15.3 C ERTIFICAN T REGISTRY ....................................... 36
16 Grievances & Appeals ................................. 36
16.1 G ROUN DS FOR A PPEAL ........................................ 36
16.2 A PPEAL P ROCEDURES .......................................... 36
16.3 C OMPLAIN T, D ISPUTE, & G RIEVAN CE P OLICY .... 37
17 Contacting N ABCEP .................................... 37
17.1 O BTAIN IN FORMATION AN D A SK Q UESTION S ..... 37
17.2 C H AN GE OF A DDRESS OR N AME.......................... 37
17.3 O TH ER P OLICIES .................................................. 37
Appendix I: N ABCEP Code of Ethics & Standards
of Conduct ..................................................... 38
Appendix II: N ABCEP Appeals Policy ............ 41
Appendix III: N ABCEP Certification Mark Use
Policy .............................................................. 47
Appendix IV: Certification Compliance
Monitoring Policy ........................................ 51
13.6 VERIFICATION OF IN FORMATION BY N ABCEP .... 31
Appendix V: Forms ............................................. 53
13.7 LICEN SURE REQUIREMEN T ................................... 31
SAMPLE EXAM SCHEDULING FORM ..................... 54
13.8 Q UALIFYIN G A CTIVITIES FOR C ON TACT H OURS
PAYMENT REMITTANCE FORM ............................. 55
TH ROUGH P ARTICIPATION IN C LASSES, TRAIN IN G
SAMPLE EXAMINATION CHANGE FORM ........ 56
SEMIN ARS AN D RELATED O FFERIN GS ........... 31
DUPLICATE DOCUMENT REQUEST FORM ........... 58
13.9 Q UALIFYIN G A CTIVITIES FOR C ON TACT H OURS
HAND GRADE OF ANSWER SHEET REQUEST FORM59
TH ROUGH IN STRUCTIN G , TEACH IN G , A UTH ORIN G ,
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS REQUEST FORM . 60
P UBLISH IN G OR P RESEN TIN G ........................ 32
13.9.1 Criteria and A llowance for Teaching Credits ......... 32
13.9.2 Criteria and A llowance for Publications Credits .... 32
13.9.3 Criteria and A llowance for Credits Related to Preparing
and Presenting Technical Information at Conferences,
Lectures, Seminars or W orkshops ...................... 33
13.10 ETH ICAL P RACTICE REQUIREMEN T ...................... 33
13.11 G EN ERAL RECERTIFICATION G UIDELIN ES ............ 33
13.11.1
13.11.2
13.11.3
13.11.4
Granting Credit ..................................................... 33
Credit Denial ......................................................... 33
M aintenance of Personal Recertification Records .. 34
A pplication for Certification Renewal .................... 34
13.12 FAILURE TO SATISFY RECERTIFICATION REQUIREMEN TS
...................................................................... 34
13.12.1 Suspension ............................................................. 34
13.12.2 Revocation .............................................................. 34
13.12.3 Prohibited use of Credential ................................... 34
14 Voluntary, Optional Changes in Certification
Status ............................................................... 34
Certification Handbook
1 Introduction
The N orth Am erican Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (N ABCEP ®) offers volu ntary personnel
certification for professionals in the renew able energy ind u stry, inclu d ing N ABCEP PV Installation
Professional™, N ABCEP Solar H eating Installer™, and N ABCEP PV Technical Sales Professional™.
Ind ivid u als seeking these certifications m u st m eet the requ irem ents of one of the qu alifying categories
established by the N ABCEP Board of Directors, agree to a Cod e of Ethics, p ay all requ ired fees, and pass an
exam ination. Certified ind ivid u als (Certificants) m u st com plete m inim u m related continu ing ed u cation and
experience requ irem ents, and pay a recertification fee, to m aintain certification d u ring each three-year
certification period . This Certification Handbook contains inform ation abou t N ABCEP’s certification program s. It
provid es gu id ance and p olicies for app lying, achieving, and m aintaining a personnel certification from
N ABCEP.
Incorporated in 2002, the m ission of N ABCEP is to w ork w ith and su p port the renew able energy and energy
efficiency ind u stries, professionals, and stakehold ers to d evelop and im plem ent qu ality cred entialing and
certification program s for p ractitioners. Practitioners w ho choose to becom e certified m u st d em onstrate their
com petence in the field and their com m itm ent to u phold ing high stand ard s of ethical and p rofessional practice.
N ABCEP is a nationally recognized cred entialing bod y form ed to set com petency stand ard s for professional
practitioners in the field s of renew able energy and energy efficiency. N ABCEP follow s best p ractices of the
certification field in the d evelopm ent and oper ation of all of its certification program s. N ABCEP PV
Installation Professional Certification (form erly N ABCEP Solar PV Installer Certification) has been accred ited
to the rigorou s international AN SI/ ISO/ IEC 17024 stand ard for personnel certification bod ies since 2007, and
the N ABCEP Solar H eating Installer Certification becam e accred ited in 2013.
Volu ntary certification for renew able energy professionals:

Prom otes the statu s and cred ibility of renew able energy p ractices
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Prom otes consu m er confid ence in renew able energy technologies

Prom otes w orker safety and skill
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Ad vances u niform professional stand ard s by hold ing certificants to a Cod e of Ethics
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Com m its certificants to continu ed professional d evelopm ent throu gh m aintenance of the cred ential
N ABCEP is com m itted to provid ing a certification program of qu ality and integrity for the professionals and
pu blic consu m ers it is d esigned to serve. In ad d ition to gu id ing cand id ates for certification throu gh the
ap plication, exam ination, and m aintenance p roced u res for each Certification, this Handbook contains policies
regard ing cand id ate rights and the integrity of the N ABCEP cred ential.
Each individual Applicant should read this Handbook thoroughly in preparation for
applying for certification. This Handbook covers the entire application, examination,
certification, and recertification process.
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2 Overview
2.1
Purpose
Certification - a procedure by w hich an independent t hird-part y giv es w rit t en assurance t hat a professional
conforms t o specified st andards, usually by holding professionals in a specific field t o a set of requirement s
including a w rit t en examinat ion. As a result of meet ing t he requirement s and passing t he exam, professionals
receiv e a cert ificat e, w hich t hey can display publicly t o w it ness t heir proficiency .
Certification assu res the pu blic, em ployers and practitioners that a certified p rofessional possess the skills and
know led ge necessary to com petently carry ou t the w ork processes of a specific field as ou tlined in the relevant
Job Task Analysis, and that he/ she is com m itted to continu ed professional training and ed u cation and
ad herence to ethical practices.
2.2
Certification Timeline
Application D eadline to su bm it com pleted
Ap plication and rem it Ap plication Fee
10 w eeks and one day (71 days) prior to
each Examination
Ap plicants notified of eligibility or ineligibility
N o later than 3 w eeks after the Ap plication
Dead line
Exam Scheduling D eadline to sched u le exam
and rem it Exam ination Fee
6 w eeks and one day (43 days) prior to
Examination
Cand id ates sent Exam Ad m ission Slip via e-m ail
N o less than tw o w eeks prior to exam ination
Examination
Tw ice Annu ally (Spring & Fall)
Candidate N otification Cand id ates are sent
notification of exam resu lts via Postal Service
N o m ore than 6 w eeks after exam d ate
Certificates Aw arded Certificates are m ailed via
Postal Service to new N ABCEP Certified
Installers and new Certificants are listed on
w ebsite
N o m ore than 6 w eeks after notification of
resu lts
Exact d ead line calend ar d ates pertaining to u pcom ing ad m inist rations of the exam ination w ill be posted on the
N ABCEP w ebsite and are available u pon requ est.
2.3
Certification Period
Certification is valid for three (3) years from the d ate of issu ance. Certificants m u st m eet the requ irem ents for
recertification (see Section 13) by the end of each three-year period in ord er to be eligible to renew their
certification. Certificants m ay perpetu ally repeat the recertification p rocess every three years for as long as they
continu e to m eet the established requ irem ents for continu ing ed u cation and p ractice. N ABCEP shall regu larly
review and u pd ate stand ard s and requ irem ents as need ed .
2.4
Fees
All fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, except as may be allow ed by procedures contained in this
Handbook.
Ap plication Fee – per electronically su bm itted application ………………………........................................ $125
Ap plication Fee – per paper ap plication ………………………………………..………………..………….. $175
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Exam ination Fee – p er first tim e cand id ate p er certification exam …...................................................... $375
Re-exam ination Fee – p er each re-take of an exam ination …………………………………………...… $275
H and Score Fee – p er each requ est to hand verify an exam score ……………………………………… $50
Recertification Fee – per electronically su bm itted ap plication ……………………………………………… $390
Recertification Fee – per p ap er ap plication …………………………………………………………………… $440
Certification Renew al Fee – per recertification w ithin first year of expiration ………..….……………….... $50
Certification Renew al Fee – per recertification w ithin second or third year of exp iration………...……… $100
Replacem ent Docu m ent Fee – per requ est………………….…………………………....................................... $25
Fees are p ayable to the N orth Am erican Board of Certified Energy P ractitioners (N ABCEP) via cred it card ,
check or m oney ord er. Paym ents that are not rem itted electronically throu gh the w ebsite m u st be su bm itted
w ith a Paym ent Rem ittance Form (Append ix IV). All fees are su bject to change w ithou t notice.
3 PV Installation Professional Certification Requirements
3.1
Eligibility Requirements
To becom e certified and m aintain certification, the Ap plicant m u st m inim ally:
 Be at least 18 years of age
 Meet prerequ isites of related experience and / or ed u cation as ou tlined below
 Com plete an ap plication form d ocu m enting requ irem ents
 Sign and agree to u phold the N ABCEP Cod e of Ethics
 Pay Ap plication and Exam ination Fees to N ABCEP
 Pass a w ritten exam ination
 Once certified com plete continu ing ed u cation and experience requ irem ents, su bm it a recertification
ap plication, and pay a Recertification Fee, w ithin the recertification tim efram e
Qualifying for the Examination
3.2
There are several w ays that an ind ivid u al m ay qu alify to sit for the certification exam ination (Qu alifying
Categories). N ABCEP recognizes that professionals in the field of renew able energy and energy efficient
technologies receive their training and w ork experiences in a variety of w ays ; therefore, each Qu alifying
Category stipu lates specific training and / or experience. N ABCEP Staff w ill review each application to
d eterm ine com pliance w ith eligibility criteria. Com pliance w ith the requ irem ents of one of the Qu alifying
Categories below m u st be d ocu m ented .
To qu alify to sit for the N ABCEP PV Installation Professional Certification Exam ination, every Applicant w ill
need to d ocu m ent:
1)
Com pletion of a m inim u m of 10 hou rs of OSH A Ou treach Training Program for the Constru ction
Ind u stry training (or state or provincial equ ivalent); AN D
2)
Com pletion of 58 cu m u lative hou rs of training as d efined in Section 3.5.2 below (N OTE: These hou rs
of training d o not need to be in ad d ition to app renticeship or d egree cou rsew ork if the requ irem ents of
Section 3.5.2 w ere m et w ithin the cu rricu lu m ); AN D
3)
That he/ she m eets all of the requ irem ents of ON E of the follow ing Qu alification Categories:
CATEGORY A
i. Decision m aking role in the installation of five (5) PV system s in com pliance w ith the
requ irem ents of Section 3.3 below ;
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CATEGORY B
i. Licensu re as a contractor in good stand ing in solar or electrical constru ction -related areas; AN D
ii. Decision m aking role in the installation of three (3) PV system s in com pliance w ith Section 3.3
CATEGORY C
i. Fou r (4) years of electrical constru ction -related experience w orking for a licensed contractor; AN D
ii. Decision m aking role in the installation of three (3) PV system s in com pliance w ith Section 3.3
CATEGORY D
i. Three (3) years of experience in a U.S. Dep artm ent of Labor Registered Electrical Constru ction
Trad e App renticeship Program ; AN D
ii. Decision m aking role in the installation of three (3) PV system s in com pliance w ith Section 3.3
CATEGORY E
i. Tw o (2) or fou r (4) year d egree in a field related to renew able energy, constru ction technology,
electrical technology, or engineering technology; OR Fou r (4) year d egree in a field related to
electrical, m echanical, stru ctu ral, or civil engineering, or architectu re; AN D
ii. Decision m aking role in the installation of three (3) PV system s in com pliance w ith Section 3.3
N ABCEP CERTIFIED PV IN STALLATION PROFESSION AL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMEN TS
SUMMARY TABLE
All Applicants must be at least 18 years of age; document a minimum of 10 hours of OSHA Outreach
Training Program for the Construction Industry training (or state or provincial equivalent); complete
at least 58 hours of relevant qualified training (see Section 3.5.2); sign a Code of Ethics; and pay all
applicable fees.
Category
Who
Minimum Experience
Professional w ith a d ocu m ented d ecision m aking role in the
Docu m ented d ecision
installation of PV system s – su ch as Lead Installers, System
m aking role in the
Designers, Project Managers, Site Managers, Forem an,
A
installation of five (5) PV
Electricians, System Engineers, and Qu ality Assu rance /
system s
Com m issioning Agents
Existing licensed contractor in good stand ing in a solar or
B
electrical constru ction trad e
Fou r (4) years of electrical constru ction -related exp erience
w orking for a licensed contractor (inclu d es licensee or
C
ow ner/ op erator)
Docu m ented d ecision
m aking role in the
Three (3) years of exp erience in a U.S. Dep t. of Lab or
installation of three (3)
Registered Electrical Constru ction Trad e Ap p renticeship
D
PV system s
Program
Tw o (2) or m ore year renew able energy, constru ction
technology, electrical technology, or engineering technology
E
d egree; or fou r (4) or m ore year electrical, m echanical,
stru ctu ral or civil engineering, or architectu re d egree
3.3
Experience Requirements
All systems submitted w ith the application must meet the follow ing minimum criteria:
A. The Applicant shall have p erform ed in a d ecision m aking role, w hich had m aterial im pact on the
qu ality and serviceability of the installation. Exam ples of su ch roles inclu d e, bu t are not lim ited to:
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Lead Installers, System Designers, Project Managers, Site Managers, Forem an, Electricians, System
Engineers, and Qu ality Assu rance / Com m issioning Agents. Du e to the variety of d ecision m aking
roles that m ay be involved w ith any particu lar system installation, m ore than one p erson m ay qu alify
for each system ; how ever, each ind ivid u al m u st d ocu m ent their specific role and their level of
resp onsibility for the qu ality and serviceability of the installation .
B.
Installation m u st have been com pleted w ithin the tw o calend ar years prior to the application
su bm ission d ate.
C. All system m u st have a m inim u m rating of 1 kW DC (STC).
3.4
Documenting Experience
For each PV system , an Ap plicant m u st su bm it d ocu m entation that su m m arizes system inform ation,
d ocu m ents system com pletion, and verifies his/ her d ecision m aking role. N ABCEP reserves the right to
contact system ow ners/ op erators, perm itting au thorities, em ployers, and su b-contractors to verify the
Ap plicant’s w ork experience and d ecision m aking au thority.
3.4.1 System Summary
To document experience as a PV installation professional, Applicants are asked in the application to provide a
concise description of the system and the work performed, including:
 System location
 Date perform ed
 System info (PV array size, nu m ber of inverters and total cu m u lative inverter capacity)
 N am e and phone nu m ber of installation contractor
 N am e and phone nu m ber of contractor listed on the perm it or inspection
 Description of w ork perform ed by the Applicant
3.4.2 Documenting System Installation
To document the system completion date and that the system was installed according to applicable codes, an
Applicant must submit a copy of Electrical and/or Building Permit(s) and Final Inspection Report(s) issued by
the Local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) for each system submitted. In regions where permits and
inspection reports are not issued, the Applicant may submit an inspection report that was written by an
independent qualified electrician recognized by the AHJ or an independent certified electrical inspector.
3.4.3 Documenting Decision Making Role
If the Applicant was named on the permit/inspection document(s) then no additional documentation is needed
to verify that he/she held a decision making role that had material impact on the quality and serviceability of
the installation. To document that the Applicant who is not named on the permit/inspection document(s) did
hold a decision making role during the design, project management, installation, and/or
commissioning/quality assurance process, the Applicant must submit one of the following:
A.
A signed letter on letterhead from the person, or a member of senior management from the company,
that is named on the permit/inspection document(s). The letter must clearly explain the role(s) and the decision
making authority that the Applicant held for the system design, project management, installation, and/or
commissioning/quality assurance process for the system installation; OR
B.
Design plans and/or line drawings that identify the Applicant as being responsible for the design; OR
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C.
A commissioning or quality assurance report that identifies the Applicant as being responsible for the
system commissioning or quality assurance process.
Training Requirements
3.5
3.5.1 OSHA 10 Training
All Ap plicants m u st show proof of com p letion of a m inim u m of 10 hou rs of the Occu pational Safety and
H ealth Ad m inistration (OSH A) Ou treach Training Program for the Constru ction Ind u stry, or state or
provincial equ ivalent. To find an OSH A class visit: w w w .osha.gov/ d te/ ou treach/ cou rses.htm l.
N OTE: N ABCEP strongly recom m end s the com pletion of an OSH A 30-H ou r Constru ction Ind u stry cou rse.
OSH A states that “the 10-hou r class is intend ed for entry level w orkers” and “the 30-hou r class is m ore
ap propriate for su pervisors or w orkers w ith som e safety responsibility.” Eighteen (18) of the tw enty (20)
ad d itional hou rs of training from a 30-hou r OSH A cou rse m ay be ap plied to the 58 hou rs of training that is
requ ired for all Qu alifying Categories (see Section.3.5.2.D).
3.5.2 PV Training
PV training must meet the follow ing criteria to be accepted in an application:
A. All training w as com pleted in the five calend ar years prior to the s u bm ission of the ap plication.
B.
All training m u st have a form al training form at, w ith a teacher -learner stru ctu re. This im plies a
connection betw een a learner and a learning sou rce. This can inclu d e w eb-based training in w hich the
stu d ent is sep arated from facu lty and other stu d ents bu t w here the learner receives feed back and the
stu d ent’s progress is m onitored . All hou r requ irem ents are based on “contact hou rs” betw een the
teacher and the learner.
C. A m inim u m of forty (40) of the fifty eight (58) p rescribed hou rs m u st cover “ad vanced ” PV installation
and d esign principles and p ractices as ou tlined in the N ABCEP PV Installation Professional Job Task
Analysis (as op posed to “fu nd am ental” or “introd u ctory” PV installation and d esign principles and
practices as ou tlined in the N ABCEP PV Entry Level Learning Objectives). This ad vanced PV training
m u st be offered by one of the follow ing ed u cation provid ers:
I.
Institu tions accred ited by an agency recognized by the fed eral Departm ent of Ed u cation, or
Canad ian equ ivalent (Accred ited Universities, Colleges, Com m u nity Colleges, etc.)
(http:/ / ope.ed .gov/ accred itation/ search.aspx)
II. U.S. Dep artm ent of Labor Registered App renticeship Training Program s
(w w w .d oleta.gov/ oa/ )
III. Interstate Renew able Energy Cou ncil (IREC) Accred ited Training Provid ers for the N ABCEP
PV Installation Professional Job Task Analysis
(http:/ / w w w .irecu sa.org/ cred entialing/ cred ential-hold ers/ )
IV. Am erican N ational Stand ard s Institu te (AN SI)/ IREC 14732 Accred ited Certificate Program s
(https:/ / w w w .ansica.org/ w w w version2/ ou tsid e/ AN RECd irectory.asp?m enu ID=229) or
AN SI/ ASTM 2659 Accred ited Certificate Program s
(https:/ / w w w .ansica.org/ w w w version2/ ou tsid e/ CAPd irectory.asp?m enu ID=212) that are
based on the N ABCEP PV Installation Professional Job Task Analysis
V. Training institu tions ap proved by State Contractor Licensing Board s or Canad ian Provincial
equ ivalents
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VI. State or Provincial Dep artm ent of Ed u cation or equ ivalent licensed Vocational / Technical
training p rogram s
N OTE: Cou rses offered by private training organizations or bu sinesses that are not accred ited or
otherw ise recognized by a third -party as d escribed above, w ill not be accepted for the m inim u m
of 40 hou rs of ad vanced PV installation and d esign training.
D. A m axim u m of eighteen (18) of the fifty eight (58) prescribed hou rs m ay be obtained from non accred ited , non-certified sou rces su ch as:
I.
Cou rses covering electrical or bu ild ing cod es relevant to the installation of PV system s
II. Entry Level cou rsew ork throu gh a N ABCEP Registered PV Entry Level Exam Provid er,
provid ed that a p assing score achievem ent w as obtained on the N ABCEP PV Entry Level
Exam . N OTE: Introd u ctory/ Fu nd am ental level cou rses lead ing to the N ABCEP Entry Level
Exam d o not qu alify for the m inim u m 40 hou rs of ad vanced PV installation and d esign.
III. Ad d itional OSH A or equ ivalent w orkplace safety cou rses above and beyond the requ ired
OSH A 10-hou r cou rse
IV. Training program s and cou rses that are registered w ith N ABCEP for Continu ing Ed u cation
Cred its for the PV Installation Professional Certification
V. Any other cou rsew ork that ad d resses topics inclu d ed in the N ABCEP PV Installation
Professional Job Task Analysis, su ch as cou rses tau ght by a non -accred ited training
organization
3.6
Documenting Training
To d ocu m ent training, the Applicant m u st su bm it a certificate of com pletion or a transcript for each com pleted
training p rogram or cou rse u sed to m eet the m inim u m training requ irem ents. All certificates of com pletion and
transcripts m u st clearly state that the cou rse covered su bject m atter d irectly related to ad vanced PV installation
or the N ational Electric Cod e. If the su bject m atter of the cou rse is not clearly stated in the title, then the
Ap plicant m u st provid e a cou rse ou tline and a signed letter from the training provid er or instru ctor that d etails
how m any hou rs w ere spent covering the N ABCEP PV Installation Professional Certification Job Task Analysis
or relevant cod es.
3.7
Documenting Licensure
If the Applicant’s Qu alifying Category requ ires that they hold a specific license (see Section 3.2), or if a license
for solar installation is requ ired in the ju risd iction in w hich the w ork w as perform ed , the Ap plicant m u st
su bm it a copy of his/ her licenses w ith the ap plication.
3.8
Documenting Employment or Apprenticeship
An Applicant applying u nd er Qu alifying Categories C or D (see Section 3.2), m u st su bm it d ocu m entation for
the requ ired w ork experience. For Category C the Ap plicant w ill need to su bm it a signed letter from the
cu rrent or m ost recent licensed contractor(s) that verify the Ap plicant’s em ploym ent d u ration and job d u ties.
For Category D the Ap plicant w ill need to su bm it a copy of the Certificate of Ap prenticeship Com pletion.
3.9
Documenting Education
Ap plicants ap plying u nd er qu alifying Category E m u st su bm it copies of official transcripts or d iplom as
attesting to the com pletion of the d egree(s) or certificate(s) earned .
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4 Solar Heating Installer Certification Requirements
4.1
Eligibility Requirements
To becom e certified and m aintain certification, the Ap plicant m u st m inim ally:
 Be at least 18 years of age
 Meet prerequ isites of related experience and / or ed u cation as ou tlined below
 Com plete an ap plication form d ocu m enting requ irem ents
 Sign and agree to u phold a cod e of ethics
 Pay ap plication and exam fee
 Pass a w ritten exam
 Com plete continu ing ed u cation and installation requ irem ents w ithin the recertification tim efram e
4.2
Qualifying for the Examination
There are several w ays that an ind ivid u al m ay qu alify to sit for the Solar H eating Installer Certification
Exam ination. N ABCEP recognizes that p rofessionals in the field of renew able and su stainable energy and
energy efficient technologies receive their training and w ork experiences in a variety of w ays. Therefore each
requ irem ent to qu alify for the exam stipu lates specific training and / or experience. N ABCEP Staff w ill review
each ap plication to d eterm ine com pliance w ith eligibility criteria. Com pliance w ith the requ irem ents of one of
the Qu alifying Categories below m u st be d ocu m ented .
Qualifying Categories for the Solar Heating Installer Certification Examination
To qu alify to sit for the N ABCEP Solar H eating Installer Certification exam ination, the cand id ate m u st
d em onstrate that he/ she m eets at least ON E of the follow ing m inim u m entry requ irem ent Categories:
CATEGORY A
A1) Fou r (4) years of exp erience installing Solar H ot Water System s (see Section 4.3 for d efinition
of years of exp erience); OR
A2) Tw o (2) years of exp erience installing Solar Pool H eating System s in ad d ition to com p letion
of 16 hou rs cu m u lative of training (see Sections 4.3 and 4.5 for d efinitions of years of exp erience
and training)
Not e: If a candidat e chooses Cat egory A t hey must choose O NE of t he t w o opt ions list ed abov e.
CATEGORY B
Tw o (2) years of exp erience installing Solar H eating Installer System s in ad d ition to com p letion
of 40 hou rs cu m u lative of training (see Sections 4.3 and 4.5 for d efinitions of years of exp erience
and training)
CATEGORY C
Be an existing licensed contractor in good stand ing in solar or constru ction-related areas w ith one
(1) year of exp erience installing Solar H eating Installer System s (see Section 4.3 for d efinition of
years of exp erience)
CATEGORY D
Fou r (4) years of H VAC, m echanical, p ip e-fitting or p lu m bing-related exp erience w orking for a
licensed contractor, inclu d ing one (1) year of exp erience installing Solar H eating system s (see
Sections 4.3 and 4.5 for d efinition of years of exp erience and training)
CATEGORY E
Three (3) years of exp erience in a Dep artm ent of Labor Registered constru ction trad e
Ap p renticeship Program , inclu d ing one (1) year of exp erience installing Solar H eating System s
(see Sections 4.3 and 4.5 for d efinition of years of exp erience and training)
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CATEGORY F
Tw o (2) year constru ction related , or engineering technology, or renew able energy technology or
technician d egree from an accred ited ed u cational institu tion p lu s one (1) year of exp erience
installing Solar H eating System s (see Sections 4.3 and 4.5 for d efinition of years of exp erience and
training)
CATEGORY G
Fou r (4) year engineering d egree from an accred ited ed u cational institu tion, inclu d ing (1) year
exp erience installing Solar H eating System s (see Sections 4.3 and 4.5 for d efinition of years of
exp erience and training)
CATEGORY H
N ABCEP PV Installation Professional Certification (see Section 3) AN D 16 hou rs cu m u lative of
training (see Section 4.5), AN D installation of at least tw o solar hot w ater system s (see Sections
4.3 and 4.5 for d efinition of years of exp erience and training). These tw o system s requ ire
p erm itting and insp ection p rocess by a p erm itting au thority – OR – in the absence of su ch, an
ap p rop riate u nd erw riter au thorized to p rovid e an insp ection certificate. In regions w here n either
of these insp ection op tions exists, the Execu tive Director or the Ap p lication Review Com m ittee
w ill ju d ge exp erience based on su p p lied d ocu m entation.
4.3
Experience Requirements
One (1) year of experience m u st inclu d e service, r ep air and / or installation of 2 solar heating system s. This year
of service MUST inclu d e a responsible role on the job installing tw o (2) solar hot w ater system s, in the role of
forem an, su pervisor, site m anager, or experienced w orker perform ing solar hot w ater installation of w or k
w ithou t d irect su pervision.
4.4
D ocumenting Experience
4.4.1 Documenting Employment
For the Ap plicant to d em onstrate that they have been w orking in the Solar H eating Installer field for the
nu m ber of years requ ired by the Qu alifying Category chosen , Applicants are asked on the Ap plication Form to
list Solar H eating-related em ploym ent in chronological ord er, starting w ith m ost cu rrent em ploym ent. The
Ap plicant w ill need to w rite a job d escription, su m m arize the nu m ber and type of system s installed , and
provid e contact inform ation for a su pervisor.
4.4.2 Documenting Installations
In ord er to d ocu m ent the m inim u m 2-system s requ ired per year of experience, Ap p licants are asked in the
Ap plication Form to list qu alifying inst alled system s and provid e a concise d escription of w ork perform ed at
the job site, inclu d ing the system size, a list of com ponents, the level of their responsibility on the jobsite,
nu m ber of fu ll-tim e equ ivalent w orkers su pervised , and any other pertinent inform ation.
These tw o (2) system s per year of experience requ ire perm itting and inspection by a Au thority H aving
Ju risd iction – OR – in the absence of su ch, an ap propriate u nd erw riter au thorized to provid e an inspection
certificate. In regions w here neither of these inspection options exists, the Applicant m ay su bm it the follow ing
for consid eration:
A line-d raw ing of the system show ing all com ponents
A bill of sale or signed contract for services
Warranty inform ation specific to the cu stom er as available
N otification of approval of rebate or other incentive
A signed letter from the App licant’s su pervisor or em ployer stating that they w ere the lead installer of
that system .
A signed letter from the Cu stom er attesting to the com pletion of the system .
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N ABCEP reserves the right to contact system ow n ers/ operators, perm itting au thorities, and responsible
contractors to verify w ork listed in this Section.
4.5
Training Requirements
Althou gh training is strongly encou raged , it is not a requ irem ent for achieving this certification w hen
Ap plicants m eet other entry requ irem ents. H ow ever, the exam is su ch that som e level of training w ill likely be
necessary for m ost Applicants to achieve a passing score. It is recom m end ed that Ap plicants look for training
cou rses that are accred ited and / or instru ctors that are certified by the Interstate Renew able Energy Cou ncil
(IREC). Fu ll list of accred ited training p rogram s and certified instru ctors can be fou nd at w w w .IRECu sa.org
u nd er “Cred entialing”.
Types of training programs may include but are not limited to:
1.
Offered by an institu tion accred ited by an agency recognized by the fed eral Departm ent of
Ed u cation (Universities, Com m u nity Colleges, etc.)
2.
Ded icated ind epend ent training program s su ch as those accred ited by IREC
3.
Departm ent of Labor Registered Apprenticeship training program s
4.
State or Provincial Contractor Licensing Board ap proved training p rogram s
5.
Vocational/ Technical training program s
6.
N ABCEP Registered Continu ing Ed u cation Cou rses
Training and Education Requirements for Categories A2, B and H
N ABCEP w ill accept training to m eet eligibility requ irem ents for Category A 2, Category B, and Category H
w hen the training m eets the follow ing ou tcom es:
a) H ave a form al training form at, w ith a teacher -learner stru ctu re. This im plies a connection betw een a
learner and a learning sou rce. It can inclu d e classroom tim e led by an instru ctor and / or d iscu ssion
lead er. It can also inclu d e activities in w hich a learner is engaged in a planned learning event in w hich
he/ she is sep arated from facu lty and other stu d ents bu t w here the learner receives som e sort of feed back
and the learner’s progress is m onitored . Exam ples inclu d e com pu ter -assisted instru ction, interactive
vid eo/ CD/ DVD and / or w eb site learning.
c) Covers core com peten cies from the Solar H eating Installer Task Analysis, inclu d ing d em onstration
of m otor skills; the applicable plu m bing, roofing, electrical and other Cod es; safety w ork practices and
cod es.
4.6
D ocumenting Training
Form al ed u cation and training are optional d ep end ing on the Qu alifying Category chosen, thou gh N ABCEP
believes that Applicants w ill benefit from qu ality training w hen preparing to take the certification exam . If the
Qu alifying Category requ ires ed u cation, the Ap plicant m u st provid e d ocu m entation rela ted to the ed u cation
or training. To d ocu m ent training, the Ap plicant m u st su bm it a certificate of com pletion or a transcript for each
com pleted training program or cou rse u sed to m eet the m inim u m training requ irem ents. All certificates of
com pletion and transcripts m u st clearly state that the cou rse covered su bject m atter d irectly related to Solar
H eating Installation . If the su bject m atter of the cou rse is not clearly stated in the title, then the Applicant m u st
provid e a cou rse ou tline and a signed letter from the training provid er or instru ctor that d etails how m any
hou rs w ere spent covering the N ABCEP Solar H eating Installer Job Task Analysis or relevant cod es.
4.7
D ocumenting Licensure
If a license for solar heating installer is requ ired in the ju risd iction in w hich the w ork is perform ed , cand id ates
m u st su bm it their license nu m ber -- or the license nu m ber u nd er w hich the w ork w as perform ed .
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5 PV Technical Sales Professional Certification Requirements
Eligibility Requirements
5.1
In ord er to be eligible for N ABCEP PV Technical Sales Professional Certification, ap p licants m u st satisfy
the follow ing requ irem ents:


