People who install and maintain solar panels are known as solar energy technicians. These experts build, manage, run, and test all systems and equipment to harvest solar energy as a renewable and sustainable energy source. They work in various fields. Opportunities exist in multiple industries, including manufacturing and construction, R&D, law, finance and real estate, and software development.

It might be easier to decide if being a solar energy technician is the appropriate career choice if you know all the prerequisites and duties. However, you don’t need a college degree to work as solar energy professional. All you need is a skillful fusion of mechanical know-how, physical toughness, and a love for the environment.

Thus, in this article, we will go over the steps involved in becoming a solar panel technician that will help you choose it as a prospective career. But before that, first, let’s get acquainted with their job roles and responsibilities.

What are the Responsibilities of Solar Panel Technicians?

While installing and upkeeping solar systems are the primary duties of solar experts, their responsibilities may involve various other tasks.

Below are the typical duties you may expect as a solar panel technician.

• When assembling, installing, operating, maintaining, and testing solar systems and equipment, you must comply with site evaluation, schematics, code, and standards.
• You must examine the drawings or specifications while consulting building inspectors to identify the client’s requirements.
• You may have to determine the direction of the panels and verify the building’s structural soundness.
• Arranging batteries, controllers, fans, and connections to the electrical grid are part of the task.
• Measure, cut, and construct the structural framing and solar modules as directed.
• Your job involves making a few electrical inspections.
• You must install weather sealing or protective coatings to the structure, the array, or the support systems.
• Certify the wiring and grounding of solar panels by testing them and constantly maintaining and servicing current systems.
• You must check the dangers of photovoltaic (PV) installations regarding electricity, the environment, and safety.
• If there are any problems and deficiencies in the PV system, you need to detect and correct them immediately.
• You may have to help scientists and engineers solve technical issues relating to solar equipment or panel research and development, manufacture, construction, inspection, and maintenance.
• You are responsible for system performance, upkeep, operation assembly, and record-keeping.
• You must support engineers or scientists using computer-aided design and drawing (CADD) tools and creating prototypes of newly designed equipment.

How to Become a Qualified Solar Panel Technician?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that there will be a 51% increase in employment opportunities for solar technicians between 2019 and 2029.

So, if you want to become one, here are the steps you must follow.

Step 1: Obtain a GED or High School Diploma

A high school diploma or GED is the initial qualification to become a solar expert. It is generally required to join a solar panel technician program. However, the regular classes of high school you attend may not have a significant impact.

Instead, you must opt for specific courses to prepare for your career while still in high school. Taking science and math courses and CAD (computer-aided design) training would be beneficial. These subjects and tools will help you with your solar programs after high school.

After graduation, none of these is a prerequisite for employment as a solar energy technician. But they can teach you valuable skills and give you a head start on further studies.

Step 2: Get Training Through Short Courses

You must complete some training and educational requirements in solar energy technologies. Vocational schools, trade groups, and engineering universities offer many apprentice programs. Most of these programs last 1-2 years and emphasize practical training over theory. You will learn about electrical wiring, maintenance, testing, and installation of solar panels.

Program topics will cover fundamental safety awareness, technical expertise in photovoltaics, understanding of building codes and regulations, and system design. A comprehensive solar energy specialist will require both the theoretical and practical know-how necessary to perform a safe and dependable installation of photovoltaic systems.

However, these institutions will provide certificates that qualify you as a certified solar technician after completing the training.

Step 3: Get NABCEP Certification

Newly qualified technicians in the field of renewable energy can take tests offered by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP).

Also, an exam for certification as a NABCEP Photovoltaic Associate or a NABCEP Solar Heating Associate is available to solar technicians for their enhanced career growth. Besides, designers and installers can choose from more complex qualifications by NABCEP.

Although certification is not often necessary for employment, it shows your expertise in installing panels. It may also increase your attractiveness to employers and help you get the finest solar technician positions.

Step 4: Get Your License

Each location has unique licensing criteria. A license may be needed to operate as a solar energy technician in some localities or states. However, in some places, obtaining a license is only essential if you want to work as a solar energy specialist for yourself outside any firm. It may involve a test, certain hours of experience, or certification from a specific organization.

Some states demand solar installers get a unique, specialized license to become certified solar contractors. Most of the time, installing solar systems does not require a specific permit because it is a specialist categorization under general electrical or plumbing licenses. Instead, all contractors who are duly licensed can do so.

Nevertheless, it’s crucial to learn the regulations of the state you intend to work in to prepare beforehand.

Winding Up

The solar industry is one of the fast-paced sectors in modern times that creates some of the growing demands for jobs in the United States. Since the IPCC released a report requiring the world to decarbonize in the coming decade to save our planet, the need for solar panel technicians has been growing rapidly.

So, if you also want to become a certified solar panel professional, prepare from today itself and follow the steps mentioned above to have a flourishing career.