NABCEP Credentials

There are two pathways (Category A and Category B) to qualify to sit for the NABCEP PV Technical Sales Certification Examination.

Both require:

• Completion of a minimum of ten (10) hours of OSHA Outreach Training Program for the Construction Industry training (or provincial equivalent); AND

• 58 hours of advanced PV training. If you need all 58 advanced PV training hours, you may be interested in the NABCEP PV Technical Sales bundle options to save money and get all the advanced PV training hours required.

  • NABCEP PV Technical Sales (PVTS) Certification Prep: Codes & Standards Focus
  • NABCEP PV Technical Sales (PVTS) Certification Prep: Commercial & Industrial Sales + Energy Storage Focus
  • NABCEP PV Technical Sales (PVTS) Certification Prep: PV Associate Exam Pathway
  • You can compare the different training bundles here.

Category A:

• Verifiable sales experience equaling at least 8 Sales Credits* with 100% of projects sold within the previous 2 year period with a minimum of 50% sold and installed

Category B:

• Verifiable sales experience equaling at least 4 Sales Credits* with 100% of projects sold within the previous 2 year period with a minimum of 50% sold and installed:

AND hold:

• An Advanced Degree in Science or Engineering (Master’s or Bachelor's); OR

• Associates degree in solar or renewable energy; OR

• Electrician’s License (Master or Journeyperson); OR

• Current State or government Solar Contractor’s License

Sales Credits are as follows:

• System size of 1 – 24 kW = 2 Sales Credits
• System size of 25 kW- 999 kW = 3 Sales Credits
• System Size of 1MW and up = 4 Sales Credits

Upon completion of HeatSpring courses approved for advanced hours for the PVTS exam, learners can download a certificate of completion to submit with their NABCEP application.

Applicants must also submit proof of completing OSHA 10.

Applicants must submit a signed letter on company letterhead from a member of senior management from the company verifying the Applicant's role in the sale of the PV system and the Applicant's experience in the field for each sale.

If a PV system has been completed, the Applicant must also submit a copy of the electrical and/or building permit and the final inspection report issued by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) for each system.

If a PV system is sold but not installed, Applicants must provide the fully signed contract for the project.

See the NABCEP Handbook for more details.

Between the PVTS application and exam fees, NABCEP charges $500 to sit for the PVTS exam. In the event you need to retake the exam, the re-exam fee is $275. All NABCEP fees are listed here.

The PVTS Job Task Analysis provides a blueprint for the exam.

The main content areas covered are:

• Qualifying Prospects (30%)
• Site Analysis (21.7%)
• Conceptual Design (16.7%)
• Performance Analysis (6.7%)
• Costs, Incentives, Savings, and Returns (16.7%)
• Proposal Preparation and Presentation (8.3%)

The PVTS exam can be taken in a Meazure Learning test site or at any location via live remote proctoring. The exam must be scheduled and taken within one year of NABCEP approving your application.

Candidates get up to 4 hours to complete the exam. Everyone will have access to a calculator.

The PVTS exam consists of 70 equally weighted multiple choice questions, with 4 choices per question. 60 of the questions are scored and 10 of the questions are un-scored pilot questions. A total scaled score is used to determine if a candidate passed or failed and ranges from 0-99. A scaled score of 75 is required to pass the PVTS exam.

All of your exam paperwork must match your valid government-issued identification, so make sure to not use nicknames or abbreviated names during the application process.

A total of 30 advanced PV training hours are required to maintain your PVTS certification and documentation must be submitted to NABCEP every 3 years for your certification renewal. HeatSpring certificates of completion can be used as documentation with NABCEP. Training hours must fulfill specific sub-categories including:

• 18 PVTS Job Task Analysis (JTA) Hours
• 2 Building and Fire Code Hours
• 10 Renewable Energy (RE) Elective Hours

All NABCEP-approved HeatSpring courses will have a chart at the bottom of the course landing page which summarizes approved hours by exam and sub-categories.