Be at least 18 years of age;
Com p lete the OSH A 10 H ou r Constru ction Training Cou rse Class (a Certificate of cou rse
com p letion m u st be su bm itted w ith A p p lication);
Satisfy at least one (1) of the qu alifying certification eligibility categories (Qu alifying Categories)
id entified below ;
Com p lete the N ABCEP PV Technical Sales Professional Certification Exam ination Ap p lication
(p rinted or online ap p lication);
Accep t the N ABCEP Cod e of Ethics & Stand ard s of Cond u ct;
Pay ap p licable Ap p lication fees; and ,
Achieve a p assing score on the N ABCEP PV Technical Sales Professional Certification
Exam ination.





5.2
Qualifying for the Examination
The N ABCEP Board of Directors and PV Technical Sales Professional Technical Com m ittee have
established the follow ing seven (7) Qu alifying Categories for N ABCEP PV Technical Sales Professional
Certification. Ap p licants m u st satisfy at least one (1) of the follow ing categories in ord er to qu alify for
certification.
A.
B.
C.
Qu alifying Category A

At least sixty (60) cu m u lative hou rs of training d irectly related to the N ABCEP PV Technical
Sales Professional Job Task Analysis;

Verifiable sales exp erience, inclu d ing the com p letion of at lea st fou r (4) PV Installation
system sales p rop osals w ithin the tw elve (12) m onth p eriod p rior to ap p lying for the
N ABCEP PV Technical Sales Professional Certification; and ,

Achieve a p assing score on the N ABCEP PV Entry Level Exam ination.
Qu alifying Category B

At least thirty-tw o (32) cu m u lative hou rs of training d irectly related to the N ABCEP PV
Technical Sales Professional Job Task Analysis;

Verifiable sales exp erience, inclu d ing the com p letion of at least eight (8) PV Installation
system sales p rop osals w ithin the tw enty-fou r (24) m onth p eriod p rior to ap p lying for the
N ABCEP PV Technical Sales Professional Certification; and ,

Achieve a p assing score on the N ABCEP PV Entry Level Exam ination.
Qu alifying Category C

Associates Degree from an accred ited ed u cational institu tion in renew able energy
technology or related field of stu d y;
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

D.
Achieve a p assing score on the N ABCEP PV Entry Level Exam ination.
Qu alifying Category D


E.
Verifiable sales exp erience, inclu d ing the com p letion of at least fou r (4) PV Installation
system sales p rop osals w ithin the tw elve (12) m onth p eriod p rior to ap p lying fo r the
N ABCEP PV Technical Sales Professional Certification; and ,
Bachelor’s Degree from an accred ited ed u cational institu tion; and ,
Verifiable sales exp erience, inclu d ing the com p letion of at least fou r (4) PV Installation
system sales p rop osals w ithin the tw elve (12) m onth p eriod p rior to ap p lying for the
N ABCEP PV Technical Sales Professional Certification.
Qu alifying Category E

Cu rrently cred entialed as a N ABCEP PV Installation Professional in good stand ing; or,

Cu rrently recognized by N ABCEP as a N ABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional
Em eritu s.
N OTE: A minimum of thirty (30) hours of additional training in non-installation aspects of the PV
Technical Sales Job Task A nalysis is strongly recommended.
F.
Qu alifying Category F


Cu rrently licensed as an electrician in the State in w hich the ap p licant p erform s his/ her
occu p ational activities; and ,
Achieve a p assing score on the N ABCEP PV Entry Level Exam ination.
N OTE: A minimum of thirty (30) hours of additional training in all aspects of the PV Technical Sales Job
Task A nalysis is strongly recommended.
G.
Qu alifying Category G

Verifiable sales exp erience, inclu d ing the com p letio n of at least tw enty (20) PV Installation
system sales p rop osals w ithin the sixty (60) m onth p eriod p rior to ap p lying for the N ABCEP
PV Technical Sales Certification; and ,

At least five (5) years of cu m u lative, d ocu m ented PV Installation system s sales-related
exp erience.
N OTE: A minimum of thirty (30) hours of additional training in all aspects of the PV Technical Sales Job
Task A nalysis is strongly recommended.
5.3
Experience Requirements
A.
Definitions
1.
Verifiable Sales Experience
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Verifiable sales exp erien ce = actively engaged in PV Installation system s sales-related
activities, inclu d ing the com p letion of the nu m ber of PV Installation system p rop osals
requ ired by the ap p licant’s Qu alifying Category. See Section II. Sales related activities inclu d e
engaging in the sale and / or d esign of PV Installation system s, su ch as, ind ivid u als em p loyed
as sales m anagers, site analysts, system d esigners, technical su p p ort p ersonnel, and p roject
finance analysts.
For each of the fou r (4) PV Installation system p rop osals to be com p leted in each tw elve (12)
m onth p eriod p rior to ap p lying for N ABCEP PV Technical Sales Professional Certification,
the follow ing requ irem ents ap p ly:

At least tw o (2) m u st have resu lted in com p leted sales and installation;

At least tw o (2) m u st relate to system s 2kW DC (p eak) or larger;

At least one (1) of the installations m u st be a system that is grid connected ; and ,

N o m ore than one (1) p rop osal m ay be su bm itted to a relative or som eone resid ing at
the ap p licant’s ad d ress. This p rop osal m u st have resu lted in a com p leted sales and
installation.
Exam p les of Ap p rop riate Verifiable Sales Exp erience:

Qualifying Category A
Ap p licant m u st su bm it d ocu m entation show ing at least 4 p rop osals com p leted in the
12-m onth p eriod p rior to ap p lying for cer tification, inclu d ing at least: 2 resu lting in
com p leted sales and installation; 2 that relate to system s larger than 2kW (p eak); and , 1
that is grid connected .

Qualifying Category F
Ap p licant m u st su bm it d ocu m entation show ing at least 20 p rop osals com p leted in a
60-m onth p eriod p rior to ap p lying for certification, inclu d ing at least: 10 resu lting in
com p leted sales and installation; 10 that relate to system s larger than 2kW (p eak); and ,
5 that are grid connected .
5.4
Documenting Experience
1.
Prop osal Docu m entation.
All p rop osals and related p rop rietary inform ation w ill be treated as confid ential.
For each of the Qu alifying Categories requ iring verifiable sales exp erience, an ap p licant m u st
su bm it the id entified nu m ber of sales p rop osals for PV Installation system s, consistent w ith the
requ irem ents of Section III.A. All PV Installation system s claim ed m u st be accom p anied by a
com p lete and accu rate cop y of the original p rop osal. See, d efinition of “p rop osal” in Section
III.A.3.
If the ap p licant’s nam e is not id entified on a p rop osal, then that p rop osal m u st be accom p anied
by a letter from the ap p licant’s em p loyer or su p ervisor stating that the ap p licant w as the
p erson w ho p erform ed a lead role in the d evelop m ent of the p rop osal, or held a p osition of
resp onsibility in review ing and ap p roving the p rop osal d evelop ed by others. Please note: only
one p erson can claim any p rop osal su bm itted on a N ABCEP PV Technical Sales Professional
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ap p lication. N o d u p licate p rop osals w ill be accep ted .
Sales p rop osals m u st inclu d e the follow ing inform ation : p rop osed PV system size in kW;
evid ence of a shad e analysis; the am ou nt of kWh the PV Installation system is exp ected to
p rod u ce annu ally; the revenu e that the electricity generated w ill p rod u ce; the total cost of the
system ; any incentive or tax benefits that m ay be ap p lied to the total cost. Ad d itional
inform ation m ay inclu d e the internal rate of retu rn (IRR), p ayback p eriod , cash flow over the
life of the system , non -financial benefits, and any incom e that w ill be gained from renew able
energy cred its.
5.5
2.
Perm its and Insp ection Record s. If the PV Installation system id entified in a p rop osal has
been installed , the ap p licant m u st su bm it electrical p erm its and insp ection record s.
3.
Cu stom er Letters. If the system has been sold bu t not installed , the ap p licant m u st
su bm it a signed letter (em ails w ill not be accep ted ) from the cu stom er stating that he/ she is
satisfied w ith the sales p rocess and the p u rchased PV Installation system . If the system w as
p rop osed and N OT sold , the ap p licant m u st su bm it a signed letter (em ails w ill not be
accep ted ) from the cu stom er stating that he/ she is satisfied w ith the sales p rop osal and the
reason w hy they d id not p u rchase the system .
4.
Ad d itional Inform ation and Docu m entation .
When com p leting the ap p lication, ap p licants w ill be asked to d escribe the scop e of w ork
he/ she w as resp onsible for on each installation. N ABCEP reserves the right to contact
system ow ners/ op erators, p erm itting au thorities, and resp onsible contractors to v erify
w ork listed in the Ap p lication. The N ABCEP Ap p lication Review Com m ittee w ill m ake
d ecisions regard ing ap p licant eligibility based on the Ap p lication inform ation and
d ocu m entation su bm itted in su p p ort of the Ap p lication.
Training Requirements
Ap p licants ap p lying throu gh Qu alifying Categories A and B m u st su bm it d ocu m entation su p p orting the
requ ired cu m u lative hou rs of training d irectly related to the su bjects id entified in the N ABCEP Certified
PV Technical Sales Professional Job Task Analysis.
A.
Accep table Training. N ABCEP w ill accep t training that m eets the follow ing requ irem ents:
1.
2.
Form al Training Form at. The training p rogram m u st have a form al training
form at, w hich inclu d es a teacher -stu d ent stru ctu re, i.e., a stu d ent and an instru cting
sou rce. Accep table training form ats m ay inclu d e:
a.
In-p erson/ classroom training cou rses led by an instru ctor and / or d iscu ssion
lead er; or,
b.
Activities in w hich a stu d ent is engaged in a p lanned learning event, receives
feed back concerning his/ her p rogress, and t he stu d ent’s p rogress is m onitored . In
som e cases, su ch activities m ay be d istance learning, i.e., the stu d ent is sep arated
from facu lty and other stu d ents.
Exam p les inclu d e com p u ter -assisted
instru ction, interactive vid eo/ CD/ DVD, and / or w ebsite learning .
Training Covers PV Technical Sales Job Task Analysis Su bjects. The training
m u st d irectly relate to the su bjects id entified in the N ABCEP PV Technical Sales
Professional Job Task Analysis.
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B.
Accep table Training Provid ers. Accep table training p rovid ers inclu d e, bu t are not lim ited to:
1.
An ed u cational institu tion accred ited by an accred itation organization recognized by the
U.S. Dep artm ent of Ed u cation (e.g., u niversities and com m u nity colleges) or a sim ilar
Canad ian governm ent agency;
2.
Ind ep end ent renew able energy training p rogram s. N OTE: N ABCEP recom m end s that
ap p licants consid er training cou rses accred ited by IREC, or tau ght by instru ctors certified by
IREC. Please visit w w w .IRECu sa.org for fu ll cou rse listings;
3.
Ap p renticeship training p rogram s recognized by the U.S. Dep artm ent of Labor or
equ ivalent p rogram s, or those recognized by a Canad ian governm ent agency;
4.
Training p rogram s ap p roved by State or Provincial Contractor Licensing Board s; and ,
5.
Vocational technical training p rogram s.
Althou gh ad d itional training is not requ ired for Qu alifying Categories C throu gh G, N ABCEP strongly
encou rages training in all asp ects of the PV Technical Sales Professional Job Task Analysis. Su ch training
m ay assist ap p licants in achieving a p assing score on the PV Technical Sales Professional Certification
Exam ination.
Documenting Training
5.6
Follow ing is a list of d ocu m ents and m aterials that an ap p licant m u st su bm it w ith his/ her PV Technical
Sales Professional Certification Ap p lication:
A.
Ap p licants ap p lying u nd er Qu alifying Categories A and B


B.
Ap p licants ap p lying u nd er Qu alifying Categories C and D

C.
5.7
Cop ies of certificates of com p letion for each training p rogram AN D,
If the title of the cou rse d oes not sp ecify a su bject m atter sp ecifically related to the PV Technical
Sales Professional Job Task Analysis, N ABCEP requ ires a signed letter from the training p rogram
instru ctor(s) or ed u cational p rogram ad m inistrator(s) id entifying the sp ecific asp ects of the PV
Technical Sales Professional Job Task Analysis covered by the training and nu m ber of contacts
hou rs sp ent covering those su bjects.
A cop y of the official d ip lom a and acad em ic transcrip t from an accred ited ed u cational institu tion.
Ap p licants ap p lying u nd er Qu alifying Categories A, B, C, E, or F

