Solar power is mystifying to some people.

The solar installer is often a member of a team of contractors, particularly for commercial-scale projects and larger. The solar energy component of the project may represent a relatively small fraction of its overall dollar value yet still be an important part of the customer’s goals.

Featured on “Solar Thermal System Greens Seattle Building”, Pioneer Renewables’ Tim Connolly, an installer of solar thermal systems, found himself in meetings with his peers in the other installation trades, such as plumbers, builders and electricians. In the give-and-take that accompanies such sessions, the installer faced questions about whether or not he knew what he was doing - based on the other individuals’ perceptions of what a solar thermal system was all about.

For example, the plumber viewed the water storage and management components of the solar thermal system Connolly was proposing through the lens of his own discipline. The lead plumber had never heard of a closed-loop, pressurized drain-back system and assumed Connolly had meant “drain-down,” and thereby launched an objection based on the fact that water freezes. Thankfully, the project developer understood the difference, and Connolly’s credibility was restored.

Misunderstandings can damage more than just the reputation of an individual installer. Interpretations of the roles and responsibilities of photovoltaic installers are moving the licensing boards of some states to consider just who should be doing what on solar energy projects. In Hawaii, the state’s contractor licensing board is currently considering a proposal to eliminate the license for solar systems contractors and requiring that PV panel installers have an electrician’s license.

On “Is Safety Grounds For Handing PV Installations Over To Electricians?” of this issue, a number of installers and manufacturers of racking and mounting systems address the question about whether a solar energy contractor’s license is sufficient for dealing with a system that - when fully assembled and wired - provides electricity. Spoiler: The consensus is that installers of mounts and panels are quite able to do the job.

More to the point, experienced solar installers have a mechanical acumen that is not necessarily part and parcel of the electrician’s trade. Installers of intricate mounting systems have to approach the task with a carpenter’s precision.

Nevertheless, some solar installers are concerned that the people who make decisions about who needs what license may not fully understand what the installer’s job entails. What is needed, some say, is a professional trade association for solar installers to help explain the mysteries of the profession to the powers that be. S