Certification for Small Wind Turbine Installers: What's the Hang Up?; Preprint

Several programs have been implemented to support the advancement of a professional, mature small wind industry and to ensure that this industry moves forward in a sustainable direction. The development of a standard for small wind turbine systems and the creation of the Small Wind Certification Council support small wind technology that is reliable and safe. Consumers and incentive programs willultimately rely on certification to differentiate among systems sold in the U.S. market. Certification of small wind installers is yet another component deemed necessary for this industry to expand. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, under the guidance and funding support of the U.S. Department of Energy, supported the development of small wind system installer certification provided viathe North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. However, the small wind community is not supportive of the installer certification. There are currently only nine certified installers in the U.S. pool. This paper provides an overview of the installer certification program and why more small wind turbine installers are not pursuing this certification.