Ap p licants m u st id entify the p rofessional cred ential, certificate, and / or occu p ational license held
as satisfying the ap p licable certification eligibility Qu alifying Category AN D,

Cop ies of the cred ential certificate or license ind icating cu rrent, active stat u s as a cred ential
hold er or licensee in good stand ing.
NABCEP PV Entry Level Examination Requirement
Qu alifying Categories A, B, C, and F requ ire an ap p licant to su ccessfu lly p ass the N ABCEP PV Entry
Level Exam ination, w hich d em onstrates a basic u nd ersta nd ing of PV system d esign and installation. The
N ABCEP PV Entry Level Exam ination is not a certification exam .
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Training cou rses d irectly related to p rep aration for the N ABCEP PV Entry Level Exam ination w ill not
cou nt tow ard s the requ isite cu m u lative training hou rs for Qu alifying Categories A and B u nless su bjects
id entified in the PV Technical Sales Professional Job Task Analysis (JTA) are covered by su ch cou rses. In
ord er for su ch training cou rsew ork to be accep ted by N ABCEP, the ap p licant m u st su bm it
d ocu m entation signed by the cou rse instru ctor or p rogram ad m inistrator d etailing the m aterial covered
and tim e sp ent covering PV Technical Sales JTA su bjects.
For inform ation concerning the N ABCEP PV Entry Level Exam ination and for the com p lete list of a ll
cu rrent, registered PV Entry Level Provid ers, p lease visit the N ABCEP w ebsite, located
at: w w w .nabcep .org/ entry-level-p rogram -2/ for-stu d ents.
Documenting Licensure
5.8
If a license is requ ired in the ju risd iction in w hich the w ork is perform ed , cand id ates m u st su bm it their license
nu m ber -- or the license nu m ber u nd er w hich the w ork w as perform ed .
6 Small Wind Installer Certification Requirements
6.1
The Small Wind Certified Installer
The N ABCEP Board of Directors ind efinitely su spend ed the ad m inistration of the N ABCEP Sm all Wind
Installer Certification Exam ination as of Septem ber 2012. As su ch, N ABCEP is no longer accepting new
ap plications for the Sm all Wind Installer Certification.
Existing Sm all Wind Installers Certificants w ill have their Certification rem ain active. Sm all Wind Installer
Certifications w ill be valid and recognized as long as each Certificant continu es to m eet the term s of
certification and recertification. These term s inclu d e: continu ing practice in the field ; attaining a m inim u m
nu m ber of continu ing ed u cation hou rs; and , su bm itting recertification ap plications on a three year cycle. Sm all
Wind Installer Certificants w ill continu e to be listed on the N ABCEP Certificant Registry .
7 Application for Certification
7.1
Application Process
To ap ply for any of N ABCEP’s certification s, and qu alify to take each certification exam ination, an Ap plicant
m u st com plete an ap plication and su bm it su p porting d ocu m entation that verifies that they m eet the m inim um
ed u cation and experience eligibility requ irem ents for that certification . The application m u st be su bm itted
electronically or postm arked at least ten w eeks and one day (71 days) prior to the exam d ate. The Applicant
shou ld keep a d u plicate cop y of all d ocu m ents for their record s. All inform ation and d ocu m ents su bm itted to
N ABCEP w ill not be retu rned .
▪
The Applicant shou ld review the Qu alification Categories for eligibility and select the category that
best d escribes their experiences.
▪
The Applicant m u st com plete and sign the application for the given Certification. Ap plications m ay be
fou nd on the w ebsite: http:/ / w w w .nabcep.org. N ABCEP strongly encou rages Ap plicants to
electronically com plete and su bm it the ap plication online. An ad d itional fee of $50 w ill be charged for
all ap plications su bm itted in hard copy, p aper form . This fee is to cover the staff tim e for com pleting the
online application for Ap plicant u tilizing the inform ation provid ed in the p aper ap plication. All
ap plications are m aintained in the online system , w hether originally su bm itted electronically or in
hard copy.
▪
The Applicant m u st su bm it the application w ith the ap propriate ap plication fee. The Ap plicant m ay
pay by cred it card throu gh a secu re w ebsite w hen p aying for an electronically su bm itted ap plication. If
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a hard copy ap plication is su bm itted by m ail or fax, the Ap plicant m u st inclu d e a Payment Remittance
Form w ith the application and fee.
7.2
▪
When accepted to sit for the Certification Exam , a Cand id ate m u st select their exam ination location and
pay the Exam ination (or Re-Exam ination) fee u sing the exam sched u ling fu nction of the online
m yN ABCEP system . Being accepted to sit for the Exam does not mean that the Candidate has been
scheduled. Please see Section 8.1 below for d etails on Exam Sched u ling.
▪
Only Cand id ates w ho have sched u led w ill be sent an exam ination ad m ission slip w ith exam ination
reporting instru ctions. The ad m ission slip w ill be e-m ailed to the ad d ress associated w ith the
Cand id ate’s ap plication . E-m ails are d elivered from m ynabcep@nabcep.org. Candidates should add
this address, and any addresses sent from @nabcep.org to their “safe senders” list to help assure
successful deliver of important certification related communications from N ABCEP.
Verification of Employment and Education
In an effort to serve the pu blic’s tru st, N ABCEP reserves the right to verify inform ation on Applicant
ap plication and recertification m aterials. Failu re to report tru thfu lly m ay resu lt in the d enial and / or
revocation of certification.
7.3
Application Review
N ABCEP staff, u nd er the su pervision and gu id ance of the Execu tive Director, review every ap plication to
verify that com pliance w ith m inim u m eligibility requ irem ents has been m et by the Ap plicant and is properly
d ocu m ented . An Application Review Com m ittee reviews any ap plication for w hich N ABCEP staff is u nable to
d eterm ine if the Ap plicant d oes or d oes not m eet the eligibility requ irem ents. This Com m ittee is m ad e u p of
three to five N ABCEP-selected su bject m atter experts w ho have an u nd erstand ing of the d iffer ent types of
situ ations and constraints encou ntered by practitioners in the field . Review ers w ill be non -com petitive ind u stry
peers w ith no financial or other affiliation w ith Ap plicants -- every effort w ill be m ad e to ensu re the objectivity
of the Review ers, and they w ill be charged to act in a m anner that is fair, consistent, and ju stifiable.
7.4
N otification of Eligibility or Ineligibility
An Applicant ap plying for certification in conju nction w ith a specific exam ad m inistration w ill receive notice of
eligibility or ineligibility to sit for the certification exam ination no later than 3 w eeks after the Ap plication
Dead line.
If the ap plication is com plete, and the Applicant has su fficiently d em onstrated their com pliance w ith the
m inim u m eligibility requ irem ents, they w ill be sent a letter via e-m ail annou ncing their eligibility to take the
exam ination. This letter w ill inclu d e instru ctions on how to sched u le by the exam sched u ling d ead line for the
exam ination d ate that they w ish to sit for.
If u pon review of an ap plication the Applicant is d eem ed ineligible, they w ill be notified and inform ed of the
reason(s) for this find ing. The Ap plicant w ill be provid ed w ith one op portu nity to reap ply to sit for the exam
by correcting the ap plication and resu bm itting it for review . If the Ap plicant is d eem ed to be ineligible after a
second review , the ap plication w ill be rejected . If the ap plication is rejected , a new application and ap plication
fee m u st be su bm itted for the Ap plicant to be consid ered for certification again. All cu rrent eligibility
requ irem ents m u st be m et at the tim e of both original ap p lication su bm ission and resu bm ission.
If an Ap plicant chooses to ap peal the find ing of ineligibility, they m ay d o so in w riting to the Execu tive
Director of N ABCEP w ithin thirty (30) d ays of the receip t of notification of ineligibility (see Ap peals Policy in
Ap pend ix II).
7.5
Refund Policy
The ap plication fee is non -refu nd able.
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7.6
Eligibility Period
An Applicant that has been accepted to sit for the exam ination (Cand id ate) is eligible to take the exam for a
period of tw o years from the d ate that notification that they have been ap proved to sit for the exam ination w as
sent. The Cand id ate m ay take the exam u p to a m axim u m of fou r tim es d u ring this tw o year period . If the
Cand id ate d oes not p ass the exam d u ring this eligibility period they m u st reap ply as a new Applicant by
su bm itting a new com plete application and rem it another application fee to becom e eligible to take the
exam ination again.
8 Preparing To Take the Examination
8.1
Scheduling Examination Site & Time
Upon approval of an ap plication for certification, the Cand id ate w ill receive an ap proval letter via the em ail
ad d ress associated w ith their accou nt. The approval letter provid es inform ation for sched u ling an exam ination .
Exam Sched u ling m u st be com pleted at (43) forty-three d ays before the d esired exam ination d ate.
N ABCEP w ill m ake every effort to accom m od ate Cand id ates into the site requ ested , bu t in the event that a
particu lar test site reaches m axim u m capacity, seating for that particu lar test site w ill be granted on a first com e, first-p aid basis as Exam s are sched u led . Cand id ates w hose requ ested test site is fu ll or u navailable w ill
be notified w ith other options.
Ap proxim ately tw o w eeks prior to the exam , Cand id ates w ill receive an Au thorization to Test (ATT) Letter,
w hich they m u st bring w ith them to the exam site, along w ith one governm ent issu ed photo I.D. The ATT
Letter w ill contain the d ate, tim e and location of the exam ination.
8.2
Exam Content
Each exam ination consists of seventy (70) equ ally w eighted m u ltiple-choice qu estions, w ith fou r (4) choices per
qu estion. Sixty (60) of the qu estions are scored and ten (10) of the qu estions are u n -scored pilot qu estions. The
pilot qu estions are rand om ly d istribu ted throu ghou t the exam ination and are not id entified .
The tim e lim it for the exam ination is fou r (4) hou rs. Exam qu estions cover fu nd am ental trad e know led ge,
cod es and stand ard s, and accepted ind u stry practice in the context of installation scenarios u sing system
d iagram s and equ ipm ent specifications. The content for the exam ination is based on a Job Task Analysis
d eveloped for each Certification. Please find the respective Job Task Analysis on the N ABCEP w ebsite for the
m ajor job/ task areas and percentage of qu estions in each area:
Job Task Analyses have been cond u cted to assu re that the content of the exam ination reflects the tasks and
know led ge requ ired of the p ractitioner. A Job Task Analysis gives a d etailed d escrip tion of job activities and
their significance w ith regard to job requ irem ents and consu m er p rotection. As p art of the job analysis stu d y, a
su rvey w as cond u cted of ind u stry professionals, inclu d ing m anu factu rers, contractors, cod es and stand ard s
d evelopers, researchers and ed u cators. The job analysis stu d y also assu res that exam ination content is u p to
d ate and relevant to cu rrent practice. Su bject Matter Experts (SME’s) are u sed to research and d evelop
exam ination qu estions for each of the content areas on the exam . All of the qu estions u nd ergo extensive
review and ed iting. For a copy of the com plete PV and Solar H eating Installer Task Analysis’, please see:
http:/ / w w w .nabcep.org
In ad d ition to the specific content areas listed above, know led ge and skills in the follow ing areas are requ ired :



Read ing and interp reting plans and specifications
Read ing and interp reting cod es and stand ard s
Basic m athem atics (ad d ition, su btraction, m u ltiplication, d ivision, calcu lations of area and volu m e,
fractions, d ecim als, percentages, calcu lating the sid es of triangles, squ are roots, pow ers of nu m bers,
and solving sim ple algebraic equ ations for u nknow n variables)
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Cand id ates shou ld be prepared to respond to exam ination qu estions on any of the content areas listed in the
Job Task Analysis. Qu estions asked and content areas tested on p reviou s exam inations shou ld not be assu m ed
to be the only possible qu estions to be asked or content areas to be tested on this exam ination.
8.3
Special Testing Accommodations
The N ABCEP Board com plies w ith the provisions of the Am ericans w ith Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. Section
12101, et. seq.) and w ith Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, as am end ed (42 U.S.C. Section 2000e, et. seq.).
All App licants w ho d esire special testing accom m od ations d u e to a d isability or religiou s observance m u st
m ake this requ est at the tim e of exam sched u ling. It is the responsibility of the Cand id ate to provid e ad vance
notice and ap propriate d ocu m entation of the d isability or religiou s observance, along w ith speci fications of the
type of accom m od ations or aid s that w ill be requ ired , w hen the Application form is su bm itted .
N ABCEP w ill not p ay any costs an ind ivid u al m ay incu r in obtaining the requ ired d iagnosis and
recom m end ation for accom m od ation. H ow ever, N ABCEP w ill p ay for any reasonable accom m od ation(s)
that are p rovid ed d u ring the exam . N ABCEP shall notify the Applicant regard ing the acceptance of the
requ est in ad vance of the Exam ination d ate. App rop riate arrangem ents and accom m od ation(s) shall be m ad e
for all Cand id ates w ith d isabilities w ho file the app rop riate requ est and inclu d e ap propriate d ocu m entation,
u nless an accom m od ation changes the natu re of the test. Und er no cond itions w ill an accom m od ation be m ad e
w hich changes the natu re of the test.
8.4
English as a Second Language
Renew able Energy installers in the U.S. m u st cu rrently be able to speak and read English in ord er to
u nd erstand system instru ctions and d esign specifications. Therefore the certification exam inations are w ritten
and ad m inistered in the English langu age and m aterials w ill be provid ed only in English. Until training and
hard w are com ponents begin to featu re other langu ages in su fficient qu antity to enable non -English speaking
installers other langu age op tions in w hich they can p ractice com petently in the renew able energy field , the
ap plication, exam ination, and m aterials w ill rem ain in English.
9 Taking the Examination
9.1
Admission to the Examination
At least tw o w eeks prior to the exam , Cand id ates w ill receive an Au thorization to Test (ATT) Letter, w hich
they m u st bring w ith them to the exam site. The ATT Letter w ill inclu d e the d ate, tim e and location of the
exam ination.
Cand id ates sitting for the PV Installation Professional Exam or PV Technical Sales Exam w ill receive their
Ad m ission Slip via the em ail ad d ress associated w ith their m y.nabcep.org accou nt. These Cand id ates shou ld
ad d m ynabcep@nabcep.org to their safe send er list to avoid having im portant em ails sent to a ju nk/ sp am
fold er. If you d o not receive you r ATT letter at least tw o w eeks before the exam , you m ay p rint you r ow n copy
by logging into you r accou nt at m y.nabcep.org and selecting you r exam d ate u nd er the head ing
“Au thorization to Test Letter.”
Cand id ates sitting for the Solar H eating Installer Exam w ill receive their ATT letter from the em ail ad d ress:
ap plications@nabcep.org. This ad d ress shou ld be ad d ed to cand id ate’s safe send er list to avoid being sent to a
ju nk/ sp am fold er. If you d o not receive you r ATT letter at least tw o w eeks p rior to the exam , please contact
N ABCEP to obtain a copy.
In ad d ition, the Cand id ate MUST SH OW A CURREN T PHOTO I.D . THAT EXACTLY MATCHES THE
N AME ON THE ATT LETTER TO GAIN ADMISSION TO TH E TEST SITE. The Cand id ate m u st provid e one
of the follow ing valid governm ent-issu ed d ocu m ents bearing a pictu re, nam e, and signatu re to gain ad m ission
to the test site: a d river's license, photo id entification card , passport, or m ilitary id entification card . Exam pl es of
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non-acceptable id entification inclu d e, bu t are not lim ited to: stu d ent ID, em ployer -issu ed ID, library card s, and
cred it card s.
Cand id ates w ho are u nable to prod u ce the requ ired id entification at the exam site w ill not be perm itted to take
the exam . Und er these circu m stances Cand id ates w ill be consid ered absent and w ill forfeit the fu ll exam fee
and w ill be requ ired to re-sched u le the exam and p ay all ap plicable re-exam ination fees.
Cand id ates shou ld report to the test site no later than the tim e ind icated on the ad m ission slip and exam ination
sched u le. It is recom m end ed that Cand id ates arrive at the exam ination site no later than thirty (30) m inu tes
prior to the exam ination tim e. Ad d itional tim e need ed for proced u res, paym ents, d elays, traffic, p arking,
w eather, etc., shou ld be consid ered w hen arranging transportation to the exam ination site.
9.2
What to Bring to the Exam
All m aterials requ ired to take the exam ination w ill be provid ed for each Cand id ate at the test site, inclu d ing:
1. 2011 N ational Electrical Cod e, N FPA 70 (PV Installation Professional Exam only)
2. Calcu lator - a Casio fx260 or a sim ilar m od el (all exam s)
3. Tw o #2 pencils (all exam s)
4. Scratch Paper
All m aterials w ill be retu rned to the Proctor at the end of the exam , w here they w ill be inspec ted . N o changes
shou ld be m ad e to the N ational Electrical Cod e text or to the calcu lators, and u nd er no cond ition w ill these
item s leave the testing room at any tim e.
N o food or d rink item s are allow ed in the testing room . Any personal item s or su p plies need ed d u ring the
exam ination m u st be encased in a clear plastic bag, no larger than 8.5" X 11" in size. Please be ad vised that d u e
to circu m stances beyond ou r control, exam ination sites m ay experience m inor d istu rbances.
It is
recom m end ed that Cand id ates w ho are sensitive to noise bring earplu gs.
9.3
What N ot to Bring to the Examination
Unau thorized su p plies w ill be su bject to rem oval by the testing officials at the exam ination site. The follow ing
item s are N OT allow ed in the exam ination room and w ill be confiscated d u ring the exam and retu rned
afterw ard :
■
Watches – a clock w ill be p rovid ed in the room .
■
Water bottles, beverages or food of any kind .
■
Any p art of w orkbooks and m aterials, bou nd or loose-leaf notes.
■
H and w ritten and typew ritten notes are not allow ed .
■
Pu ll-off labels, rem ovable tabs, paper clip s, or m etal clam ps.
■
Paper, w riting tablets, or notepad s.
■
H ighlighters.
■
Personal calcu lators and electronic organizers.
■
Cam eras, tape record ers, or com pu ters.
■
Pagers, electronic transm itting d evices, or teleph ones.
■
Canisters of m ace, pep per sp ray, or other personal d efense item s.
■
Pu rses, briefcases, portfolios, fanny p acks, or backpacks – a sp ace w ithin the testing room w ill be
provid ed for Cand id ates to leave bags of this kind . Any personal su p plies requ ired d u ring the
exam ination su ch as inhalers, m ed ication, extra glasses, tissu es, etc. shou ld be placed in a clear
plastic bag no larger than 8.5” x 11.
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9.4
Attire – What to Wear for the Exam
Cand id ates shou ld d ress com fortably, bu t ap propriately, for the exam inat ion. The exam ination room s are
u su ally clim ate controlled . H ow ever, it is not alw ays p ossible to m aintain a tem peratu re that is p referred by
each Cand id ate. It is su ggested that Cand id ates bring a sw eater or jacket to u se in the event that the
tem peratu re is cooler than ind ivid u al p reference.
Baseball caps or hats, u nless they have religiou s significance, are not allow ed to be worn in the test room and
m u st be placed w ith the other personal belongings if brou ght into the room .
9.5
Answ er Sheets
Cand id ates m u st follow the exam ination Proctor’s instru ctions on com pleting the answ er sheet. It is the
Cand id ate’s responsibility to correctly “bu bble” in their “ Cand id ate id entification nu m ber” and “exam ination
nu m ber.” Answ ers m u st be record ed on the answ er sheet provid ed at the exam ination. Answ ers record ed in
the exam ination booklet or on scratch paper w ill N OT be scored .
It is recom m end ed that Cand id ates fill in answ ers on the answ er sheet as they com plete each qu estion rather
than w aiting u ntil the end of the exam ination. Cand id ates w ho w ait u ntil the 15-m inu te tim e w arning to
transfer answ ers from the test booklet to the answ er sheet norm ally d o N OT have enou gh tim e to transfer all
answ ers. Cand id ates CAN N OT com plete any answ ers after tim e is called . Cand id ates w ill ON LY receive
Cred it for answ ers com pleted on the answ er sheet. Cand id ates m u st tu rn in com pleted answ er sheets, all
exam ination m aterials, and scratch p aper w hen tim e is called for the exam .
9.6
Test Taking Advice
The ad vice offered here is p resented prim arily to help Cand id ates d em onstrate the know led ge they possess and
m axim ize their chances of passing the exam ination.

Read all instru ctions carefu lly.

Cand id ates shou ld period ically check their progress and pace. The m ore qu estions answ ered , th e better
the chance of achieving a p assing score.

There is no penalty for gu essing, so Cand id ates shou ld answ er every qu estion. It is recom m end ed that
Cand id ates record an answ er for each qu estion, even if not confid ent in the answ er. Blank answ ers w ill be
cou nted as incorrect.

Cand id ates m ay note the qu estions that they w ant to reconsid er in the exam ination booklet and retu rn to
them later.

Cand id ates shou ld speak to a proctor im m ed iately concerning any problem s that occu r d u ring the
exam ination. Proctors w ill not answ er any qu estions related to the content of the exam ination, bu t m ay be
able to assist w ith elim inating d istractions or other issu es.

Before the exam d ay, Cand id ates shou ld ensu re that they know the exact location of the exam ination site,
the best w ay to get there, w here parking can be fou nd , and the actu al location of the testing room .
10 Examination Administrative Policies
10.1 Rules
The exam ination su pervisor and proctors are the d esignated agents for m aintaining a secu re and proper
ad m inistration of the exam ination. On behalf of N ABCEP, ad m inistrators are requ ired to enforce the follow ing
ru les.

There is to be no talking or m oving arou nd d u ring the test. Any irregu lar Cand id ate cond u ct w hich
violates the stand ard s of test ad m inistration, su ch a s com m u nicating w ith any other Cand id ate
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d u ring the ad m inistration of an exam ination or copying answ ers from another Cand id ate d u ring the
ad m inistration of the exam ination, is strictly p rohibited and grou nd s for d ism issal from the
exam ination. Exam ination m aterials w ill be confiscated . Any Cand id ate involved in su ch behavior
w ill be rem oved from the exam room , reported to N ABCEP, and m ay be prohibited from taking the
exam again.

If a Cand id ate has an em ergency or need s to u se the restroom , he or she shou ld raise his/ her hand .
The Proctor w ill take the test m aterials and secu re them , then give the Cand id ate perm ission to
leave the room . Only one Cand id ate at a tim e is perm itted to leave the room .

