Like many trade occupations, your state may require that you obtain a contractor’s license to legally perform work in your area.

Since solar energy is a growing and evolving industry, some states haven’t yet developed licensure exams or protocol. Connecticut, however, does have specific licenses for solar energy professionals.

The Connecticut State Department of Consumer Protection is the authoritative body that manages solar contractor licenses in the state.

On the state website, you’ll find information about the various licenses and designations available for solar energy professionals.

To summarize, there are six main titles:

ST-1 Solar Thermal Contractor

ST-2 Solar Thermal Limited Journeyperson

STC-1 Solar Thermal Contractor

STC-2 Solar Thermal Limited Journeyperson

PV-1 Limited Solar Electric Contractor

PV-2 Limited Solar Electric Journeyperson

Solar Thermal vs. Solar Electric

First, you’ll need to determine which solar pathway you want to take – solar thermal (hot water heating) or solar electric (solar panels).

Journeyperson vs. Contractor

It’s interesting that the licenses are listed in the order that they are (1 for Contractor and 2 for Journeyperson), since you typically become a journeyperson before becoming a contractor.

A journeyperson must complete a registered apprenticeship or equivalent experience/training. The CT exam focuses solely on solar energy principles.

A contractor must work for at least 2 years as a solar journeyperson or have equivalent experience/training. The CT exam includes two parts – one portion on solar energy principles and one portion about business and law.

The general understanding is that a journeyperson is an entry-level professional who will be doing the hands-on solar installation, repair, and maintenance.

A contractor can also perform the hands-on work but will probably also go on to become a solar business owner and therefore has to have a stronger understanding of business and law.

Applying for a CT Solar License

To apply for a solar license in CT, you’ll want to review the application instructions and license forms available on the state website. The resulting 19-page PDF includes information about all six solar licenses.

The “bulletin,” as it’s called, was created by PSI Exams Online, which is the third-party test-proctoring organization that administers the CT solar licensure exams. If you visit the PSI website, you can find high-level information about the licenses by clicking on Government/State Licensing Agencies, choosing Connecticut, CT Occupational Trades, CT Solar Trades, and the specific classification that you’re interested in. There you’ll find information about exam fees and will have the ability to create an account.

The more detailed document, however, is the 19-page PDF on the CT state website. You’ll notice that the application instructions focus heavily on the state license exam, specifically exam scheduling, exam locations, computer-based exam information, and exam scores.

For each of the six licenses listed above, the application instructions document offers 2-3 paragraphs of guidance for those interested in pursuing the license.

The Scope of Work is a description of what the license will legally enable you to do.

The Content Outline provides a rough overview of topics that’ll appear on the state licensure exam.

The Reference List shares a few resources that can help you prepare for the exam.

That’s the extent of information that’s publicly available. If you have more detailed questions about the scope of work or content outline, you might consider calling the Connecticut State Department of Consumer Protection at (860) 713-6100 or viewing their Contact Us page.

How to Prepare for the CT Solar Licensure Exam

The Content Outline for the PV-1 Limited Solar Electric Contractor and PV-2 Limited Solar Electric Journeyperson cover similar topics:

At Everblue, we offer solar energy courses that cover these topics. While our courses were not designed specifically to align with the CT Solar License exams, the solar energy principles are included in our course curriculum.

If you’re relatively new to solar, the best course to take to qualify for the CT Solar License exams would be our NABCEP PV Installation Professional package. This package bundles together four courses that will take you from a beginner to a working solar professional in no time. The package includes our:

PV101 Solar Associate – 40 hours, online

PV201 Solar Installation – 40 hours, online

OSHA 10 Construction Safety – 10 hours, online

In the graphic below, you can see where and how these solar courses address the topics that will be on the CT solar licensure exams.

In addition to providing the conceptual knowledge for the CT Solar License exams, the NABCEP Certification Package will also help qualify for – you guessed it – NABCEP Certification!

Unlike a license, which is required by state law to offer services as a certain occupation, certification is a voluntary professional achievement that you can pursue to stand out from competitors and highlight your advanced depth of knowledge.

In other words, you can kill two birds with one stone with the NABCEP Certification Package – qualifying for a state license AND an internationally-recognized solar certification!

According to the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund requires all approved eligible PV contractors to have at least one permanent employee successfully complete and pass the NABCEP entry level PV exam. The Refrigeration School also noted that Connecticut requires at least one employee to have NABCEP Certification. This information was not specifically listed on the CT state website, so if you contact the Department of Consumer Protection, this might be a good question to ask.

For more information about NABCEP Certification, please give us a call at (800) 460-2575.

Here’s a high-level overview of what takes place when a customer hires a professional for a solar installation job and chooses to add solar to their home.

