One sure sign that the solar industry is growing is that it’s becoming more structured with national standards and national organizations to train and certify solar practitioners.

Bryan Hacker, a solar analyst and salesman for Solar Energy World, was among the first 97 people in the country to receive a certification in photovoltaic technical sales from the non-profit National Board of Certified Energy Practitioners last month.

The certification is the first widely-recognized one of its kind for solar sales professions and signals the institutionalization and streamlining of the industry.

The Board has been certifying solar installers and engineers for four years, but has just started offering exams and certifications for solar sales professionals.

The exam tests solar professionals on eight main topic areas, including: qualifying the customer; site analysis; conceptual design; financial costs, incentives, and savings; financial benefit analysis and financing; non-financial benefit analysis; performance analysis; and proposal preparation.

“NBCEP has been the gold standard for certifying installers,” Hacker said.

That’s why the Maryland man looked to the organization when he decided he wanted to advance his career in the solar industry.

“I knew it was the next step for me,” he said of the exam. “I’m one of the only one in the area right now, and there probably won’t be a whole lot of these certifications around for a while.”

Hacker has worked in the solar industry about four years and has enjoyed growing with his position at Solar Energy World, he said. The certification forced him to study and become more familiar with national building codes, incentives, rebates and other elements involved in the process of helping a homeowner decide to go solar.

“A lot of the questions on the exam focused on ethical practices,” he said.

The certification doesn’t end with the exam. As the solar industry is constantly evolving and growing, so are the laws and incentives that drive it. So that he can keep up with all of that and assure his clients that he’s as well-informed and up-to-speed as his certification suggests, Hacker and all of his fellow certified PV technical sales professionals will have to complete several hours of continuing education over the next three years, he said.

Image courtesy of LiveLight Solar.