There is to be no sm oking, eating, or d rinking by Cand id ates in the test room .

Personal item s besid es im m ed iate necessities (w hich w ill be in plastic bags no larger than 8.5” x 11”)
w ill be stored at the front or back of the test room , or in an ad jacent room .

The Proctor and assistants cannot answ er any qu estions abou t test item s d u ring the test. Cand id ates
shou ld d o the best they can on each item . Exam ination su pervisors and proctors are N OT qu alified
or au thorized to answ er qu estions concerning the exam ination content; how ever, they w ill d o their
best to help w ith any proced u ral qu estions and ad d ress other concerns.

If a Cand id ate feels there is a m isprint or an error w ithin an item , the Cand id ate shou ld raise his or
her hand . H e or she w ill receive a Cand id ate Com m ent Form , w hich w ill be collected at the end o f
the exam .

N o exam ination m aterials, d ocu m ents, or m em orand a of any kind are to be taken from the
exam ination room .

Cand id ates are p rohibited from w riting or m arking anything in any reference book or m aterials, and
d oing so is grou nd s for confiscation of these d ocu m ents by the exam ad m inistrators.

Du e to the noise associated w ith gathering reference books and m aterials at the end of the
exam ination, Cand id ates w ho have not com pleted the exam yet w hen the 15-m inu te tim e lim it is
annou nced m ay not be perm itted to leave the test center u ntil tim e is called . Cand id ates w ill be
asked to rem ain in their seats u ntil tim e is called in ord er to m inim ize the d isru ption to Cand id ates
still testing.
10.2 Exam Security
Any Cand id ate w ho com m u nicates w ith, or gives or receives help to others d u ring the exam w ill be d ism issed
from the exam ination room . Cand id ates involved in su ch behavior w ill be reported to N ABCEP and their
exam w ill not be scored . Exam ination fees w ill not be refu nd ed and the Cand id ate m ay be prohibited from
taking the exam ination in the fu tu re.
The perform ance of all Cand id ates is m onitored and m ay be analyzed to d etect frau d . This inform ation is
reported to N ABCEP. Cand id ates w ho violate secu rity m easu res w ill not have their exam scored and m ay be
prohibited from taking the exam ination pend ing investigation of the violation.
All exam m aterials, inclu d ing all qu estions, answ er booklets, and score sheets are the copyrighted p roperty of
N ABCEP. Any d istribu tion of these m aterials throu gh reprod u ction or oral or w ritten com m u nication is
strictly prohibited .
10.3 Late Arrivals
Cand id ates are encou raged to arrive at least sixty (60) m inu tes before the sched u led start tim e for the
exam ination. All Cand id ates w ho arrive before the sched u led start tim e of the exa m ination w ill be processed
and seated for the exam ination. Once all Cand id ates are processed , the d oors to the exam room w ill be closed
to fu rther ad m ission and the test w ill begin. Cand id ates w ho arrive after the d oors are closed w ill not be
ad m itted and w ill be consid ered to have m issed the exam ination. These Cand id ates can reap ply for a
su bsequ ent exam ination tim e and pay the re-exam ination fee (u nless a Cand id ate’s situ ation m eets the specific
exceptions listed below and he/ she su ccessfu lly files for an exception).
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10.4 Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy
If a Cand id ate is sched u led to take an exam ination and cannot attend , they m u st file an Exam ination Change
Form w ithin 30 d ays of a sched u led exam . All exam d ate and location changes are su bject to av ailability. If
the requ ested d ate or location has filled to cap acity, a change requ est m ay have to be processed for a later d ate,
or for the site p rovid ed as a second choice.
N O CH AN GES w ill be m ad e w ithin 30 d ays of a sched u led exam u nless:
1) A seriou s illness of the Cand id ate or an im m ed iate fam ily m em ber
2) Death in the im m ed iate fam ily
3) Disabling accid ent
4) Unsched u led air travel d elay
5) Cou rt appearance or ju ry d u ty
6) Unexpected m ilitary d u ty call-u p
7) N atu ral or m an-m ad e d isasters
For any of the above-m entioned exceptions, a Cand id ate m u st su bm it an Exam ination Change Form AN D
su pp orting evid ence in w riting w ithin fou r (4) d ays after the sched u led exam ination d ate. N ABCEP reserves
the right to requ est ad d itional evid ence to su pport t he exception and to d eny requ ests for exception.
Cand id ates for w hom an excu se is accepted w ill be allow ed to select a later exam d ate to w hich the fee w ill be
ap plied . The exam ination fee is non -refu nd able. Cand id ates for w hom an excu se is fou nd to be not acceptable
w ill forfeit their entire exam fee and w ill be requ ired to resched u le the exam ination and p ay a re -exam ination
fee shou ld they w ish to continu e the certification process. Com panies that pay for an em ployee’s exam ination
MAY N OT transfer the exam ination registration fee to another em ployee.
10.5 Exam Location Change
Cand id ates w ho have alread y sched u led and paid for their exam m ay find they need to change the location of
their test that they have selected . Cand id ates m ay change their selected exam location u p u ntil 30 d ays prior to
the sched u led exam for no fee. N ABCEP w ill attem pt to accom m od ate location changes requ ested w ithin 30
d ays of the sched u led exam ination; how ever, location changes cannot be gu aranteed w ithin 30 d ays of the
exam ination. To attem pt to change the selected exam location w ithin 30 d ays of the exam , Cand id ates shou ld
contact the Ap plications Coord inator by phone or em ail at: 518-631-2751 or kcasey@nabcep.org. An
Exam ination Location Change Fee of $50.00 w ill be charged if a location change is able to be processed w ithin
30 d ays of the exam , and a new ATT letter w ill be sent to the Cand id ate.
10.6 Failure to Appear
Cand id ates w ho fail to ap p ear for the exam ination w ill forfeit their en tire exam fee and w ill be requ ired to
resched u le the exam ination and p ay a re-exam ination fee u nless they m eet cancellation policy gu id elines
above. Appearing to the exam ination site late (see Section 10.3), is consid ered a Failu re to Appear.
10.7 Comment Prior to Scoring
Follow ing com pletion of the exam ination, Cand id ates m ay com m ent in w riting on any qu estions that they
believe contain errors in content or on the ad m inistrative cond itions of the exam ination. Com m ent form s w ill
be available in the exam ination room at the conclu sion of the exam , and w ill be collected and forw ard ed to the
Exam ination Com m ittee. If the Exam ination Com m ittee ju d ges that an item (s) shou ld not be scored , all
affected Cand id ates scores w ill be corrected accord ingly.
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11 Scoring and Grade N otification
11.1 Pre-Test Exam Questions
All of N ABCEP’s Certification Exam inations m ay contain a nu m ber of pre-test or “pilot test” qu estions. These
qu estions are N OT scored . The pu rpose of pre-testing qu estions d u ring the ad m inistration of an exam ination
is to gather d ata on the perform ance of these item s. In ord er to accu rately test the perform ance of these item s,
they w ill not be id entified . Inclu d ing pre-test qu estions on an exam ination is a com m on p ractice u sed b y m any
national and state exam ination program s and is a critical step in d eveloping ad d itional test item s and ensu ring
the continu ed reliability and valid ity of the exam ination. The tim e allow ed for testing has been evalu ated to
ensu re there is ad equ ate tim e for com pleting both scored and p re-test qu estions.
11.2 Scoring Procedures
Answ er sheets w ill be scored electronically. A statistical com parison of all resp onses m ay be perform ed as a
qu ality control process to verify the accu racy of exam ination grad es an d the perform ance of test item s. Any
irregu larities id entified by this analysis m ay be consid ered grou nd s for d enial of certification. Scores m u st be
ratified by the N ABCEP Board of Directors p rior to their release.
11.3 D etermination of Passing Score
The passing score of N ABCEP certification exam inations is set by a criterion -referenced stand ard -setting
exercise by experts in the field u nd er the gu id ance of a psychom etrician. The N ABCEP certification
exam ination is not be grad ed “on a cu rve” – any Cand id ate w ho m eets the entry requ irem ents and achieves a
passing score on the exam ination w ill be certified .
Becau se d ifferent test form s m ay vary slightly in d ifficu lty from one to another, it is d esirable to have scores
reported as scaled scores. Scaled scores are statistically d erived by ad ju sting the raw score (the nu m ber of
qu estions a Cand id ate answ ers correctly) by a factor that accou nts for the d ifficu lty of a p articu lar exam form at
relative to other form ats. A total scaled score is u sed to d eterm ine pas s or fail statu s and is reported as a scaled
score ranging betw een 0 and 99.
A scaled score of 70 is requ ired to achieve a passing score on the N ABCEP PV Installation Professional
Certification Exam ination.
A scaled score of 75 is requ ired to achieve a passing score on the N ABCEP Solar H eating Installer Certification
Exam ination.
A scaled score of 75 is requ ired to achieve a p assing score on the N ABCEP PV Technical Sales Professional
Certification Exam ination.
11.4 Exam Scoring Time Frame
Exam score reports w ill be com pleted and m ailed to the Cand id ate prior to six (6) w eeks follow ing the
ad m inistration of the exam . Grad e resu lts and or pass/ fail statu s w ill not be given ou t over the telephone or
by em ail.
11.5 Contents of the Score Report
Cand id ates w ho fail the exam w ill receive their scaled score for the fu ll exam and for each m ajor content
d om ain. For a d efinition of a scaled score, see Section 11.2 for Scoring Proced u res. N ABCEP provid es d om ain
level scores to cand id ates w ho d o not p ass the exam ination. N ABCEP believes that this inform ation can be
helpfu l in id entifying areas w here a cand id ate m ay need m ore ed u cation and / or experience in ord er to p ass
the overall exam ination; how ever, it m u st be noted that individual performance in each domain should be
interpreted very cautiously. Becau se there are few er qu estions in each d om ain than on the overall exam ,
domain-level performance is less reliable than the total scaled score. Som e d om ains m ay only have three or
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fou r qu estions, and it is not possible to report how d ifficu lt or easy any of these qu estions m ay have been
com pared to others.
When retaking the certification exam ination, it is im portant to p rep are for qu estions in all of the d om ains and
tasks ou tlined in the JTA. A cand id ate w ho neglects to stu d y or practice tasks in the d om ains in w hich their
perform ance w as strongest cou ld resu lt in w orse perform ance on those d om ains w hen taking a d ifferent
version of the exam ination. Cand id ates m u st achieve a passing score on the fu ll exam ination d u ring a single
attem pt. Dom ain level scores m ay not be com bined together from m u ltiple exam ination attem pts in ord er to
obtain a p assing score.
Cand id ates w ho p ass the certification exam w ill not receive any score inform ation in their resu lts letter.
11.6 Score Information Made Public
The only inform ation m ad e pu blic regard ing the exam w ill be the m ajor d om ains being tested , the nu m ber and
type of qu estions, and the score requ ired to p ass the exam . The follow ing aggregate d ata abou t scor es m ay be
released for each ad m inistration of the exam : nu m ber of Ap plicants, nu m ber of Cand id ates tested , nu m ber
and percentage p assing the exam , nu m ber and percentage of first -tim e test takers p assing the exam , and
nu m ber of ad m inistration sites.
11.7 Challenging Examination Results
N ABCEP em ploys a rigorou s process to ensu re that no errors occu r in the scoring of Cand id ate answ er sheets,
inclu d ing a review of all answ er sheets for any possible m arking errors, a qu ality control scoring au d it and a
statistical analysis of all qu estions. Du e to the accu racy of electronically -scanned scoring, changes as a resu lt of
re-scoring are highly u nlikely. H ow ever, a Cand id ate m ay requ est a hand -score of his answ er sheets by filling
ou t and su bm itting the A pplication to Hand Grade A nswer Sheet (See Ap pend ix V: Form s) w ith the requ isite fee
of $50.00. All su ch requ ests m u st be sent to N ABCEP as d irected in the ap plication.
After the hand grad ed score has been provid ed , Cand id ates w ho feel that their score is inaccu rate can send an
official ap peal to the N ABCEP Execu tive Director w ithin thirty (30) d ays of receiving their score report. (See
Section 16 and the Ap peals Proced u re in Append ix II)
11.8 Re-Examination Information
Cand id ates w ho fail the exam ination w ill be perm itted to retake the m u ltiple tim es d u ring the 24 -m onth period
d u ring w hich the Cand id ate's ap plication is "active" (see Section 7.6). For each su bsequ ent attem pt, Cand id ates
w ill be requ ired to p ay a re-exam ination fee of $250. Follow ing this 24-m onth period , a Cand id ate failing to
pass m u st re-apply as a new Cand id ate. Failing to ap pear for a sched u led exam ination w ill be consid ered an
exam ination tim e (see Section 10.6).
11.9 Cancellation of Scores
N ABCEP is responsible for the integrity of the scores they report. On rare occasions, circu m stances su ch as a
technical m alfu nction or Cand id ate m iscond u ct m ay rend er a score invalid . N ABCEP is com m itted to
rectifying su ch d iscrepancies as exped itiou sly as p ossible. N ABCEP reserves the right to cancel any
exam ination scores if, in the sole opinion of N ABCEP, there is ad equ ate reason to qu estion its valid ity. In the
event of cancellation, N ABCEP at its d iscretion m ay (1) offer the ind ivid u al an opportu nity to take the
exam ination again at no ad d itional fee or (2) revoke or otherw ise take action w ith regard to the app lication or
certification of a Cand id ate or Certificant d eem ed to be in violation of any policies or proced u res of N ABCEP
ap plicable to the app rop riate Certification program . (See Section 10.4)
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12 Certification Status
12.1 D uration of Certification Credential
Certification is valid for three (3) years follow ing the d ate of issu ance. Du ring that tim e a certificant m ay u se
the certification d esignation after their nam e to show that they are certified (see Certification Mark Use Policy ,
Ap pend ix III). Certificants w ill receive a fram eable certificate and inform ation on m aintaining the cred ential
throu gh the Recertification Program w hen they are notified of their su ccessfu l certification.
12.2 D isplaying a Certification Mark
Only persons certified by the N ABCEP, w ho m aintain active certification statu s and are in good stand ing, are
au thorized to u se a N ABCEP Certification Mark. Each certified ind ivid u al m ay u se the Mark in p rofessional
ad vertising and inform ational m aterials, inclu d ing telep hone d irectory listings or ad vertisem ents, bu siness
card s, letterhead , brochu res, signs, stationary, p ackages, and other sim ilar m arketing m aterials, consistent w ith
the ru les as explained in Ap pend ix III, "Certification Mark Use Policy." The Mark is personal to the certified
ind ivid u al and m ay not be transferred or assigned to any other ind ivid u al, organization, bu siness, or entity.
Certificates m ay not be d isplayed for pu rposes other than verification of the professional’s cred ential and
shou ld be d isplayed only w hen the certification is cu rrent and the certificant is in good stand ing w ith
N ABCEP.
12.3 Replacement Certificates
In the event that a certificate arrives d am aged or w ith incorrect nam e spelling, certificants shou ld im m ed iately
notify N ABCEP for a replacem ent certificate. In the event of a nam e change or in the cas e of loss, certificants
m ay requ est a replacem ent certificate u sing the form contained in this Candidate Information Handbook. A fee of
$25 w ill be charged for each replacem ent certificate except in cases w here d am age or typographical errors are
im m ed iately reported to N ABCEP u pon receipt of the certificate.
12.4 Misconduct
Ap plicants for initial certification and recertification, and Cand id ates for the exam ination w ho have been
d eterm ined to be involved in frau d , m isrepresentation, or inap propriate behavior i n the ap plication,
exam ination, or recertification process w ill be su bject to d isciplinary action w hich m ay resu lt in d enial or
rem oval of the N ABCEP cred ential.
13 Recertification
13.1 Introduction
N ABCEP sp onsors and ad m inisters a rigorou s, exam ination -based , professional certification program s.
Certificants are granted the cond itional right to u se the N ABCEP cred ential and certification m ark bu t m u st
d em onstrate an ongoing p rofessional com m itm ent to the field of given certification by satisfying the
requ irem ents of this Program . N ABCEP Recertification assu res that the certificant rem ains com m itted to
continu ed professional training and ed u cation and ad herences to the N ABCEP Cod e of Ethics.
This policy establishes and explains the requ irem ents w hich m u st be s atisfied in ord er to m aintain certification
and related inform ation inclu d ing the stand ard s, gu id elines, and p roced u res of N ABCEP Recertification.
Inqu iries or qu estions concerning this policy shou ld be d irected to the N ABCEP office.
13.1.1 Statement of Purposes
N ABCEP Recertification is intend ed to: requ ire reasonable and app rop riate continu ing ed u cational and
professional activities; enhance the ongoing p rofessional d evelopm ent of certificants; encou rage and recognize
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ind ivid u alized learning op p ortu nities; an d provid e a stand ard ized , objective, and straightforw ard process for
attaining and record ing p rofessional d evelopm ent activities.
13.1.2 Basic Requirements for Recertification
To becom e recertified , a N ABCEP Certificant m u st d ocu m en t relevant w ork experience and at least 18 contact
hou rs of continu ing ed u cation over the cou rse of their 3-year certification cycle. A contact hou r equ als one 60m inu te clock hou r of organized learning activity inclu d ing interaction betw een learner and instru ctor or
learner and m aterials w hich have been prep ared to cau se learning. The nu m ber of contact hou rs for the cou rse
m u st be specified by the provid er before the cou rse is offered . Cred it is not aw ard ed for tim e spent on sales
presentations, breaks, travel, receptions, or m eals. All contact hou r cred its are su bject to approval and
confirm ation by N ABCEP.
The requ irem ents specific for each certification can be fou nd below in Section 13.2 for the PV Installation
Professional Certification, Section 13.3 for Solar H eating Installer, Section 13.4 for PV Technical Sales
Professional and Section 13.5 for Sm all Wind Installer.
As an alternative to m eeting continu ing ed u cation requ irem ents for any certification , the Certificant m ay
sched u le, and su ccessfu lly com plete, the cu rrent N ABCEP Certification Exam ination related to his/ her
N ABCEP certification. A passing score on the Certification Exam ination is requ ired , and the Exam ination m u st
be com pleted prior to the end of the cu rrent Certification Period .
13.1.3 Recertification Cycle
Each recertification cycle w ill be a three (3) year period . The first recertification cycle begins on the d ate of
initial certification, and expires three years after that initial d ate of certification. The initial certification d ate is
the d ate printed on the N ABCEP Certificate. Thereafter, each recertification cycle w ill be a three (3) year period
starting on the sam e d ate (p lu s 3 years, plu s 6 years, etc.) as the initial d ate of certification and end ing three
years after the starting d ate.
13.1.4 Application Time Line
Certificants are encou raged to file a Recertification Ap plication and pay a $390 Recertification Fee at least
ninety (90) d ays p rior to the expiration of their certification. Certificants w ho fail to recertify before their
certification expires w ill be requ ired to pay a Certification Renew al Fee in ad d ition to the Recertification Fee.
Expired Certificants m ay renew their certification at any tim e w ithin three years follow ing their certification
expiration d ate. Du ring this tim e, the certificant is N OT certified by N ABCEP nor m ay claim to be so. Expired
Certificants are rem oved from the Certified Locator d irectory im m ed iately u pon expiration of the certification.
Du ring this certification renew al period , an ind ivid u al w ill be perm itted to recertify w ithou t having to re -apply
or re-exam . Once the three year certification renew al period has end ed , expired certificants m u st reapply and
re-exam in ord er to becom e certified again.
Ind ivid u als recertifying w ithin the first year follow ing the expiration d ate w ill be requ ired to pay a
Certification Renew al Fee of $50 in ad d ition to the Recertification Fee. Those recertifying d u ring the second or
third year follow ing their certification expiration d ate w ill be requ ired to pay a Certification Renew al Fee of
$100 in ad d ition to the Recertification Fee.
The Certificant’s expiration d ate w ill not change d ep end ing on at w hat point in the renew a l cycle the
ind ivid u al m eets recertification requ irem ents. Certificants renew ing w ithin the first, second , or third year of
the renew al period , or p rior to expiration, w ill all have their new expiration d ate set as three years from the
previou s expiration d ate.
13.1.5 Application Process
Certificants m u st log in to their accou nt to recertify on-line and p ay the recertification fee throu gh N ABCEP's
secu re on-line m erchant accou nt at m y.nabcep.org. Certificants em ail ad d ress and passw ord are requ ired to
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log in. If a certificant forgot his/ her inform ation please first u se the “forgot passw ord ” option on the log in
screen. If you continu e to have trou ble accessing you r accou nt, please contact the N ABCEP office. Certificants
m ay also su bm it a recertification ap plication via hard cop y.
The recertification application m u st inclu d e d ocu m entation of training certificates (for continu ing ed u cation)
and perm it or inspection record s (for installation experience). The d ocu m ents shou ld be u pload ed d irectly into
the recertification ap plication for review .
13.1.6 N otification of Recertification Acceptance
After the ap plication is review ed by N ABCEP Staff, Applicants w ill receive a confirm ation e-m ail of the statu s
of Recertification w ithin ap proxim ately eight (8) w eeks after su bm itting a Recertification Ap plication. If the
Recertification is app roved , the certificant w ill receive a new Certificate w ith a new expiration d ate.
If the application for Recertification is d enied , the certificant w ill receive an e-m ail stating w hy the App lication
w as not accepted . Certificants w ill have thirty (30) d ays to su pply ad d itional inform ation if it w as requ ested ,
or to ap peal the d enial in w riting to the Execu tive Director of N ABCEP. (See Appeals Policy in Ap pend ix II)
13.2 PV Installation Professional Recertification Requirements
Consistent w ith the term s of this policy, N ABCEP Certified PV Installation Professionals m u st satisfy the
follow ing requ irem ents in ord er to recertify.
13.2.1 Installation Requirements
To m aintain certification, the Certified PV Installation Professional m u st d ocu m ent that they had a d ecision m aking role on the installation of three (3) Qu alifying PV Installation System s over the cou rse of the three -year
certification period .
13.2.2 D efinition of a Qualifying PV Installation System
The system installations requ ired for recertification m u st m eet the sam e m inim u m requ irem ents as those for
initial certification eligibility. See Section 3 for specific requ irem ents.
13.2.3 D ocumenting PV System Installations
System installations su bm itted for recertification m u st m eet the sam e d ocu m entation requ irem ents as those for
initial eligibility for the certification to qu alify. See Section 3 for specific requ irem ents.
13.2.4 Continuing Education Requirements for PV Installation Professional
Recertification
N ABCEP certificants are requ ired to satisfy the follow ing specific continu ing ed u cation requ irem ents:
•
At least 6 contact hou rs on the latest version of the N ational Electrical Cod e, inclu d ing Article 69 0 and
other Sections relevant to the installation of PV system s;
•
At least 6 contact hou rs of technical PV related to the m ost recent version of the N ABCEP PV
Installation Professional Task Analysis or com plem entary stand ard s relevant to photovoltaic ins tallation and
technology;
•
An ad d itional 6 contact hou rs of instru ction related to PV or renew able energy that m ay be technical
or non-technical.
13.3 Solar Heating Installer Recertification Requirements
Consistent w ith the term s of this policy, N ABCEP Certified Solar H eating Installers m u st satisfy the follow ing
requ irem ents in ord er to recertify.
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13.3.1 Installation Requirements
To m aintain certification, the Certified Solar H eating Installer m u st d ocu m ent that they w ere the lead installer
on the installation of three (3) Qu alifying Solar H eating System s over the cou rse of the three -year certification
period .
13.3.2 D efinition of a Qualifying Solar Heating System
The system installations requ ired for recertification m u st m eet the sam e m inim u m requ irem ents as those fo r
initial certification eligibility. See Section 4 for specific requ irem ents.
13.3.3 D ocumenting Solar Heating System Installations
System installations su bm itted for recertification m u st m eet the sam e d ocu m entation requ irem ents as t hose for
initial eligibility for the certification to qu alify. See Section 4.4.2 for specific requ irem ents.
13.3.4 Continuing Education Requirements for Solar Heating Installer Recertification
N ABCEP certificants are requ ired to satisfy the follow ing specific continu ing ed u cation requ irem ents:
•
At least 6 hou rs related to any of the prim ary Solar H eating Installer references listed on the N ABCEP
w ebsite (w w w .nabcep.org) u nd er “Resou rces”;
•
At least 6 contact hou rs of technical Solar H eating related to the m ost recent version of the N ABCEP
Solar H eating Installer Task Analysis or com plem entary stand ard s relevant to Solar H eating system
installation and technology;
•
An ad d itional 6 contact hou rs of instru ction related to Solar H eating or renew able energy that m ay be
technical or non -technical.
13.4 PV Technical Sales Professional Recertification Requirements
Consistent w ith the term s of this policy, N ABCEP Certified PV Technical Sales Professionals m u st satisfy the
follow ing requ irem ents in ord er to recertify.
13.4.1 Requirements
To m aintain certification, the certified PV Technical Sales professional m u st d ocu m ent the sale of six (6)
Qu alifying PV system s over the cou rse of the three-year certification period and 18 hou rs of Continu ing
Ed u cation.
13.4.2 D efinition of a Qualifying PV Installation System
The Certified PV Technical Sales Professional m u st be engaging in the sale and / or d esign of PV Installation
system s, inclu d ing bu t not lim ited to, ind ivid u als em p loyed as sales m anagers, site analyst s, system
d esigners, technical su p p ort p ersonnel, and p roject finance analysts and su bm it ap propriate d ocu m entation
as specified below . At least 3 of the 6 PV system s m u st be 2 kW DC (peak) or larger and at least tw o (2)
installations m u st be grid connected .
13.4.3 D ocumenting the Sale of a Qualifying PV Installation System
Sales p rop osals su bm itted for recertification m u st m eet the sam e d ocu m entation requ irem ents as those for
initial eligibility for the certification to qu alify. See Section 5 for specific requ irem ents.
13.4.4 Continuing Education Requirements for PV Technical Sales Professional
Recertification
To fu lfill their continu ing ed u cation requ irem ents, N ABCEP Certified PV Technical Sales Professionals m u st
m eet the follow ing specific continu ing ed u cation requ irem ents:
•
At least 12 contact hou rs of technical training related to the m ost recent version of the N ABCEP PV
Technical Sales Professional Job Task Analysis;
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•
An ad d itional 6 contact hou rs of instru ction related to PV or ren ew able energy that m ay be technical
or non-technical. Exam ples of acceptable non -technical instru ction are listed below .
13.5 Small Wind Installer Recertification Requirements
Consistent w ith the term s of this p olicy, N ABCEP Certified Sm all Wind Installers m u st satisfy the follow ing
requ irem ents in ord er to recertify.
13.5.1 Installation Requirements
To m aintain certification, the Certified Sm all Wind Installer m u st d ocu m ent that they w ere one (of u p to three
per installation) responsible installers for the installation of three (3) Qu alifying Sm all Wind System s over the
cou rse of the three-year certification period .
13.5.2 D efinition of a Qualifying Small Wind System
A Sm all Wind installation w ill qu alify only if the ap plicant has a resp onsible role in d ecision-m aking on the
job. This inclu d es the forem an, su pervisor, m anager, instru ctor, or m entor responsible for the sm all w ind
installation, or experienced person perform ing tasks d irect w ithou t su pervision. Up to t hree (3) ap plicants can
claim to have a responsible role on an installation. There m ay be w orkers, su bcontractors, interns, or
ap prentices that d o not carry the charge of resp onsibly on the jobsite bu t w ho are aspiring to this role. In these
cases, the su pervisor m ay be called u pon to m ake a ju d gm ent as to the r ole of the w orker in the process of
d ocu m enting their experience.
A sm all w ind energy system is d efined as a grid connected or off-grid system w ith or w ithou t batteries rated at
100 kW or less.
N ABCEP reserves the right to contact system ow ners/ operato rs, perm itting au thorities, and responsible
contractors to verify w ork listed in this section. If a license for sm all w ind installation is requ ired in the
ju risd iction in w hich the w ork is perform ed , cand id ates m u st su bm it their license nu m ber -- or the license
nu m ber u nd er w hich the w ork w as perform ed .
13.5.3 D ocumenting Small Wind System Installations
Copies of perm it and inspection certificates for the qu alifying sm all w ind system are requ ired . If the Applicant
w as nam ed on the perm it/ inspection d ocu m ent(s) t hen no ad d itional d ocu m entation is need ed to verify that
he/ she held a d ecision m aking role. To d ocu m ent that the Ap plicant w ho is not nam ed on the
perm it/ inspection d ocu m ent(s) d id hold a d ecision m aking role d u ring the d esign, project m anagem ent,
installation, and / or com m issioning/ qu ality assu rance process, the Applicant m u st su bm it one of the
follow ing:
A.
A signed letter on letterhead from the person, or a m em ber of senior m anagem ent from the com pany,
that is nam ed on the perm it/ inspection d ocu m ent(s). The letter m u st clearly exp lain the role(s) and the
d ecision m aking au thority that the Ap plicant held for the system d esign, project m anagem ent, installation,
and / or com m issioning/ qu ality assu rance process for the system installation; OR
B.
Design plans and / or line d raw ings that id entify the Applicant as being resp onsible for the d esign ; OR
C.
A com m issioning or qu ality assu rance report that id entifies the Ap plicant as being responsible for the
system com m issioning or qu ality assu rance process.
13.5.4 Continuing Education Requirements for Small Wind Installer Recertification
N ABCEP Certified Sm all Wind Installers are requ ired to satisfy the follow ing specific continu ing ed u cation
requ irem ents:
•
At least 12 contact hou rs of technical Sm all Wind Installer in stru ction related to the m ost recent
version of the N ABCEP Sm all Wind Installer Task Analysis inclu d ing cou rses relevant to Sm all Wind
installation covering bu ild ing and / or electrical cod e and safety.
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•
An ad d itional 6 contact hou rs of instru ction related to Sm all Wind installation that m ay be technical or
non-technical.
13.6 Verification of Information by N ABCEP
N ABCEP reserves the right to contact system ow ners/ operators, perm itting au thorities, and responsible
contractors to verify w ork listed in this Section. A certificant is requ ired to attach d ocu m entation of perm its or
inspections to the Recertification Application. Other optional d ocu m entation inclu d es anything that the
certificant believes verifies the installation and d em onstrates their responsible role. For exam ple: letters from
cu stom ers, d esign plans, an em ployer letter, or other d ocu m entation.
13.7 Licensure Requirement
If a license for sm all w ind installation is requ ired in the ju risd iction in w hich the w ork is perform ed , certificants
m u st list their license nu m ber(s) -- or the license nu m ber u nd er w hich the w ork w as perform ed on their
ap plication for recertification.
13.8
Qualifying Activities for Contact Hours through Participation in Classes, Training
Seminars and Related Offerings
Unless otherw ise perm itted by this policy, in ord er to be accepted and ap proved by N ABCEP, continu ing
ed u cation activities m u st be relevant and technology specific to the certification being recertified . Particip ation
in the follow ing ed u cational activities w ill qu alify for continu ing ed u cation for recertification:
1.
College or University Courses: Cred it m ay be earned by su ccessfu lly com pleting acad em ic
cou rsew ork at an accred ited u niversity or college d u ring the cu rrent recertification cycle. Cou rses
m ay be “au d ited for cred it” if com pleted and a passing grad e is received .
i. Docu m entation Requ ired : Certificants m u st m aintain a transcript, grad e report, or
verification form issu ed by the ed u cational institu tion, w hich ind icates a p assing
grad e in the cou rse and a cou rse d escription.
2.
Registered Apprenticeship Training: Cred it m ay be earned by su ccessfu lly com pleting cou rsew ork in
a U.S. Departm ent of Labor Ap proved Ap prenticeship Program .
i. Docu m entation Requ ired : Certificants m u st m aintain a certificate or letter verifying
attend ance and a program d escription.
3.
State or Provincial Contractor Licensing Board Approved Training: Cred it m ay be earned by
su ccessfu lly com pleting cou rsew ork d elivered by a state or provincial Contractor Licensing Board
ap proved training.
i. Docu m entation Requ ired : Certificants m u st m aintain a certificate or letter verifying
attend ance and a program d escription.
4.
Interstate Renew able Energy Council (IREC) Institute for Sustainable Pow er Quality (ISPQ), or
similar accrediting body, Accredited/Certified Training:
Cred it m ay be earned by su ccessfu lly com pleting cou rsew ork throu gh a(n):
 IREC ISPQ Accred ited Training Program
 IREC ISPQ Accred ited Continu ing Ed u cation Provid er ad vanced level (not entry level) cou rse
 Cou rse tau ght by an IREC ISPQ Certified Instru ctor or Certified Master Trainer
i. Docu m entation Requ ired : Certificants m u st m aintain a certificate or letter verifying
attend ance and a program d escription.
5.
Registered N ABCEP Continuing Education Courses : Cred it m ay be earned by su ccessfu lly
com pleting cou rsew ork that is registered for Continu ing Ed u cation Cred it w ith N ABCEP. Provid ers of
these cou rses ad here to content stand ard s established by N ABCEP and are au thorized to issu e cred it
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certificates to ind ivid u als w ho com plete registered cou rses. A listing of N ABCEP registered cou rses is
posted on the N ABCEP w ebsite at w w w .nabcep.org > Recertification.
i. Docu m entation Requ ired : Certificants m u st m aintain a certificate or letter verifying
attend ance and a program d escription.
6.
13.9
Seminars, Workshops, and Professional Conference Presentations: Cred it m ay be earned for
attend ing sem inars, w orkshops, or other presentations offered by as part of a p rofessional level
conference.
i. Docu m entation Requ ired : Certificants m u st m aintain a N ABCEP Continu ing
Ed u cation Cred it Form or letter signed by the presenter verifying attend ance, and a
program d escription.
Qualifying Activities for Contact Hours through Instructing, Teaching, Authoring,
Publishing or Presenting
In ad d ition to attend ance at qu alified ed u cational and training events, N ABCEP grants lim ited continu ing
ed u cation contact hou rs to certificants w ho: instru ct and teach qu alifying cou rses; au thor qu alifying articles or
pu blications; and / or, present qu alifying lectu res, sem inars or w orkshop s. In ord er to qu alify for continu ing
ed u cation contact hou rs, su ch activities shou ld inclu d e research or stu d y related to the ap propriate Job Task
Analysis, cou rse content su bjects listed below or that w ill enhance and prom ote qu ality professional
know led ge or practice. The total m axim u m nu m ber of com bined continu ing ed u cation cred its perm itted for
teaching, pu blishing, and p resenting is tw elve (12) w ithin a recertification period .
13.9.1 Criteria and Allow ance for Teaching Credits
Qualified continuing ed ucation instructional and teaching activities m ust satisfy the follow ing requirem ents:





