Fw: PV License Credential in MA
Jane Herman
This is very important. Please take a moment to read it, send out
emails and written letters, then send this on to everyone you know in MA who
cares about PV and the PV job market. Consumers, students, and business
people. Anyone you can think of.
By the way, Chris Kilfoyle is a PV installer of 25 years out here in
Berkshire County and also the Vice. Pres. of SEBANE.
Thanks so much!
Jane Herman
----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher Derby Kilfoyle" <c...@bpvs.com>
To: "Jane Herman" <feltma...@verizon.net>
Sent: Monday, August 31, 2009 8:38 PM
Subject: PV License Credential in MA
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> Dear Alex, August 31, 2009
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> I hope you are well and know that you are excited by the
> increasing number of students who aim for careers in the clean
> energy sector. It is heartening to see young people in your
> programs and in my firm and those of my solar colleagues who are
> optimists and working hard for a sustainable energy society.
> This year in Massachusetts though their career hopes have been
> seriously narrowed. In January the Board of State Electrical
> Examiners ruled that any and all aspects of PV installation work
> must be performed by a licensed electrician or supervised apprentice
> electrician. There is a thirty year history of this technology in
> Massachusetts and across the nation in which multiple trades
> including electricians performed installation work. The best PV
> professionals I've met did not spend six to eight years in the
> electrical trade regimen toward an electricians license . They have
> come from other construction trades, from secondary voc-tech
> schools and from environmental science and engineering, business,
> physics, computer tech. and liberal arts degree programs at our
> public and private colleges and universities Now they will not be
> able to gain that field experience so essential for their
> advancement to installation crew management or the technical
> design, sales and management positions our industry requires.
> The Solar Energy Business Association of New England has helped
> introduce legislation to remedy this situation. House Bill 4180 (
> HB 4180) is now before the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection
> and Professional Licensure. The text is attached below as are fact
> sheets on the issue. The bill will create a new license Class in
> Massachusetts for PV installers administered by the Board of
> Building Regulations and Standards( BBRS). In effect it validates
> the expertise needed to install PV safely, meeting the full
> breadth of the State Building Code 780-CMR , which includes the
> Massachusetts Electrical Code. The PV licensee will be responsible
> for securing the building permit and supervising both licensed
> electricians and PV technicians and laborers on the job site.
> Please take the time right away to write to the Committee
> Chairs, Senator Morrissey and Representative Speliotis expressing
> your support of this bill. The committee will hold a hearing
> within a few weeks. You can write to any and all of the committee
> members ( see the listing and contact information below) to tell
> them how important a PV license credential is to your students
> aspirations and your educational efforts. The Commonwealth
> needs to establish a professional foundation for Solar now and
> as a precedent for other clean energy technologies in the years to
> come.
> If we can get this bill out of committee and
> to a full vote your support will be needed again to ensure it passes.
> Please don't hesitate to call or e mail me if you have any
> questions , but if not write and mail a hard copy of your letter of
> support for HB 4180 now . You can e-mail the Committee chairs and
> members but follow up with a mailed hard copy.
> Copy me either electronically or by mail this week so we can collect
> all our colleagues letters and those of other solar
> supporters for presentation prior to and at the hearing. Feel free to
> encourage your colleagues to write.
> Thanks so much for your effort ; I look forward to receiving a
> copy of your letter .
> Sincerely,
> Chris
> Christopher Derby Kilfoyle
> Berkshire Photovoltaic Services (BPVS)Tel: 413-743-0152 Fax: 413-743-4827
> 46 Howland Ave.
> Adams. MA 01220
> www.bpvs.com
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> c...@bpvs.com
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> Christopher Derby Kilfoyle
> Berkshire Photovoltaic Services, BPVS
> Berkshire Photovoltaic Services
> www.bpvs.com
> 46 Howland Ave.
> Adams. MA 01220
> Tel: 413-743-0152
> Fax: 413-743-4827
>