If you follow this blog, you already know how highly we value certification, safety, and licensing.  Installing high voltage solar PV technology is not a field one should ever take lightly.  Under the best circumstances, an improperly installed system simply won’t work.  Under the worst, however, you can have fires, injuries, or even fatalities.

So naturally, we keep a close eye on all of the different standards and certifications out there – carefully weaving in those best practices we feel are most relevant for students who want to safely install solar PV panels.

During my most recent scan of “solar certification news,” I came across an article about the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) – one of the more recognizable solar agencies on the web.

My initial reaction was mixed (I’ll explain why in a second).  But overall, I found the news really encouraging (I’ll explain this also).

Why the initial pause?

In the article, the author states that IREC is the “national leader for standards development and credentialing.”

Now, I generally applaud IREC.  They provide a conduit of information that is mostly useful in terms of regulation and good practices plus their website www.dsireusa.org is the best collection of government policy on the web.

However….

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is the national leader for standards (it’s even in the name).  And when it comes to safety (a central feature of solar PV technology), Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is the product safety testing and certification organization.

So while IREC has done, and continues to do, excellent work in the field, de facto “national leader for standards” is not a mantle it’s qualified to wear.

But, this aside, I found the piece really interesting because it discusses IREC’s plans to ask ANSI for help in an effort to promote updated standards and certifications.  The process is open (as it should be) – even now, the committee behind this joint effort is soliciting feedback from professionals throughout the industry.

I find this news especially encouraging because IREC once openly decried the number of competing certifications out there, even suggesting that more established organizations (like UL) should align its own certification requirements with those of NABCEP and IREC/ISPQ (watch the video here).   While others like IBEW, IAEI and USSI welcomed UL certification.

On the surface, this complaint makes perfect sense.  More standards and licensing options do make things more confusing for prospective solar PV students who aren’t sure which schools to attend, exams to take or the difference between certification and certificate.

Greater cohesion would certainly make things easier.

But I generally take issue with the underlying logic.

Competition is good for the industry – even when it comes to standards and licensing.  Yes – it makes things a bit confusing, but with time, best practices emerge, combine, and evolve.  This ultimately raises the bar for everyone.

End result – safer installations and cleaner environment.

It is this open competition that has helped distinguish USSolar Institute.

When first launching our program, I sat in on a number of IREC member courses and found much of the information useful.  But I also saw room for improvement.  I wanted to make certain that USSolar Institute provided the safest and most relevant real-world training possible.

So rather than subscribe to IREC, NABCEP, ISPQ, or any single organization for that matter, we sought licensure, partnerships & accreditation with proven leadership provided by the most relevant organizations such as:

ANSI – E2659 Certificate Accredited Program and 17024 Certification – aligned yet separated to provide the finest education and highest certification programs for all who attend and test

Underwriters Laboratories – to offer exclusive certification workshops in safety and electrical engineering – a partnership that continues to this day

Department of Education – for licensure to prove the highest standards for students whose job placement is the very benchmark for success

By successfully meeting the rigorous standards required for licensing and recognition by the Department of Education, USSI can ensure to the public that our training has met the highest professional standards possible.  Opinions may vary.  But in my mind, accreditation from the Department of Education should be the benchmark for any higher learning program – especially for schools that train students in an industry as potentially dangerous as solar energy.

Without this competition, USSolar Institute would only be able to provide a minimum threshold in safety training, electrical codes, and solar PV installations.

The industry doesn’t need fewer certifications.  It just needs better ones.

And so it really impressed me to learn that IREC was actively asking ANSI for help to establish their new standards and guidelines.  It realizes that even though having more certifications on the table makes the licensing landscape harder to navigate, it also makes the solar PV industry safer, better, and ultimately, more durable.