The course m u st be offered through an organization that w ould m eet the ed ucation requirem ents for initial
certification
The content of the course m u st be lim ited to the content subjects in line w ith the Continuing Ed ucation
requirem ents specific to recertification
The certificant m ust be a prim ary instructor for the course;
The certificant m ust be qualified to teach the course by experience, ed ucation, and / or training; and
The certificant m ust provid e appropriate m aterials consistent w ith these requirem ents.
Continuing ed ucation contact hours for teaching activities w ill be d eterm ined based on the num ber of actual
instructional, contact hours, and cannot exceed tw elve (12) contact hours per three (3) year recertification period .
Continuing ed ucation contact hours m ay be claim ed only once w ithin a recertification period for each specific course
offering.
13.9.2 Criteria and Allow ance for Publications Credits
Qualified continuing ed ucation activities related to the au thorship of articles, book chap ters, or other publications
(publications) m ust satisfy the follow ing requirem ents:





The content of the publication m ust ad d ress, and be lim ited to , the content su bjects in line w ith the
Continuing Ed ucation requirem ents specific to recertification in Section 12.9
The publication m ust appear in a peer -review ed journal, a book, or other sim ilar form at related d irectly to
the photovoltaic or renew able energy fields;
The certificant m ust be qualified to author the publication by experience, ed ucation, and / or training;
The certificant m ust be a prim ary author of the publication; and ,
The certificant m ust provid e a com plete copy or link to the publication, includ ing an identification of the
authors.
Continuing ed ucation contact hours for authoring a publication w ill be lim ited to tw o (2) contact hours per
publication w ithin a three (3) year recertification period, pend ing N ABCEP review of the publicati on.
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13.9.3 Criteria and Allow ance for Credits Related to Preparing and Presenting Technical
Information at Conferences, Lectures, Seminars or Workshops
Qu alified continu ing ed u cation activities related to a conference, lectu re or sem inar presentation
(presentations) m u st satisfy the follow ing requ irem ents:






