The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) is pleased to release revised eligibility criteria for their Small Wind Installer Certification. The revised criteria will become effective immediately. Candidates wishing to apply for the September 2011 administration of the Small Wind Installer Certification Exam will use the revised criteria, which allows for a wider range of wind practitioners to take the exam and achieve the certification.

Mick Sagrillo, the Chairperson of NABCEP's Small Wind Technical Committee, says, "The basic principal in changing the criteria is inclusion. The current standards are aimed at installers who have experience in all aspects of small wind installations – tilt-up, crane assisted, and towers over 80 feet. With strong input from small wind industry stakeholders, we learned that many highly qualified and well-trained individuals were excluded from the exam because of the type of installation they commonly perform – which in many cases is governed by local geography, codes, or zoning standards."

The revised criteria will be based on three levels of experience and the qualifying level of experience will be noted with the certification offered. Ezra Auerbach, NABCEP's executive director explains, "All candidates will take the same exam that is based on the published and approved Small Wind Installer Job Task Analysis. The level of experience under which the candidate qualifies to sit for the certification exam will be reflected in the credential they are awarded. For example, an applicant who has qualified to sit for the exam under Level 1 experience requirements will be awarded with NABCEP Certified Small Wind Installer™ with Experience Level 1." 

Some consistent minimum standards remain in effect for all levels of this credential. All candidates must document the following: a minimum of four installations, two of which have been operating for at least one year, and at least one installation completed with the assistance of a crane. Candidates applying to take the Small Wind Installer Exam will need to document experience as follows for the category they are applying under:

    Experience Level 1 – No minimum height restriction; installation utilizing a tilt-up tower required; installation using a crane is required; minimum rotor size or swept area not required.

    Experience Level 2 – Installation utilizing a tilt-up tower not required; experience with crane installed towers at least 80 feet high is required; at least two installations of wind generators that have minimum swept area of 100 square feet.
 
    Experience Level 3 – Installation utilizing a tilt-up tower at least 80 feet high is required; experience with crane installed towers at least 80 feet high is required; at least two installations of wind generators that have minimum swept area of 100 square feet.

NABCEP Chairperson Don Warfield states, "I welcome this change as a means of allowing more candidates to demonstrate their knowledge of all the aspects of the Small Wind Job Task Analysis – which covers all three experience levels. A greater number of certified small wind installers, especially ones whose experience is clearly identified, is a benefit to consumers."

The complete list of eligibility requirements for the Small Wind Installer Certification Exam can be found at www.nabcep.org.