The solar industry provides a range of opportunities. Especially in the southwest where the building of solar panel production plants are under way in
California, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. Many Installation companies are already finding that a shortage of installers is effecting their ability to
expand operations.


.
Entry level: Solar Panel Installer

Often no specific PV experience is required.
However, those with some experience and
knowledge of electrical, roofing, and/or
general construction trades are preferred.

This is a great position for construction
workers, roofers, and electricians who want
to get started in the solar industry.

Installers play roles insuring the construction
of high quality residential PV systems as well
as positive customer experiences.

Installers usually work in crews of three, in
order to maximize efficiency and insure
safety. There is also potential to move into
sales, design and training roles in the future,
as well.

General qualifications are:

-Must be able to work safely with the tools
and equipment required
-Must be willing to do residential,
commercial, & service work
-Must be willing to work in extreme
environments (hot sun, high
places/roofs & crawl spaces).
-Must be able to lift at least 75 pounds and
not afraid of roof top heights
-Must have a clean, valid drivers license
Solar Panel Installer
There are several ways to go about getting training, certification and employment in the Solar industry. Most solar companies will hire entry level Green
Trades Traininginstallers. no certification is necessary, however, entry level workforce training is available through our  program. Funding for the training
is WIA eligible.
NABCEP Entry Level Certification Program

A person with this knowledge has basic
information about Photovoltaic systems,
suitable for a supervised, entry level position
with a dealer/installer or other PV industry
company. The skills identified in this training
do not replace Electrical Trades, Technician,
Technologist or Engineering training.
NABCEP also offers

PV Installer
Certification & Solar
Thermal Certification,

both require at least
one year of
on-the-job-training.

IREC’s on-line course catalog currently lists over
170 renewable energy courses offered by 31
organizations. Each listing briefly describes the
course and the provider. A direct link to the
provider’s web site gives the user more detailed
information about the course or program.

Courses can be sorted by state or technology.
This project was coordinated by the Interstate
Renewable Energy Council (IREC) along with the
Partnership for Environmental Technology
Education (PETE) and Lane Community College .
www.irecusa.org/courses.php   
Solar Heating

Solar heating harnesses the power of the
sun to provide solar thermal energy for solar
hot water, solar space heating, and solar
pool heaters. A solar heating system saves
energy, reduces utility costs, and produces
clean energy.

Solar water heaters use the sun to heat either
water or a heat-transfer fluid in the collector.
Heated water is then held in
the storage tank ready for use, with a
conventional system providing additional
heating as necessary. The tank can be a
modified standard water heater, but it is
usually larger and very well insulated. Solar
water heating systems can be either active or
passive, but the most common are active
systems.
IREC emphasizes education and outreach,  
technical assistance, workforce development,
the adoption and implementation of uniform
guidelines and standards, consumer
protection and building networks to share
experiences and information.
Sun: Saku
Solar Thermal
our Green Trades Training Program partner
Contact us:
info@nativeworkplace.com
Other Information for Entry Level Students

For a listing and description of Solar Energy
International workshops held at various
locations in the United States, Central
America, and online:
www.solarenergy.org/workshops

There are other reputable training
organizations across the U.S., they just don’t
happen to offer the NABCEP Entry Level
Certificate of Knowledge.

Some examples are: the
Florida Solar Energy
Center (FSEC), Solar Living International (SLI),
Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association
(GLREA),
Midwest Renewable Energy
Association (MREA), etc.
Learn More Here...