The content of the presentation m u st be lim ited to the content su bjects in line w ith the Continu ing
Ed u cation requ irem ents specific to recertification in Section 12.9
The certificant m u st be a (or one of th e) prim ary p resenter(s) of the presentation;
The presentation shou ld p rovid e attend ees w ith the opp ortu nity to qu estion the presenter;
The certificant m u st be qu alified to m ake the presentation by experience, ed u cation, and / or training;
The certificant m u st provid e an ap propriate p rofessional resu m e and p resentation d escription
consistent w ith these requ irem ents; and ,
The certificant m u st provid e a d ocu m ent from the organizational sponsor verifying the presentation
activity and explaining the tim e and content of the presentation.
Continu ing ed u cation contact hou rs for presentation activities w ill be d eterm ined based on the
nu m ber of actu al p resentation hou rs and the nu m ber of hou rs that a certificant w ou ld receive for
attend ing the presentation. The presenter w ill receive the sam e nu m ber of continu ing ed u cation
contact hou rs as a certificant w ho attend s the p resentation w ou ld receive. Continu ing ed u cation
contact hou rs for presentation activities w ill be d eterm ined based on the nu m ber of actu al
presentation contact hou rs and cannot exceed tw elve (12) contact hou rs per three (3) year
recertification
period .
13.10 Ethical Practice Requirement
As a p art of the recertification process, certificants w ill be requ ired to attest that they have m aintained and w il l
continu e to m aintain practices in conform ity w ith the N ABCEP Cod e of Ethics. Violation of the Cod e of Ethics
m ay be grou nd s for d isciplinary action.
Certificants for recertification m u st be in good stand ing w ith N ABCEP. Certificants against w hom com pl aints
are brou ght w ill be notified and w ill have the opportu nity to refu te the com plaints filed against them . If a
review process find s the certificant in violation of the Cod e of Ethics or if he/ she is consistently perform ing
w ork that d oes not reflect th e skills and experience requ ired for certification, certification statu s m ay be
revoked and the certificant m ay be d enied the opp ortu nity to attain recertification statu s.
13.11
General Recertification Guidelines
13.11.1Granting Cred it
All recertification activities su bm itted for cred it are su bject to review and ap proval by N ABCEP. Cred it for
each qu alifying activity w ill be granted on a one-tim e only basis. In all cases, cred it is granted only after the
ed u cational or professional activity has been com pleted and d ocu m ented . Cred it is not granted for tim e spent
at social fu nctions or for breaks.
13.11.2
Credit D enial
N ABCEP reserves the sole and exclu sive right to evalu ate all activities and program s on an ind ivid u al basis
and at its d iscretion, to d eny cred its for those activities that fail to m eet the term s of this policy and other
N ABCEP requ irem ents. In its evalu ation, N ABCEP w ill consid er the nu m ber of cred its ind icated for a
program by other provid ers. H ow ever, N ABCEP reserves the sole and exclu sive right to m ake all final
d eterm inations concerning the nu m ber of cred its granted for each activity. The certificant w ill be notified
w hen cred its are red u ced or d enied , inclu d ing a statem ent ind icating the basis for su ch action.
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13.11.3
Maintenance of Personal Recertification Records
As explained in this p olicy, each category of qu alifying recertification activities ind icates the inform ation and
m aterials that m u st be collected and m aintained in ord er to receive cred it. Certificants m u st m aintain the
ap plicable record s and d ocu m entation related to each reported recertification activity for at least tw elve (12)
m onths after the cu rrent recertification cycle has end ed . Su ch record s shou ld be stored in a safe and secu re
m anner.
13.11.4
Application for Certification Renew al
An Application for Certification Renew al w ill be m ailed (hard copy or electronically) to each certificant d u ring
the final six (6) m onths of the cu rrent recertification cycle. Upon receipt of a com pleted Recertification
Ap plication, the recertification fee of $300, and satisfactory com pletion of the continu ing ed u cation cred it
requ irem ent for the cu rrent recertification cycle, N ABCEP w ill send an u pd ated Recertification Certificate to
the certificant.
13.12
Failure to Satisfy Recertification Requirements
Certificants w ho fail to satisfy the recertification requ irem ents p rior to the conclu sion of the cu rrent
recertification cycle w ill becom e inactive and placed on an inactive list of certificants. The follow ing term s
ap ply, u nless otherw ise p rovid ed by this policy:
13.12.1
Suspension
Follow ing the issu ance of a su spension notice, the certificant w ill be placed on im m ed iate su spension statu s for
u p to a one (1) year period or u ntil su ch tim e as the certificant fu lfills the relevant recertification requ irem ents.
In the event of certification su spension, the applicable d ates for the follow ing recertification cycle rem ain
effective and are not altered , i.e., the su spension period w ill be concu rrent w ith the first year in cu rrent
recertification cycle. Upon satisfactory com pletion of all relevant recertification requ irem ents, the certificant
w ill be retu rned to active certification statu s.
13.12.2
Revocation
Failu re to satisfy the relevant requ irem ents w ithin a one (1) year period after the conclu sion of a recertification
cycle (d u ring the su spension period ) w ill resu lt in revocation and term ination of certification. Unless
otherw ise d irected by N ABCEP or other au thorized N ABCEP representative, a revoked or term inated
certification m ay not be reinstated . In ord er to receive certified st atu s, a form er certificant m u st reap ply for
certification and satisfy all requ irem ents of the initial certification process.
13.12.3
Prohibited use of Credential
A certificant w hose certification has been su spend ed or revoked m ay not represent him self or herself as an
active certificant or as certified by N ABCEP and m ay not u se the N ABCEP Certification Mark u ntil su ch tim e
as he or she receives notice from N ABCEP that the relevant recertification requ irem ents have been satisfied or
his or her active certification statu s has been reinstated , consistent w ith the term s of this policy.
14 Voluntary, Optional Changes in Certification Status
14.1 Emeritus Status
Em eritu s statu s allow s ind ivid u als, w ho have previou sly held N ABCEP Certification, to rem ain w ithin and
particip ate w ith N ABCEP after their certification has expired . The Em eritu s d esignation rep resents that the
ind ivid u al w as previou sly certified by N ABCEP bu t is no longer professionally engaged in the job d efined by
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the Job Task Analysis. The Em eritu s statu s is not a cred ential, bu t is recognition that the ind ivid u al w as
previou sly certified by N ABCEP.
14.1.1 Eligibility
A certificant in good stand ing, w ho w ishes to volu ntarily relinqu ish his/ her certification d u e to retirem ent or
inactivity, and w ho has abid ed by the Cod e of Ethics, is eligible to receive Em eritu s statu s. Em eritu s statu s is
lim ited to qu alified ind ivid u als w ho no longer receive prim ary rem u neration from practicing in the installation
field and have been certificants in good stand ing for the last tw o consecu tive years. Upon ap proval of the
Em eritu s statu s ap plication, an Em eritu s statu s d ocu m ent is issu ed by N ABCEP.
14.1.2 Related Fees
An Em eritu s statu s ind ivid u al is not requ ired to m eet N ABCEP recertification requ irem ents or to pay
certification renew al fees. There is a one-tim e fee for Em eritu s statu s, as established by N ABCEP each year.
14.1.3 Recognition and Participation
An Em eritu s statu s ind ivid u al is no longer entitled to receive recognition in the registry of certificants. The
Em eritu s ind ivid u al rem ains eligible to particip ate in N ABCEP activities.
14.1.4 Use of Emeritus Status Credential and Mark
An Em eritu s statu s ind ivid u al is granted perm ission to u se the Em eritu s statu s d esignation as d irected by
N ABCEP. Em eritu s ind ivid u als are not perm itted to u se the N ABCEP Mark or cred ential u nless they have
retu rned to active certification statu s consistent w ith the term s of this policy.
14.1.5 Reinstatement to Active Certification Status
An Em eritu s statu s ind ivid u al w ho retu rns to active practice and w ishes to u se the N ABCEP Mark or
cred ential in conju nction w ith professional practice is requ ired to seek reinstatem ent of active certification
statu s. If su ch reinstatem ent to active statu s is requ ested prior to the tim e the Em eritu s ind ivid u al’s active
certification w ou ld have expired , i.e., w ithin the certification expiration d ate that w as in effect at the tim e of the
statu s change to Em eritu s statu s, the ind ivid u al m ay requ est that active statu s be reinstated by p aying all
ap plicable fees at the tim e of reinstatem ent. An Em eritu s ind ivid u al w ho w ishes to reactivate certification
statu s w ithin one (1) year beyond the expiration d ate of active certification m u st satisfy the applicable
recertification requ irem ents and provid e all ap plicable d ocu m entation. An Em erit u s ind ivid u al w ho has
rem ained in the inactive Em eritu s statu s m ore than one (1) year beyond the expiration d ate of active
certification m u st reap ply for certification and satisfy all requ irem ents of the initial certification process.
14.1.6 Relinquishment of the Credential
A certificant in good stand ing m ay volu ntarily relinqu ish his or her certification by su bm itting a w ritten
requ est to N ABCEP ind icating acceptance of, and agreem ent to, the follow ing term s. Su ch certificants w ill be
rem oved from active certificant record s.
14.1.7 Prohibited Use of the Credential
A certificant w ho volu ntarily relinqu ishes his or her certification m ay not rep resent him or herself as an
active certificant or as certified by N ABCEP. An Em eritu s statu s ind ivid u al m ay not u se the N ABCEP
Mark u ntil su ch tim e that he or she satisfies the relevant recertification requ irem ents or has his or her
active certification reinstated .
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15 Confidentiality
15.1 Confidentiality of Application Materials
An Ap plicant’s m aterials for certification and recertification shall rem ain confid ential, u nless au thorized by
other N ABCEP policies and practices or u nless otherw ise stipu lated in w riting by the Applicant. Only
m em bers of the Application Review Com m ittee, staff, and d esignated ind ivid u als acting on behalf of th e Board
shall have access to these d ocu m ents. N ABCEP w ill take all reasonable precau tions to ensu re that Applicant’s
ap plication inform ation w ill not be released to 3rd parties. Upon certification, professional contact inform ation
w ill be consid ered pu blic inform ation and m ay be m ad e available to the pu blic u pon requ est.
15.2 Confidentiality of Scores
Ind ivid u al Cand id ate scores shall rem ain confid ential (see Section 11.6), u nless a Cand id ate agrees in w riting to
release his/ her score to specific au thorities, su ch as a state board of licensu re.
15.3 Certificant Registry
N ABCEP w ill m aintain a Certificant Registry as a free benefit for Certificants and the pu blic. The Certificant
Registry w ill contain the nam e and p rofessional contact inform ation of Certificants. This d atabase w ill be
m ad e available in a secu re, online form at, free of charge.
16 Grievances & Appeals
16.1 Grounds for Appeal
N ABCEP is d irected , ad m inistered , and su pervised by the N ABCEP Board of Directors. All challenges
regard ing actions of and by N ABCEP are governed by the com prehensive and exclu sive ru les contained in the
Certification Ap peal Proced u res (see Append ix II). This ap peal process is the only w ay to resolve all N ABCEP
ap plication, eligibility, exam ination, and ot her certification or recertification challenges, com plaints, and / or
claim s of irregu larities.
An Applicant, Cand id ate, or Certificant m ay su bm it to the Execu tive Director an initial appeal (requ est for
review ) of an ad verse N ABCEP action or d ecision based on any of the follow ing grou nd s:
a.
The Cand id ate or Certificant w as fou nd to be ineligible to take or u nable to com p lete the
Certification Exam ination;
b.
The Cand id ate d id not p ass or su ccessfu lly com p lete the Certification Exam ination; or,
c.
The Ap p licant failed to satisfy a certification requ irem ent, or the Certificant failed to satisfy a
recertification requ irem ent, inclu d ing those requ irem ents related to qu alifications, ed u cation,
and exp erience, or w as otherw ise d eem ed ineligible for certification or recertification.
In ord er for a requ est for review to be consid ered by the Execu tive Director, the w ritten requ est m u st be
received by N ABCEP w ithin thirty (30) d ays of the d ate of the ad verse action.
16.2 Appeal Procedures
In ord er for an appeal to be consid ered by the Certification Ap peals Com m ittee, the ap peal su bm ission m u st
contain the follow ing inform ation:
a.
The id entity and signatu re of the Applicant, Cand id ate or Certificant su bm itting the appeal;
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b.
A d etailed explanation of the reasons and basis for the appeal, as d efined and lim ited by Section
E.2 in the Ap peals Proced u re
c.
All objections, corrections, and factu al inform ation the Cand id ate or Certificant believes to be
relevant to the appeal;
d.
The nam es, ad d resses, telep hone nu m bers, and em ail ad d resses, if availa ble, of any persons w ith
factu al inform ation relevant to the appeal, and a clear d escription of the factu al inform ation
available from these persons; and ,
e.
Copies of any and all relevant d ocu m ents, exhibits, or other inform ation the Ap plicant, Cand id ate,
or Certificant w ants to su bm it in su pport of the ap peal.
16.3 Complaint, D ispute, & Grievance Policy
The Com p laint, Disp u te, and Grievance Resolu tion Policy (available online or by contacting N ABCEP)
w ill ap p ly to any grievance m atter concerning an action, p olicy or p ractice of the N ABCEP as a corp orate
bod y; N ABCEP Cand id ates or Certificants; the N ABCEP Board of Directors and Officers; N ABCEP
execu tive m anagem ent and staff; N ABCEP Com m ittee m em bers; and N ABCEP volu nteers and
rep resentatives acting on behalf of the N ABCEP (p arties).
17 Contacting N ABCEP
17.1 Obtain Information and Ask Questions
Please contact the Board office at (800) 654-0021, or visit ou r w ebsite at w w w .nabcep.org for ad d itional
inform ation.
N orth Am erican Board of Certified Energy Practitioners
56 Clifton Cou ntry Road , Su ite 202
Clifton Park, N Y, 12065
Email: info@nabcep.org
Phone: (800) 654-0021
Fax: (518) 899-1092
17.2 Change of Address or N ame
A Change of Ad d ress/ N am e form is contained in this hand book. Cand id ates m ay retu rn the form to
N ABCEP, along w ith requ ired p roof if a nam e change has occu rred , at any tim e. In ad d ition, all Cand id ates
w ill be given an opportu nity to file a change of ad d ress at the exam ination site.
17.3 Other Policies
Other N ABCEP policies, inclu d ing the Ethics Case Proced u re and the Com plaint, Dispu te and Grievance
Resolu tion Policy, are available online at w w w .nabcep.org or by contacting N ABCEP at the contact info listed
above.
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Appendix I: N ABCEP Code of Ethics & Standards of Conduct
Am ong other p rim ary goals, the N ABCEP is d ed icated to the im plem entation of ap propriate professional
stand ard s d esigned to p rotect consu m ers and the p rofession. N ABCEP Cand id ates and Certificants are
expected to act in an ap propriate m anner, w hich prom otes the integrity of, and reflects p ositively on, the
practitioner, the N ABCEP, and the renew able energy profession, consistent w ith accepted m oral, ethical, and
legal stand ard s.
N ABCEP COD E OF ETHICS
As a p rofessional in the field s of renew able and su stain able energy and energy efficiency technologies, a
N ABCEP Cand id ate or Certificant has the obligation to:
 d eal w ith all clients, consu m ers, and other professionals and professional organizations fairly and in a
tim ely m anner;
 provid e safe and qu ality services to clients and consu m ers;
 respect and prom ote the rights of clients and consu m ers by offering only professional services that
he/ she is qu alified to perform , and by ad equ ately inform ing clients and consu m ers abou t natu re of
proposed services, inclu d ing any relevant concerns or risks;
 m aintain the confid entiality and p rivacy of all client and consu m er inform ation;
 avoid cond u ct w hich m ay cau se a conflict w ith client or others;
 engage in m oral and ethical bu siness practices, inclu d ing accu rate and tru thfu l representations
concerning p rofessional inform ation and system perform ance expectations;
 be tru thfu l w ith regard to research sou rces, find ings, and related p rofessional activities;
 m aintain accu rate and com plete bu siness and professional record s;
 respect the intellectu al property and contribu tions of others;
 fu rther the professionalism of renew able energy ind u stry services; and ,
 behave in a cou rteou s and professional m anner w hen com m u nicating w ith N ABCEP representatives.
N ABCEP STAN D ARD S OF CON D UCT
The follow ing N ABCEP Ethical Stand ard s of Cond u ct d escribe appropriate and enforceable professional
practice stand ard s, and set forth the m inim al ethical stand ard s of professional cond u ct for N ABCEP
Cand id ates and Certificants. These Ethical Stand ard s of Con d u ct also serve as a professional resou rce for
renew able energy ind u stry practitioners, as w ell as for those served by N ABCEP Certificants and Cand id ates,
in the case of a possible ethical violation.
SECTION A: COMPLIAN CE WITH LAWS, POLICIES, AN D RULES RELATIN G TO THE PROFESSION
1. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill be aw are of, and com ply w ith, all ap plicable fed eral, state,
and local law s and regu lations governing the profession. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill not
know ingly particip ate in, or assist, any acts that are contrary to ap plicable professional law s and regu lations.
Lack of aw areness or m isu nd erstand ing of these law s and regu lations d oes not excu se inap propriate or
u nethical behavior.
2. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill be aw are of, and com ply w ith, all N ABCEP ru les, policies,
and proced u res, inclu d ing ru les concerning the app rop riate u se of N ABCEP certification m arks and the proper
representation of N ABCEP cred entials. Lack of aw areness or m isu nd erstand ing of a N ABCEP ru le, poli cy, or
proced u re d oes not excu se inap propriate or u nethical behavior. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill not
know ingly p articip ate in, or assist, any acts that are contrary to N ABCEP ru les, policies, and proced u res.
3. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill m ake all reasonable and appropriate efforts to prom ote
com pliance w ith, and aw areness of, all applicable law s, regu lations, and N ABCEP ru les and policies governing
the profession.
4. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill m ake all reasonable and ap prop riate efforts to prevent
violations of applicable law s, regu lations, and N ABCEP ru les and p olicies governing the profession.
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix I – Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct
5. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill provid e accu rate, tru thfu l, and com plete inform ation to
N ABCEP concerning all certification related eligibility inform ation, and w ill su bm it valid application m aterials
for fu lfillm ent of cu rrent certification and recertification requ irem ents.
6. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill m aintain the secu rity, and prevent the d isclosu re, of
N ABCEP certification exam ination inform ation and m aterials.
7. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill report possible violations of this Cod e of Ethics to the
ap propriate N ABCEP representative(s).
8. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill cooperate fu lly w ith the N ABCEP concerning the review of
possible ethics violations and the collection of related inform ation.
SECTION B: PROFESSION AL PRACTICE
1. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill d eliver safe, com petent services in a tim ely m anner, and w ill
provid e qu ality services w ith ap propriate professional skill and com petence.
2. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill recognize the lim itations of his/ her p rofessional ability, and
w ill only provid e and d eliver professional services for w hich he/ she is qu alified .
The N ABCEP
certificant/ cand id ate w ill be responsible for d eterm ining his/ her ow n p rofessional abilities based on his/ her
ed u cation, know led ge, com petency, cred entials, extent of practice experience in the field , and other relevant
consid erations.
3. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill p rovid e clients and consu m ers w ith ad equ ate and d etailed
inform ation regard ing the natu re of proposed services, and the related options, ou tcom es, risks, and concerns.
4. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill u se all p rofessional resou rces in a technically ap propriate
and efficient m anner.
5. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill provid e services based on client or consu m er requ ests and
need s, and w ill avoid u nnecessary services. The N ABCEP certificant/ cand id ate w ill provid e services that are
both app ropriate and necessary to satisfying client or consu m er requ ests and need s.
6. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill exercise d iligence and thorou ghness in provid ing services,
and in m aking professional assessm ents and recom m end ations solely for the benefit of the client or consu m er.
The N ABCEP certificant/ cand id ate w ho offers his/ her services to the pu blic w ill not d ecline a client or
consu m er based on age, gend er, race, color, sexu al orientation, national origin, d isability, religiou s af filiation,
or any other basis that w ou ld constitu te u nlaw fu l d iscrim ination.
7. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill prepare and m aintain all necessary, requ ired , or otherw ise
ap propriate record s concerning his/ her professional p ractice, inclu d ing com plet e and accu rate client and
consu m er services record s.
8. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill not d elegate the responsibility to provid e professional
services to an u nqu alified person. Where su pervision is ap propriate and necessary, the N ABCEP
certificant/ cand id ate w ill not d elegate resp onsibility for the provision of professional services w ithou t
provid ing ap propriate su pervision.
9. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill not act in a m anner that m ay com prom ise his/ her
professional ju d gm ent, perform ance, or obligation to d eal fairly w ith all clients and consu m ers.
10. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill be tru thfu l and accu rate in all ad vertising and
representations concerning professional qu alifications, experience, com petency, and perform ance of service s,
inclu d ing representations related to professional statu s and / or areas of com p etence. The N ABCEP
certificant/ cand id ate w ill not m ake false or d eceptive statem ents concerning p rofessional or occu pational
training, experience, com petence, ability, acad em ic training or d egrees, cred entials, institu tional or association
affiliations, services, or fees for services.
11. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill not know ingly m ake false or m islead ing statem ents abou t, or
gu arantees concerning, any service or the efficacy of any renew able energy system , prod u ct, or d evice, orally
or in w riting.
SECTION C: CON FLICT OF IN TEREST AN D APPEARAN CE OF IMPROPRIETY
1. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill not engage in cond u ct that m ay cau se an actu al or perceived
conflict betw een his/ her ow n interests and the interests of his/ her client or organization. The N ABCEP
Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill avoid cond u ct that cau ses an ap pearance of im propriety.
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix I – Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct
2. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill act to protect the interests of the client or consu m er before
his/ her ow n interests, u nless su ch action is in conflict w ith any legal, ethical, or professional obligation.
3. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill d isclose to clients and organizations any circu m stance that
cou ld be constru ed as a conflict of interest or an appearance of im p rop riety, or that cou ld otherw ise influ ence
or interfere w ith the exercise of professional ju d gm ent.
4. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill refrain from offering or accepting inap propriate paym ents,
gifts, or other form s of com p ensation for personal gain, u nless in conform ity w ith app licable law s, regu lations,
and N ABCEP ru les and p olicies.
SECTION D : COMPEN SATION AN D REFERRAL D ISCLOSURES
1. If responsible for setting p rofessional fees and related costs, the N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill
charge fair, reasonable, and appropriate fees for all professional services, and w ill provid e clients and
consu m ers w ith tru thfu l and accu rate inform ation concerning su ch services.
2. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill charge fees that accu rately reflect the services provid ed to
the client or consu m er.
3. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill m ake all ap propriate d isclosu res to clients and consu m ers
and prospective clients and consu m ers regard ing any benefit paid t o others for recom m end ing or referring
his/ her services.
4. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill m ake all ap propriate d isclosu res to clients and consu m ers
and prospective clients and consu m ers regard ing any benefit received for recom m end ing or referring t he
services of another ind ivid u al.
SECTION E: CLIEN T CON FID EN TIALITY AN D PRIVACY
1. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill m aintain and respect the confid entiality of all client and
consu m er inform ation obtained in the cou rse of a professional relationship , u nless: the inform ation pertains to
illegal activity; the client or consu m er exp ressly d irects the release of specific inform ation; or, a cou rt or
governm ent agency law fu lly d irects the release of the inform ation.
2. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill respect and m aintain the p rivacy of his/ her clients and
consu m ers.
SECTION F: RESEARCH AN D PROFESSION AL ACTIVITIES
1. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill be accu rate and tru thfu l, and otherw ise act in an approp riate
m anner, w ith regard to research fin d ings and other p rofessional activities, and w ill m ake reasonable and
d iligent efforts to avoid any m aterial m isrep resentations.
2. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill m aintain app ropriate, accu rate, and com plete record s w ith
respect to research and other professional activities.
3. When prep aring, d eveloping, or presenting research or other professional inform ation and m aterials,
the N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill not copy or u se, in su bstantially sim ilar form , m aterials prep ared by
others w ithou t acknow led ging the correct sou rce and id entifying the nam e of the au thor and / or pu blisher of
su ch m aterial.
4. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill respect and p rotect the intellectu al property rights of others,
and w ill otherw ise recognize and protect the pr ofessional contribu tions of others.
SECTION G: MISCON D UCT PROHIBITION S
1. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill not engage in any crim inal m iscond u ct relating to his/ her
professional activities.
2. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill not engage in cond u ct involving d ishonesty, frau d , d eceit, or
m isrep resentation relating to his/ her professional activities.
3. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill not engage in u nlaw fu l d iscrim ination relating to his/ her
professional activities.
4. The N ABCEP Certificant/ Cand id ate w ill avoid any behavior that is clearly contrary to accepted
m oral, ethical, or legal stand ard s, and that m ay com prom ise the integrity of, or reflect negatively on, the
profession
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix I – Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct
Appendix II: N ABCEP Appeals Policy
A.
Introduction
The N orth Am erican Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, Inc. (N ABCEP), is a private, non -p rofit,
professional cred entialing organization that sponsors the d evelopm ent, m aintenance, evalu ation, prom otion,
and ad m inistration of a rigorou s, exam ination -based certification program in the field s of renew able and
su stainable energy and energy efficiency technologies. The pu rp ose and goal of N ABCEP is to assess and
m easu re objectively the professional know led ge of renew able energy ind u stry p ractitioners, and to prom ote
the ad vancem ent of the renew able energy ind u stry by id entifying to p rofessionals and the pu blic those
practitioners w ho have volu ntarily m et and satisfied relevant N ABCEP stand ard s.
In ord er to be certified by N ABCEP, each Cand id ate m u st: satisfy all ed u cation and experience eligibility and
cred entials requ irem ents established by the N ABCEP Board of Directors; and pass a w ritten certification
exam ination. In ad d ition, all ind ivid u als certified by the N ABCEP m u st d em onstrate an ongoing professional
com m itm ent to the field s of renew able and su stainable energy and energy efficiency technologies in ord er to
m aintain certification.
N ABCEP eligibility stand ard s and certification requ irem ents are ap plied fairly, im p artially, and consistent w ith
ap plicable law s. The N ABCEP w ill not d iscrim inate against any Cand id ate or Certificant on the basis of an
u nlaw fu l reason, and w ill grant certification w ithou t regard to a Cand id ate's or Certificant's m em bership or
non-m em bership in any organization, association, or othe r grou p.
N ABCEP Certificants and Cand id ates seeking certification or recertification agree that: these p roced u res are a
fair process for resolving certification com plaint or app eal m atters; they w ill be bou nd by d ecisions m ad e
pu rsu ant to these proced u res; these proced u res are governed by the principles of the law of the State of
N evad a; and , these proced u res d o not constitu te a contract betw een the N ABCEP and the Cand id ate or
Certificant.
B.
General Provisions
1. N atu re of the Process. The N ABCEP is d irected , ad m inistered , and su pervised by the N ABCEP Board
of Directors. All challenges regard ing actions of and by the N ABCEP are governed by the com prehensive and
exclu sive ru les contained in these proced u res. This ap peal p rocess is the only w ay to resol ve all N ABCEP
ap plication, eligibility, exam ination, and other certification or recertification challenges, com plaints, and / or
claim s of irregu larities.
Becau se these inform al p roced u res are not legal proceed ings, they are d esigned to operate w ithou t the
assistance of attorneys. While a p arty m ay choose to be represented by an attorney, Cand id ates and
Certificants are encou raged to com m u nicate d irectly w ith the N ABCEP. If a party has retained an attorney,
that attorney w ill be d irected to com m u nicate w it h the NABCEP throu gh the N ABCEP Legal Cou nsel.
2. Particip ants. The N ABCEP Execu tive Director, the Certification Appeals Com m ittee, the N ABCEP
Board of Directors, and any other au thorized rep resentative of the N ABCEP, m ay be involved in d ecid ing
m atters to be resolved or arising u nd er these proced u res.
3. Tim e Requ irem ents. The N ABCEP w ill m ake every effort to follow the tim e requ irem ents noted in
these ap peal proced u res. H ow ever, the N ABCEP's failu re to m eet a tim e requ irem ent w ill not prohibit the
consid eration or final resolu tion of any m atter arising u nd er these proced u res. N ABCEP Cand id ates or
Certificants are requ ired to com ply w ith all tim e requ irem ents specified in this d ocu m ent. Unless p rovid ed
otherw ise, tim e extensions or postponem ents m ay be granted by the N ABCEP if a tim ely, w ritten requ est
explaining a reasonable cau se is su bm itted , consistent w ith these proced u res.
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix II – Appeals Policy
4. Litigation/ Other Proceed ings. The N ABCEP m ay accep t and resolve a d ispu te arising u nd er these
proceed ings w hen civil or crim inal litigation, or other proceed ings related to the d ispu te are also before a cou rt,
regu latory agency, or professional bod y. The N ABCEP m ay also continu e or d elay the resolu tion of any
ap peal, com plaint, or other m atter.
5. Confid entiality. In ord er to protect the privacy of all parties involved in m atters arising u nd er these
proced u res, all m aterial prep ared by, or su bm itted to, the N ABCEP w ill be confid ential. Disclosu re of m aterial
prep ared by, or su bm itted to, the N ABCEP is perm itted only w he n specifically au thorized by
N ABCEP p olicy, the Board of Directors, the Certification Ap peals Com m ittee, or the Execu tive Director.
Am ong other inform ation, the N ABCEP w ill not consid er the follow ing m aterials and d ocu m ents to be
confid ential:
a. Pu blished certification and eligibility criteria;
b. Record s and m aterials that are d isclosed as the resu lt of a legal requ irem ent;
c. Upon the w ritten requ est of a Cand id ate or Certificant, any certification inform ation concerning
certification statu s or ap plication m aterials w hich the Cand id ate or Certificant w ou ld like m ad e
available to other cred entialing agencies, p rofessional organizations, or sim ilar bod ies; and ,
d . All d ecisions and ord ers of the Board of Directors, the Certification Ap peals Com m ittee, or the
Execu tive Director, w hich are consid ered final and closed , consistent w ith these proced u res.
6. Failu re to Disclose/ Im proper, False, or Mislead ing Rep resentations. Where a Cand id ate or Certificant
fails to d isclose inform ation related to certification or recertification requ ested by the N ABCEP, or w here a
Cand id ate or Certificant m akes an im proper, false, or m islead ing representation to the N ABCEP, the Execu tive
Director, Certification Appeals Com m ittee, the Board of Directors, or other au thorized rep resentative m ay
penalize or d iscipline the ind ivid u al, and / or issu e corrective action related to su ch failu re or im proper
representation. The N ABCEP m ay tem porarily or perm anently p revent and bar an ind ivid u al from being
certified or recertified , or m ay issu e any other ap propriate d irective(s).
Where a penalty, d iscipline, ord er, or other d irective is issu ed by the N ABCEP u nd er this Section, the
Cand id ate or Certificant involved m ay seek review and appeal u nd er these p roced u res.
7. Party Cond u ct/ Failu re to Cooperate. All parties m u st behave in a cou rteou s and professional m anner
w hen com m u nicating w ith N ABCEP representatives. Where a Cand id ate or Certificant fails or refu ses to
cooperate fu lly w ith the N ABCEP concerning m atters arising u nd er, or related to, these proced u res, and it is
d eterm ined that the lack of cooperation is w ithou t good cau se, the Execu tive Director, Certification Appeals
Com m ittee, the Board of Directors, or other au thorized representative m ay penalize or d iscipline the
ind ivid u al, and / or issu e corrective action related to su ch failu re to cooperate. The N ABCEP m ay tem porarily