Now, without further adieu…

Solar Installation Process

Phase 1 Consultation: Customer Evaluation/General Site Visit

When a prospective client contacts a solar installation company seeking information, what occurs is actually a back-and-forth conversation. The client wants to know how it all works, including steps, timeline, and pricing. The solar installation company has questions of its own that will help inform the answers to the client’s questions, including:

• Homeownership vs. rental status
• HOA requirements
• Whether the roof has shading
• Who the local utility service provider is

This conversation may also lead to an introductory on-site visit to determine:

• Roof type
• Angle of roof
• Shading
• Solar system size
• Additional roof measurements

And finally, the installer may take photos of the property to back up the information collected from the visit.

Phase 2 Consultation: Home Inspection/Engineering Site Visit

Now that there is a deeper level of understanding for the client and the solar company about what’s required to add solar to the home, the next step is a more intensive site visit. During this visit, an engineer (either with the solar company or hired independently) will physically evaluate the home and look at:

• The electric panel (where the fuses or circuit breakers are) to determine if it can handle the solar installation or whether it needs to be updated. Upgrading the electrical panel means adding more amps of current and ampere capacity.
• The condition of the roof to ensure that it’s structurally sound
• Shading and sunlight availability
• Where the solar PV system will be located on the home (and determine its size)
• Current power bills

The engineer may also use a tool known as a Solar Pathfinder to calculate precisely how much sunlight the solar system will be able to capture. Certain credit or rebate programs will require this step as proof that the solar system meets minimum efficiency requirements

Custom Proposal

After these conversations and inspections, the solar company has enough to develop a work proposal for the client. The proposal should include:

Specific facts/measurements about the roof/home in question

• Recommended solar system design: panel wattage and manufacturer, roof facet selection, inverter type, sizing, and which roof facets to use in order to make sure the client gets the perfect system at the best price
• Recommendations and tradeoffs of each option

At this point, the client will work with the solar company to finalize and approve the intended solar system design.

Sign Contract

With the finalized proposal in hand, the client will sign a contract, granting permission for the work. The contract will also outline whether the system will be completed via a lease, loan, cash purchase, or power purchase agreement.

Permitting

Now that the contact has been signed, it is the solar company’s responsibility to initiate the installation project by applying for permits with the local planning and zoning commission.

Permits are the logistical paperwork required for a solar panel installation.

• Some of the paperwork involves applying for state and federal solar incentives, such as the federal investment tax credit, local solar programs, clean energy financing initiatives like PACE, government rebates, and solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs)
• Other paperwork includes building permits, which are specific to where the client lives. For example, certain states require that a roof has three feet of clear space surrounding the solar panels, whereas other areas of the U.S. will allow you to install panels across the entire surface of your roof. The solar installer should know the restrictions and requirements of the states in which they operate, and can help a client figure out which permits are needed – in many cases, the installer will fill out this paperwork.

The client should get copies and keep them for their records. They’ll need copies when selling the home to document that all necessary approvals were received. Copies of the permit can be a requirement for certain incentive and financing programs.

The solar contractor will submit the documents to the local agencies and utility for approval.

Schedule an Installation

It should go without saying that the solar company and the client should agree upon a date and time for when the solar installation should occur. This timeframe varies, depending on:

• When the permits get approved
• If the solar contractor has the equipment in stock
• How busy the solar company is with other installations
• Client availability

Getting the Equipment

If solar contractor doesn’t already have the equipment in stock, they’ll have to order it from a distributor. This can be done during the permitting process or after.

The two components that are most often researched and ordered are solar panels and inverters.

The solar installer will likely recommend a particular brand for each and will additionally offer a few alternatives.

Durability, efficiency and aesthetics are the primary factors most homeowners will use to compare the various brands (other than price).

Installation

Here’s the part that everyone is familiar with!

On a high level, the day-of solar installation job will look like this:

• Prep the roof and make sure the shingles or tiles are properly attached
• Start installing the wiring for the new solar system (electrical wiring that will connect to the electrical panel and general power system)
• Then install racking equipment on the roof (to support the solar panels, this is the only piece of equipment that will actually be attached to the roof). Once the racking is level and safely attached, the panels are placed onto the racking.
• Finally, connect the solar panels to the inverter or power controllers. Inverters are connected to the panels to convert direct current (DC) to the alternating current (AC) energy used in homes and on the electric grid.

Utility will Swap Meters

If the client lives in an area where net-metering is allowed, the solar installer or local utility will install a new power meter that allows for bi-directional metering of electricity.

Interconnection

With the solar panel system physically installed at this point, the last step is final inspection from the utility and/or local officials.

The solar company should send someone to meet the representatives to show them all of the technical details they’ll need to review, including all of the interconnection points and electrical systems.

Inspectors will ensure that the work done by the installer was done safely, appropriately, and to code. This will include verifying that the electrical wiring was done correctly, the mounting was safely and sturdily attached, and the overall install meets standard electrical and roof setback codes.

Once inspectors have signed off, the switch is flipped, and the solar panels are officially generating electricity for the home.

Does this solar installation job sound appealing to you?

If so, start your journey with solar panel installation training from Everblue. View our solar courses or give us a call at (800) 460-2575.