or perm anently prevent and bar an ind ivid u al from being certified or recertified , or m ay issu e any other
ap propriate d irective(s).
Where a penalty, d iscipline, ord er, or other d irective is issu ed by the N ABCEP u nd er this Section, the
Cand id ate or Certificant involved m ay seek review and appeal u nd er these p roced u res.
8. Professional Com plaint Matters. Follow ing notice, and a reasonable op portu nity to present a
resp onse, the Execu tive Director, Certification Appeals Com m ittee, the Board of Directors, or other au thorized
representative m ay tem porarily or perm anently prevent an ind ivid u al from being certified or recertified , or
m ay issu e any other ap propriate d irective(s), w here the Cand id ate or Certificant w as the su bject of any
com plaint or sim ilar m atter relating to his/ her professional activities as a renew able energy ind u s try
practitioner, or w here the Cand id ate or Certificant is the su bject of m atters or proceed ings involving crim inal
charges, lesser offenses, or sim ilar m atters regard less of: w hen the alleged violation occu rred ; and , w hether t he
professional license of the Cand id ate or Certificant w as in good stand ing at the tim e of the N ABCEP d ecision
or action.
Where a penalty, d iscipline, ord er, or other d irective is issu ed by the N ABCEP u nd er this Section, the
Cand id ate or Certificant involved m ay seek review and appeal u nd er these p roced u res.
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Appendix II – Appeals Policy
C.
Actions and D ecisions Concerning the Certification Process
1. Certification Application Actions. Und er the su pervision of the Execu tive Director acting w ith the
gu id ance of the Application Review Com m ittee, the N ABCEP w ill m ake one of the follow ing d eterm inations
and d ecisions w ith regard to a Cand id ate's ap plication for N ABCEP certification exam ination eligibility: (a)
accept the application; (b) requ est ad d itional or su p plem ental inform ation; or, (c) reject the ap plication on the
grou nd (s) that the Cand id ate d oes not m eet the relevant certification eligibilit y requ irem ents, or the Cand id ate
has violated , or acted contrary to, a N ABCEP p olicy or ru le.
2. Certification Exam ination(s) Actions. The N ABCEP w ill notify each Cand id ate w hether he/ she has
achieved a p assing or failing score on the Certification Exam ination. Where a Cand id ate acts contrary to
N ABCEP p olicies d u ring the ad m inistration of any Certification Exam ination(s) or Section, the Cand id ate m ay
be prevented from taking or com pleting the Exam ination(s), or other ap propriate action m ay be issu ed .
3. Recertification Application Actions. The N ABCEP w ill m ake one of the follow ing d ecisions w ith
regard to a certificant's Recertification Ap plication: (a) grant recertification; (b) cond itionally accept the
Recertification Ap plication, pend ing satisfacto ry com pletion of all recertification requ irem ents; (c) requ est
ad d itional inform ation; or, (d ) reject the ap plication on the grou nd (s) that the certificant d oes not m eet the
necessary criteria for recertification, or the certificant has violated , or acted contrary to, a N ABCEP policy or
ru le.
D.
Initial Request for Review /N ABCEP Executive D irector
1. Grou nd s for Initial Ap peal (Requ est for Review ). A Cand id ate or Certificant m ay su bm it to the
Execu tive Director an initial ap peal (requ est for review ) of an ad verse N ABCEP action or d ecision based on
any of the follow ing grou nd s:
a. The Cand id ate w as fou nd to be ineligible to take or com plete the Certification Exam ination;
b. The Cand id ate d id not p ass or su ccessfu lly com plete the Certification Exam ination; o r,
c. The Cand id ate or Certificant failed to satisfy a certification or recertification requ irem ent, inclu d ing
those requ irem ents related to qu alifications, ed u cation, and experience, or w as otherw ise ineligible
for certification or recertification.
2. Content of a Requ est for Review . A Cand id ate or Certificant m ay su bm it a w ritten requ est for review
of an ad verse certification -related action or d ecision by notifying the Execu tive Director in w riting. The
Cand id ate or Certificant m u st state and explain in d etail the natu re of the requ est and the specific facts and
circu m stances su pporting the requ est, inclu d ing all reasons w hy the action or d ecision shou l d be changed or
m od ified . The Cand id ate or Certificant m u st also provid e accu rate copies of all su pp orting d ocu m ents.
3. Tim e Period for Su bm itting Requ est for Review . In ord er for a requ est for review to be consid ered by
the Execu tive Director, the w ritten requ est m u st be received by N ABCEP w ithin thirty (30) d ays of the d ate of
the ad verse action.
4. Execu tive Director Actions. Upon receipt, all requ ests for review w ill be consid ered inform ally by the
Execu tive Director or other au thorized N ABCEP rep resenta tive. Follow ing review of the Cand id ate's or
Certificant's requ est for review , the Execu tive Director w ill acknow led ge receipt of the requ est w ithin thirty
(30) d ays, and m ay take the follow ing actions:
a. Inform al Resolu tion. The Execu tive Director w ill resolve and d ecid e the m atter based on the record ,
inclu d ing relevant and cred ible inform ation presented by the Cand id ate or Certificant. The inform al
resolu tion w ill inclu d e the find ings of the Execu tive Director and a su m m ary of the relevant facts
u pon w hich the d ecision is based , and m ay u phold or m od ify the ad verse action or d ecision, or
ind icate other ap propriate action. The Execu tive Director w ill issu e the inform al resolu tion w ithin
thirty (30) d ays of receipt of the requ est, or as soon thereafter as is practical; or,
b. Referral of Requ est. The Execu tive Director w ill refer the m atter to the Certification Ap peals
Com m ittee for resolu tion as an ap peal. The Execu tive Director w ill p rovid e the Certification
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix II – Appeals Policy
Ap peals Com m ittee w ith all relevant m aterials, inclu d ing the d ocu m ents and m aterials su bm itted
by the Cand id ate or Certificant.
E.
Appeal/Certification Appeals Committee
1. Certification Appeals Com m ittee. At least three (3) m em bers of the N ABCEP Appeals, Grievance, and
Ethics Com m ittee w ill be appointed to serve as the Certification Ap peals Com m ittee to resolve appeals or
referred m atters. Su bject to the lim itations set forth in these proced u res, the Certification Appeals Com m ittee
w ill hear and resolve a first appeal w here: the m atter has been referred by the Execu tive Director; or, a
Cand id ate or Certificant is d issatisfied w ith the final inform al review and action of the Execu tive Director, and
requ ests an appeal consistent w ith these proced u res.
2. Grou nd s for Ap peal. In ord er for an ap peal to be consid ered by the Certification Ap peals Com m ittee,
the appeal su bm ission m u st contain su bstantial inform ation su p porting at least one of the follow ing grou nd s:
a. The Cand id ate's eligibility to sit for the Certification Exam ination(s), or other eligibility for
certification, w as d enied incorrectly;
b. The Cand id ate's Certification Exam ination(s) w as scored incorrectly, or w as not cred ited w ith an
ap propriate response to particu lar qu estions, and as a d irect resu lt of the incorrect scoring the
Cand id ate is entitled to receive a passing score on the exam ination(s);
c. The Cand id ate w as barred or otherw ise p rohibited incorrectly from taking the Certification
Exam ination(s) or from becom ing certified ; or,
d . The Certificant's Recertification Application w as incorrectly rejected u nd er the relevant
recertification stand ard s, and the Certificant w ou ld have qu alified for recertification if the correct
stand ard s had been ap plied , or the certificant w as otherw ise incorrectly fou nd ineligible for
recertification.
3. Content of Appeal. In ord er for an appeal to be consid ered by the Certification App eal s Com m ittee,
the appeal su bm ission m u st contain the follow ing inform ation:
a. The id entity and signatu re of the Cand id ate or Certificant su bm itting the appeal;
b. A d etailed explanation of the reasons and basis for the ap peal, as d efined and lim ited by Section E.2,
above
c. All objections, correction s, and factu al inform ation the Cand id ate or Certificant believes to be
relevant to the appeal;
d . The nam es, ad d resses, telephone nu m bers, and em ail ad d resses, if available, of any persons w ith
factu al inform ation relevant to the appeal, and a clear d escription of the factu al inform ation
available from these persons; and ,
e. Copies of any and all relevant d ocu m ents, exhibits, or other inform ation the Cand id ate or Certificant
w ants to su bm it in su p port of the ap peal.
4. Tim e Period for Su bm itting Appeal. A Cand id ate or C ertificant seeking to p resent an appeal m u st
su bm it a w ritten, signed ap peal, consistent w ith the requ irem ents of these proced u res, to the Certification
Ap peals Com m ittee w ithin thirty (30) d ays of the d ate of the final action and d ecision of the Execu tive Director .
Upon w ritten requ est by the Cand id ate or Certificant received at least ten (10) d ays prior to the ap peal
d ead line, the Certification Appeals Com m ittee Chair m ay, in his or her d iscreti on, extend the tim e period for
filing the ap peal. Denials of tim e extension requ ests are not su bject to appeal. Appeals received beyond given
tim e period s w ill not be review ed or consid ered by the Certification Appeals Com m ittee, except u pon a w ritten
requ est show ing good cau se, as d eterm ined by the Certification Appeals Com m ittee.
5. Ap peal Deficiencies. The Certification Ap peals Com m ittee Chair m ay requ ire the Cand id ate or
Certificant to clarify, su pplem ent, or am end an appeal su bm ission.
6. Ap peal Rejection. If the Certification Ap peals Com m ittee Chair d eterm ines that an appeal d oes not
m eet the appeal requ irem ents or otherw ise w arrant fu rther form al review , consistent w ith the requ irem ents set
forth in these p roced u res, the ap peal w ill be rejected . The Certification Ap peals Com m ittee Chair w ill notify
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix II – Appeals Policy
the Cand id ate or Certificant of the rejection, as w ell as the reason(s) for the rejection, by letter w ithin tw enty one (21) d ays of the d eterm ination. Ap peal rejection d eterm inations are not su bject to ap peal.
7. Ap peal H earing Requ ests. In th e first ap peal su bm ission, the Cand id ate or Certificant m ay requ est to
particip ate in the inform al h earing. In the event that the Cand id ate or Certificant d oes not requ est to
particip ate in the hearing, the ap peal w ill be resolved and d ecid ed based on the ap propriate w ritten record , as
d eterm ined by the Certification Ap peals Com m ittee.
8. Sched u ling of Appeal H earing. Within forty -five (45) d ays of receipt of a com plete and proper w ritten
ap peal, the Certification Ap peals Com m ittee w ill sched u le a hearing d ate and tim e for appeal consid eration,
generally not later than one-hu nd red tw enty (120) d ays after receipt of the ap p eal, and w ill notify the
Cand id ate or Certificant of the hearing d ate and tim e. W here the Cand id ate or Certificant has requ ested
particip ation in the hearing, the Cand id ate or Certificant m ay be requ ired to provid e ad d itional inform ation
concerning hearing presentation requ irem ents prior to the hearing d ate. The Certification Ap peals Com m itt ee
w ill cond u ct an inform al hearing d esigned to review and consid er all of the available proof and inform ation,
inclu d ing the record of the initial requ est for review and the m aterials su bm itted by the Cand id ate or
certificant.
9. Decision of the Certification Appeals Com m ittee. The Certification Ap peals Com m ittee w ill resolve
and d ecid e the ap peal based on the record , inclu d ing relevant and cred ible inform ation p resented by the
Cand id ate or Certificant, N ABCEP policies, and , if ap plicable, the action or d ecision of the Execu tive Director.
The Certification Appeals Com m ittee Decision w ill inclu d e the Com m ittee find ings and a su m m ary of the
relevant facts u pon w hich the d ecision is based , and m ay u phold or m od ify the d ecision of the Execu tive
Director, or ind icate other approp riate action. The Certification Ap peals Com m ittee w ill issu e the Decision
w ithin thirty (30) d ays of the end of the ap peal review , or as soon thereafter as is practical.
F.
Final Appeal/N ABCEP Board of D irectors
1. N ABCEP Board of Directors. The N ABCEP Board of Directors, or a panel of three (3) or m ore Board
Directors d esignated to rep resent the Board of Directors, w ill resolve each final ap peal. Su bject to the
lim itations set forth in these proced u res, the Board of Directors w ill hear and resolve a final appeal w here a
Cand id ate or Certificant is d issatisfied w ith the Certification Ap peals Com m ittee Decision, and su bm its an
ap propriate ap peal consistent w ith these proced u res.
2. Grou nd s for Final Ap peal. In ord er for an appeal to be consid ered by the Board of Directors, the
ap peal su bm ission m u st contain su bstantial inform ation su pp orting at least one of the follow ing grou nd s. The
grou nd s u p on w hich a final ap peal m ay be based are strictly lim ited to the follow ing:
a. Proced u ral Error: The Certification Appeals Com m ittee Decision m isap plied a proced u ral ru le
contained in these ru les, and the ru le m isap plication significantly preju d iced the Cand id ate or
Certificant w ith respect to the ou tcom e of the appeal d ecision;
b. N ew or Previou sly Und iscovered Inform ation: Follow ing the issu ance of the Certification A p peals
Com m ittee Decision, the Cand id ate or Certificant located relevant inform ation and facts that w ere not
previou sly available and that w ou ld have significantly affected the o u tcom e of the Certification
Ap peals Com m ittee Decision in the Cand id ate's or Certificant's favor;
c. Misapplication of Certification Stand ard s: The Certification Ap peals Com m ittee Decision m isap plied
the relevant certification or recertification stand ard s, and the m isap plication significantly preju d iced
the Cand id ate or Certificant and the ou tcom e of the ap peal d ecision; or,
d . Contrary to the Inform ation Presented : The Certification Appeals Com m ittee Decision clearly is
contrary to the m ost su bstantial inform ation in the record .
With respect to the grou nd s listed in Sections 1.a. and 1.c., above, the Board of Directors w ill consid er only
argu m ents that w ere p reviou sly presented to the Certification Ap peals Com m ittee.
3. Contents of Final Ap peal. In ord er for an ap peal to be consid ered by the Board of Directors, the
ap peal su bm ission m u st contain the follow ing inform ation:
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix II – Appeals Policy
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
The id entity and signatu re of the Cand id ate or Certificant su bm itting the appeal;
A d etailed explanation of the reasons and basis for the appeal, as d efined and lim ited by Section F.1,
above;
All objections, correction s, and factu al inform ation the Cand id ate or Certificant believes to be relevant
to the appeal, inclu d ing all d ocu m ents and exhibits in su pport of the ap peal;
The nam es, ad d resses, and telephone nu m bers of any p ersons not previou sly id entified w ith factu al
inform ation relevant to the ap peal, and a clear d escription of the factu al inform ation available from
these persons; and ,
Copies of any and all relevant d ocu m ents, exhibits, or other inform ation the Cand id ate or Certificant
w ants to su bm it in su p port of the ap peal.
4. Tim e Period for Su bm itting Final Ap peal. A Cand id ate or Certificant seeking to present a final ap peal
m u st su bm it a w ritten, signed ap peal, consistent w ith the requ irem ents of these p roced u res, to the Board of
Directors w ithin thirty (30) d ays of the d ate of the Certification Appeals Com m ittee Decision . Up on w ritten
requ est by the Cand id ate or Certificant received at least ten (10) d ays prior to the ap peal d ead line, the Board
Chair or au thorized representative m ay, in his or her d iscretion, extend the tim e period for filing the ap peal.
Denials of tim e extension requ ests are not su bject to ap p eal. Ap peals received beyond given tim e period s w i ll
not be review ed or consid ered by the Board of Directors, except u pon a w ritten requ est show ing good cau se, as
d eterm ined by the Board of Directors.
5. Final Appeal Deficiencies. The Board Chair or au thorized representative m ay requ ire the Cand id ate
or Certificant to clarify, su p p lem ent, or am end an appeal su bm ission.
6. Final Ap peal Rejection. If the Board Chair or au thorized representative d eterm ines that an ap peal
d oes not m eet the final app eal requ irem ents or otherw ise w arrant fu rther form al revie w , consistent w ith the
requ irem ents set forth in these proced u res, the appeal w ill be rejected . The Board Chair or au thorized
representative w ill notify the Cand id ate or Certificant of the rejection, as w ell as the reason(s) for the rejection,
by letter w ithin ap proxim ately tw enty-one (21) d ays of the d eterm ination. Appeal rejection d eterm inations are
not su bject to ap peal.
7. Sched u ling of Final Ap peal H earing. Within sixty (60) d ays of receipt of a com p lete and proper
w ritten ap peal, the Board of Directors w ill sched u le a hearing d ate for ap peal consid eration, generally not later
than the next or second regu larly sched u led Boar d m eeting, and w ill notify the Cand id ate or Certificant of the
d ate. The Board of Directors w ill cond u ct an inform al hearing d esigned to review and consid er all of the
available proof and inform ation, inclu d ing the record of the first appeal and the m aterials su bm itted by the
Cand id ate or Certificant.
8. Final Ap peal Decision of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors w ill resolve and d ecid e the
ap peal based on the record , inclu d ing relevant and cred ible inform ation presented by the Cand id ate or
Certificant, N ABCEP policies, and the action or d ecision of the Certification Ap peals Com m ittee. The Final
Ap peal Decision w ill inclu d e the find ings of the Board of Directors and a su m m ary of the relevant facts u p on
w hich the d ecision is based , and m ay u phold or m od ify the d ecision of the Certification Ap peals Com m ittee, or
ind icate other ap propriate action. The Board of Director s w ill issu e the Final Appeal Decision w ithin thirty (30)
d ays of the end of the appeal review , or as soon thereafter as is practical.
G.
Finalizing and Closing Appeals
1. Cond itions for Closing the Appeal. An ap peal w ill be closed , and all proceed ings e nd ed , w hen any of
the follow ing occu rs:
a. An ap peal has been resolved and d ecid ed by the Execu tive Director, the Certification Ap peals
Com m ittee, or the Board of Directors, and the allow able tim e period for the filing of an ap peal u nd er
these proced u res and ru les has passed or lapsed ; or,
b. The appeal has been w ithd raw n or term inated by the Cand id ate or Certificant
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix II – Appeals Policy
Appendix III: N ABCEP Certification Mark Use Policy
This policy explains the importance of ensuring proper mark use, the corresponding rules for use of the mark by
certificants, and the procedures and possible penalties for violation of the policy and rules.
John Doe
Cert #010101-01
Jane Doe
Cert# 010101-01
John Doe
Cert #010101-01
Jane Doe
Cert #010101-01
North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, Inc. (NABCEP)
Policy and Rules for Use of the Trademark with Design Marks:
"NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional"
“NABCEP Certified PV Technical Sales Professional”
"NABCEP Certified Solar Heating Installer"
"NABCEP Certified Small Wind Installer"
1.
Policy Purposes
The "NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional", “NABCEP Certified PV Technical Sales Professional”,
“NABCEP Certified Solar Heating Installer”, “NABCEP Certified Small Wind Installer”, and accompanying design
trademark, certification mark and credential (the Mark) is owned and controlled by the North American Board of
Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) and its Board of Directors. The NABCEP Board grants the Mark to
qualified renewable energy practitioners, who satisfy all applicable certification requirements. Consistent with
applicable law and corporate policies, NABCEP must ensure that the Mark is used properly and correctly, as it
represents NABCEP certification to the public.
NABCEP retains all trademark, certification mark, and other ownership rights concerning the Mark. NABCEP
therefore reserves, and may use, the full range of legal remedies and certification-related sanctions available under
applicable laws and corporate policies to protect the Mark. Infringement of any NABCEP trademark or certification
mark will be challenged. Inappropriate or incorrect uses of any NABCEP mark may, therefore, be subject to
organizational or legal action for mark infringement and other claims if such uses are contrary to law or corporate
policy, e.g., where a use creates a likelihood of confusion with the proper use of a NABCEP mark, without regard to
the certification status of the individual involved. Questions concerning the proper use of the Mark should be
submitted to the NABCEP in writing.
Each certified individual accepts and assumes all, and the sole, responsibility for understanding and satisfying any
governmental and legal requirements, including those requirements which may apply to the use, display and/or
advertising of the Mark. It is the responsibility of the certified individual to ensure that the use of the Mark on
professional and business related materials (e.g., stationary, signs, cards or advertisements) is NOT in conflict with
the laws of the State in which that individual practices. NABCEP assumes no responsibility concerning the
application of such governmental and legal requirements pertaining to the use, display and/or advertising of the
Mark.
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix III – Certification Mark Use Policy
In no event shall the NABCEP be liable for any damages whatsoever, including any special, indirect, or
consequential damages relating to the use of the Mark, whether in an action in contract, negligence, or other law
arising out of, or in connection with, the use of such Mark in any locality, State, or country in which the use of the
Mark presents a conflict with any laws of that locality, state, or country.
Use of the Mark is subject to the following NABCEP certification mark use policies and rules.
2.
Persons Authorized to Use the Mark
Only persons certified by the NABCEP, who maintain active certification status and are in good standing, are
authorized to use the Mark. The Mark must be used to identify only those persons who have demonstrated
satisfactory technical knowledge to apply the appropriate professional skills necessary in the field of solar
photovoltaic installation, solar photovoltaic technical sales, solar heating installation, or small wind installation, in
accordance with the certification standards established by the NABCEP Board of Directors.
3.
Non-Assignability and Non-Transferability of the Mark
The Mark is personal to the certified individual and may not be transferred or assigned to any other individual,
organization, business, or entity.
4.
Appearance and Proper Use of the Mark
Each certified individual may use the Mark in professional advertising and informational materials, including, but
not limited to, telephone directory listings or advertisements, business cards, letterhead, brochures, signs, stationary,
packages, websites, and other similar marketing materials, consistent with the following rules:
A. Proper Use. Each certified individual must use the Mark in conjunction with his/her name and the services
related to the certification. The Mark may only be displayed in association with the certified individual.
The Mark may NOT be positioned, displayed, or used in a manner, which may lead the public to believe
that a company (organization) itself is certified or otherwise endorsed by the NABCEP. For example, the
Mark may appear immediately above, below, or otherwise adjacent to the name of the certified individual,
but may not appear immediately above, below, or otherwise adjacent to the name of the certified
individual's employer or company (organization).
B. Proper Appearance. The Mark must be associated solely with the certified individual, who is authorized to
use the Mark. The Mark should always be used in its entirety, and must always appear with the subscript
"TM" trademark symbol. Alternate forms of the Mark include, but are not limited to, the words "North
American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners Certified Solar PV Installation Professional" without the
design, or "NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installation Professional" without the design. Such uses must
always appear with the superscript "™" symbol, and should NOT on the same line be used immediately
following the name of the certified individual, or in any way that would create the appearance that the
alternate mark form is being used as a title or degree.
C. Examples of Proper Use and Appearance. Proper use and appearance of the Mark include, but are not
limited to, the following examples. The proper font for the certificant’s name and/or certification number
is “Arial Bold,” in a font size such that the text is proportional to, or slightly smaller than, the text in the
design mark.
Jane Doe
Certification #010101-01
John Doe
Certification #010101-01
Proper use of Mark without design:
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix III – Certification Mark Use Policy
John Doe
NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional™
Jane Doe
North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners Certified Solar Heating Installer™
D. Examples of Improper Use and Appearance. Improper use and appearance of the Mark include, but are not
limited to, the following examples.
John Doe, North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners Certified PV Technical Sales
Professional™
Jane Doe, NABCEP Certified Solar Heating Installer™
John Doe
Certified PV Installation Professional
Jane Doe
NABCEP Certified
E. Other Requirements. Incorporation of the Mark with the marks, designations, or logos related to other
credentials, groups, or organizations are prohibited. The Mark may be used on the same page as other
affiliation marks or logos, but must remain separate and distinct.
5.
Non-Interference with Use of the Mark by Other Certified Individuals
A certified individual may not prohibit, restrict, or otherwise limit the authorized and appropriate use of the Mark by
another certified individual.
6.
Violation Reporting Responsibilities
A certified individual has the responsibility to report the unauthorized use, misuse, or other violation of this policy
to the NABCEP, including any circumstances where a certified individual becomes aware of the use of the Mark by
an individual who is not certified, or of the improper use of the Mark by a certified individual.
7.
Policy Violations and Related Actions
Following receipt of information that an inappropriate or unauthorized use of the Mark may have occurred, the
NABCEP, in consultation with legal counsel, will determine if appropriate response actions will be taken. The
NABCEP may take any of the following actions, or other appropriate measures. A certified individual is required to
cooperate fully in the review and resolution of such matters.
A. A copy of the alleged inappropriate or unauthorized Mark or designation use will be obtained and reviewed
to determine whether a violation of the policy has occurred;
B. Upon determination of a policy violation, written correspondence will be issued by an authorized NABCEP
representative to the individual(s) or organization(s) involved, explaining, among other items: the nature of
the objectionable or unauthorized use; the relevant NABCEP policy and law; and, the requirement that the
individual cease and desist from the objectionable or unauthorized use immediately and in the future;
C. Upon determination of a policy violation, written correspondence will be sent by an authorized NABCEP
representative to the individual(s) and organization(s) involved, requesting that the individual accept and
sign an agreement to, among other items: cease the existing objectionable or unauthorized use; abide by all
terms of the NABCEP policy in the future; and, provide corrected copies of all offending materials; and,
D. Where an individual using the Mark in an objectionable or unauthorized manner fails to respond to, or
refuses to comply with, NABCEP requirements to cease and desist from such use, the Board may initiate
appropriate legal actions and/or disciplinary proceedings, as set forth in the policy.
8.
Certification Mark Related Disciplinary Measures
Following notice and a fair opportunity to respond, a certified individual who acts contrary to the terms of this
policy or applicable law may be sanctioned by the NABCEP. Such sanctions may include:
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix III – Certification Mark Use Policy
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
Denial and rejection of the individual's recertification application;
Private reprimand and censure, including appropriate conditions or directives;
Public reprimand and censure, including appropriate conditions or directives;
Certification probation for a given period of time, including appropriate conditions or directives;
Suspension of certification for a given period of time, including appropriate conditions or directives;
Revocation of certification, including appropriate directives; and,
Other measures that the Board deems appropriate.
In addition, cases of Mark misuse, infringement, or other similar matters may be referred to the Ethics Committee
for review under the NABCEP Ethics Case Procedures.
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix III – Certification Mark Use Policy
Appendix IV: Certification Compliance Monitoring Policy
The N ABCEP Board of Directors ad opts the follow ing Certification Com pliance Monitoring Policy (Policy) to
establish an ap propriate p rocess to m onitor certificant com pliance w ith the N ABCEP certification m aintenance
requ irem ents. Specifically, this Policy explains the cond itions to be satisfied for continu ing certification, and
the process for review ing com pliance w ith these cond itions in an appropriate and im partial m anner. A
certificant m u st su bm it inform ation con firm ing that he/ she p ossesses the occu pational know led ge and skills
necessary to perform com petently as a certified practitioner in the field of renew able and su stainable energy.
This Policy also is d esigned to confirm continu ing satisfactory w ork activit ies.
I.
CERTIFICATION COMPLIAN CE METHOD S AN D REQUIREMEN TS.
In ord er to d em onstrate com pliance w ith the N ABCEP certification and recertification process, certificants
m u st satisfy the follow ing requ irem ents d u ring each three (3) year Certification Period .
A.
Certificant Ethics Reporting Requirements/ D isclosure of Complaint and Regulatory Matters .
As a cond ition of N ABCEP certification and recertification, the Ap plicant/ certificant m u st accept, and act
consistent w ith, the N ABCEP Cod e of Ethics and Ethical Stand ard s of Cond u ct (Cod e of Ethics), and related
policies. In su pp ort of this certification requ irem ent, the Ap plicant/ certificant m u st report to N ABCEP legal,
d isciplinary, and sim ilar m atters that relate to their com p etence and ethical behavior.
Specifically, w ithin sixty (60) d ays of receiving notice, the Ap plicant/ certificant m u st d isclose the follow ing
m atters in w riting to N ABCEP:
1.
Any charge, com plaint or conviction related to a crim inal m atter, or other cou rt m atter that involves a
jail sentence (im prisonm ent);
2.
Any com plaint or charge by a governm ent or other regu latory bod y, professional association, or
certifying organization;
3.
A violation of any law , regu lation, or policy by a governm ent or other regu latory bod y, professional
association, or certifying organization; or,
4.
Any other cou rt or governm ental m atter or proceed ing, related to his or her professional practice or
bu siness activities.
If the Ap plicant/ certificant fails to d isclose su ch inform ation to N ABCEP in a tim ely and accu ra te m anner,
N ABCEP m ay initiate an ethics d isciplinary com plaint pu rsu ant to the Ethics Case Proced u res. Su ch ethics
com plaint m ay resu lt in the im position of sanctions, inclu d ing certification su spension or revocation.
B.
Complaint Communications from Interested Parties and Regulatory Authorities.
Consistent w ith the N ABCEP Cod e of Ethics, and other certification policies, N ABCEP w ill accept, review , and
resolve com m u nications from the pu blic and regu latory au thorities alleging im proper cond u ct or inco m petent
perform ance by an App licant or certificant. Su ch com m u nications w ill contain the inform ation necessary to
evalu ate the App licant’s/ certificant’s cond u ct or perform ance u nd er the relevant N ABCEP policies.
II.
A.
CERTIFICATION COMPLIAN CE AN D MON ITORIN G PROCESS.
Certificant Ethics Reporting Review Procedure.
N ABCEP w ill review all Applicant and certificant ethics rep orting and d isclosu re d ocu m ents to d eterm ine
w hether inform ation has been su bm itted in a tim ely m anner, and w hether the rep orted inform ati on m ay be
su bject to review u nd er the Cod e of Ethics. In the event that the reported inform ation resu lts in the issu ance of
an ethics com plaint by N ABCEP, the ethics m atter w ill be processed pu rsu ant to the Ethics Case Proced u res.
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix IV – Certification Compliance Policy
When N ABCEP d eterm ines that an Ap plicant or certificant has acted contrary to the Cod e of Ethics, N ABCEP
m ay issu e any of the follow ing d isciplinary or rem ed ial actions: d enial and rejection of any certification or
recertification application; specific training, su pervision, an d / or instru ction concerning professional activities,
or other ap propriate cond itions; p rivate or pu blic reprim and and censu re; certification probation for a period
of u p to three (3) years; su sp ension of certification for a p eriod of no less than six (6) m onths, and no m ore than
three (3) years; and / or, revocation of certification. Ethics Case Proced u res, Section E, 8.
B.
Complaint Communications Review Procedure.
In ord er to su pport the Cod e of Ethics, and to ad vise the pu blic and regu latory au thorities of N ABCEP’s
professional practice stand ard s, N ABCEP w ill pu blish the cu rrent Cod e of Ethics on its Internet site. N ABCEP
w ill review all com plaint com m u nications from the pu blic and regu latory au thorities alleging im proper
cond u ct or incom petent perform ance by an Ap plicant or certificant to d eterm ine if the m atter is su bject to
review u nd er the Cod e of Ethics. In the event that the reported inform ation resu lts in the issu ance of an ethics
com plaint by N ABCEP, the ethics m atter w ill be processed pu rsu ant to the Ethics Case Proced u res.
If an ind ivid u al is fou nd to violate the Cod e of Ethics, N ABCEP m ay issu e any of the d isciplinary or rem ed ial
actions d escribed in Policy Section II, B above.
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix IV – Certification Compliance Policy
Appendix V: Forms
Sam ple Exam Sched uling Form
Paym ent Rem ittance Form
Exam ination Change Form
Change of Ad d ress or N am e
Duplicate Docum ent Request
Application to H and Grad e Answ er Sheet
Special Accom m od ations Request Form
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix V – Forms
SAMPLE EXAM SCHEDULING FORM
SOLAR HEATING INSTALLER CANDIDATES ARE PROVIDED WITH
FORM WHEN APPROVED TO TAKE THE EXAMINATION. FORM IS
DUE WITH PAYMENT BY THE EXAM SCHEDULING DEADLINE.
Please type or print all information clearly.
1.
Last Name
IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION
First
Middle
Suffix
Current Mailing Address: Street Address or P.O. Box
Address line 2
City
State
Phone Number
E-Mail Address

Zip Code
Country
My address or name has changed since I applied for eligibility to sit for the NABCEP exam
EXAM SCHEDULING
2.
Please select one exam date, mark one exam category and select a 1 st and 2nd choice of exam location:
Spring 2014
Fall 2014
Solar Heating Installer
AZ01 – Arizona
MA01 – Massachusetts
NY02 – Upstate New York
CA05 – Northern California
CA04 – Southern California
MN03 – Minnesota
MD01 – Maryland
OH01 – Ohio
OR01 – Oregon
CO01 – Colorado
NC01 – North Carolina
TN01 - Tennessee
FL01 – Florida
NJ02 – New Jersey
TX01 – Texas
HI01 – Hawaii
NM02 – New Mexico
CN01 – Alberta
IL01 – Illinois
NY01 – New York, NY
ON01 – Ontario
Exam seating may be limited, and NABCEP will schedule Applicants on a first-come, first-paid basis.
FEES (check one)
3.
$275 for 2nd  3rd  or 4th  time taking the exam
 $375 First time exam fee


Check or money order payable to NABCEP.

VISA
MasterCard
Name on card: ________________________________________ Signature: _________________________________________________
Billing address on credit card statement_______________________________________________________________________________
-M M /Y Y
-
Credit Card number (do not use spaces or dashes)
4.
CRN
Special Accommodations
Are you requesting special testing accommodations? Yes  No 
If yes, did you already submit a Request for Special Accommodations Form? If not, it must be attached, with appropriate documentation, to
this Exam Scheduling Form. For details please refer to the Candidate Information Handbook.
Send Exam Scheduling form and Payment to:
NABCEP, 56 Clifton Country Road, Suite 202, Clifton Park, NY, 12065
Phone: (800) 654-0021  Fax: (518) 899-1092
applications@nabcep.org
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix V – SAMPLE Exam Scheduling Form
PAYMENT REMITTANCE FORM
Please fill in the following boxes EXACTLY as shown on your credit
card billing statement. Illegible, incomplete or missing information
will delay or prevent processing.
1. IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION
Last Name or Company Name on Card
First
Middle
Suffix
Credit Card Billing Address: Street Address or P.O. Box
Address line 2
City
State
Zip Code
Phone Number
E-Mail Address
Country
2. Certification Type
This regards certification in: PV Installation Professional Solar Heating Installer
 Small Wind Installer
 PV Technical Sales
3. FEES (check one)
 $125 Application Fee (electronic submission)
 $175 Application Fee (hardcopy submission)
 $375 Exam Fee (first time examination)
 $275 Exam Fee (examination retake)
 $390 Recertification Application fee
 $50 or $100 Certification Renewal Fee

 $25 Duplicate Document fee
$50 Exam Location Change Fee
 Check or money order payable to NABCEP
 VISA
 MasterCard
Name on card: ____________________________________ Signature of cardholder: ______________________________
--
M M / Y Y
Expiration Date
-
Credit Card number (do not use spaces or dashes)
4. Signature and Date
I affirm that the information I have provided in this form is correct and I authorize NABCEP to proceed with the above credit
card charge.
Signature:_________________________________________________
Date:________________________________________
Please send Payment Remittance Form to:
NABCEP
56 Clifton Country Road, Suite 202, Clifton Park, NY, 12065
Fax: (518) 899-1092
Email: applications@nabcep.org
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix V – Payment Remittance Form
SAMPLE EXAMINATION CHANGE
FORM
STEP ONE: Please fill in the following boxes EXACTLY as currently
shown on your current application.
PRINT NAME CLEARLY. Illegible, incomplete or missing information
will delay or prevent processing.
Candidate Name
Currently registered for: Exam Date
Location
STEP TWO: CHANGE OF DATE: (Use this section ONLY if making a change of exam date. If no change of date, skip
to STEP THREE.) Circle or mark the desired exam period.
Spring 2013
Fall 2013
Spring 2014
PV Installation Professional
Solar Heating Installer
PV Technical Sales Professional
STEP THREE: SITE CHANGE REQUEST: (Use this section ONLY if making a request for a site change. A site may be
denied due to capacity constraints, or availability, so please mark an alternate choice. If no change to site, skip to STEP
FOUR.)
AZ01 – Arizona
MA01 – Massachusetts
NY02 – Upstate New York
CA05 – Northern California
MN03 – Minnesota
OH01 – Ohio
CA04 – Southern California
MD01 – Maryland
OR01 – Oregon
CO01 – Colorado
NC01 – North Carolina
TN01 - Tennessee
FL01 – Florida
NJ02 – New Jersey
TX01 – Texas
HI01 – Hawaii
NM02 – New Mexico
CN01 – Alberta
IL01 – Illinois
NY01 – New York, NY
ON01 – Ontario
STEP FOUR: SIGN AND DATE: I acknowledge that I am the test candidate and request these changes.
________________________________________________________
(Signature)
_____________________________
(Date)
Please mail, email as an attachment or send by fax to:
NABCEP, 56 Clifton Country Road, Suite 202
Clifton Park, NY, 12065
Fax: (518) 899-1092, Email: applications@nabcep.org
©NABCEP 2014
Appendix V – SAMPLE Examination Change Form
CHANGE of ADDRESS or NAME FORM
Please type or print all information.
1.PERSONAL INFORMATION
Last Name
First
Middle
Suffix
Current Mailing Address: Street Address or P.O. Box
Address line 2
City
State
Zip Code
Country
Current Residence Address (If different than mailing address above): Street Address or P.O. Box
Address line 2
City
Primary Phone Number
E-Mail Address (optional)
Has your address changed since you applied for eligibility to sit for the NABCEP exam?
If so, please list your old address below.
Prior Address: Street Address or P.O. Box, City, State, Zip
City
State
Zip Code
Country
Has your name changed since you applied for eligibility to sit for the NABCEP exam?
If so, please list your OLD name below.
Old Name
Reason for Change
Send Change of Address or Name Form to:
NABCEP
56 Clifton Country Road
Clifton Park, NY, 12065
Fax: (518) 899-1092
Email: applications@nabcep.org
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix V –Change of Address/Name Form
DUPLICATE DOCUMENT REQUEST FORM
Please type or print all information.
1. PERSONAL INFORMATION
Last Name
First
Middle
Suffix
Current Mailing Address: Street Address or P.O. Box
Address line 2
City
State
Zip Code
Primary Phone Number
E-Mail Address (optional)
Country
NABCEP Certification Number
Has your address or name changed since you applied for eligibility to sit for the NABCEP exam?
If so, please attach a “Change of Address or Name” form.
2. Reason for Request
 Score Report

Certificate
3. FEE
Each Duplicate Document: $25.00
Please enclose one of the following methods of payment with your application as shown below:
____Check or money order payable to NABCEP
____VISA
____Mastercard
Name on card: ____________________________________
Signature of cardholder: ______________________________
--
M M /Y Y
-
Credit Card number (do not use spaces or dashes)
Expiration Date on credit card: __________________
Send Duplicate Document Request Form to:
NABCEP
56 Clifton Country Road, Suite 202
Clifton Park, NY, 12065
Fax: (518) 899-1092, Email: info@nabcep.org
Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of new certificate.
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix V – Duplicate Document Request Form
HAND GRADE of ANSWER SHEET
REQUEST FORM
Print clearly and legibly all required information requested below:
Last Name________________________ First Name________________________ Middle Initial_____
Address _________________________________ City_______________ State______ Zip___________
Daytime Phone Number with Area Code:___________________ Fax Number__________________
Date of Exam ____/____/____
Exam (please check one):
(*Hand-grade requests must be made within 90 days of the test date.
Applications received after 90-days will be returned to the candidate.)
PV Installation Professional
PV Technical Sales Professional
Solar Heating Installer
Hand Grade Fee: $50.00
Please enclose one of the following methods of payment with your application as shown below:

Check or money order payable to NABCEP

VISA

Mastercard
Name on card: ____________________________________
Signature of cardholder: ______________________________
--
M M /Y Y
-
Credit Card number (do not use spaces or dashes)
Expiration Date on credit card: __________________
Application with check payment must be mailed to:
NABCEP, 56 Clifton Country Road, Suite 202, Clifton Park, NY, 12065
Application with credit card payment may be mailed to the above address or faxed to:
NABCEP: (518) 899-1092
I understand that this process confirms that the optical reader correctly graded answer sheet. This process
is performed by NABCEP’s Professional Testing Contractor. The optical reader and the statistical process
that they use is state of the art.
SIGNATURE: _______________________________________________________________
Results will be mailed to the address listed above.
© NABCEP 2014
Appendix V – Hand Grade Answer Sheet Request Form
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS REQUEST
FORM
The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, Inc. (NABCEP) complies with the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990. To ensure equal opportunities for all qualified persons, NABCEP will make reasonable
accommodations for candidates when appropriate. If you require special accommodations related to a disability in
order to take the examination, please complete this form and return it with your examination application. The
information you provide and any documentation regarding your disability and your need or accommodation will
be treated with strict confidentiality. Review of requests for accommodations can take 3-4 weeks or more and
should be submitted as far in advanced as possible.
For which of the examinations below are you requesting accommodation:
o
o
o
PV Installation Professional
Solar Heating Installer
PV Technical Sales Professional
Please type or print all information clearly
1.Personal Information
Name: Last
First
Middle Initial
Phone Number:
Anticipated Exam Date:
Email Address:
Anticipated Exam Site:
2.Reason for Request
I am requesting an exam accommodation due to: a disability
a religious observance
Please provide a detailed explanation of the reason(s) why you are seeking accommodation(s). For example,
if you are seeking accommodation due to a disability, you should explain how it substantially limits one or
more of your sensory, manual, speaking or other functional skills (e.g., disability that significantly impairs
your ability to read, concentrate, or otherwise complete the examination). Attach additional pages if need.
©NABCEP 2014
Appendix V – Special Accommodations Request Form
3.Special Accommodation Needed
Time and a half
Additional _____
minutes
Reader
Magnified print
Extra or
Sign language
extended breaks
interpreter or printed
(without additional
copies of verbal
exam time)
instructions
Assistance completing answer sheet
Separate Room
Paper and pencil version of computerized exam
Other: (please specify)
4. Accommodation History
Have you ever received special accommodations:
Yes
No
If you have ever received special accommodation please provide the following information
Year of accommodation
Type of accommodation
Name of institution/organization that provided accommodation
5. Documentation of Need for Accommodation
If you are requesting an accommodation due to a health condition or a functional disability, you must
provide NABCEP with written documentation from an appropriate health care professional supporting
the accommodation you are requesting. This documentation must include a specific diagnosis of
your health condition and/or functional disability, results from all assessments that were used to
determine the diagnosis, and a specific recommendation for the special testing accommodation(s)
that you require. In most cases, this documentation cannot be dated later than three years previous.
NABCEP will not pay any cost you may incur in obtaining the required diagnosis and
recommendation; however, NABCEP will pay for any reasonable accommodations that are provided
for you.
If you are requesting an accommodation due to a religious observance, you must provide a letter
from an appropriate religious authority attesting to the nature of the religious observance that is in
conflict with the scheduled examination date.
Documentation from a healthcare professional is attached: Yes
No
Documentation from a religious authority is attached:
No
Yes
5. Signature
I attest that the information contained in this document or attached to it is true and correct.
Signature:
©NABCEP 2014
Date:
Appendix V – Special Accommodations Request Form