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TSSB Recognizes Distributed Renewable Solar Energy Technician Skill Standards

May, 2009 - On May 12, 2009 the Texas Skill Standards Board (TSSB) recognized the Distributed Renewable Solar Energy Technician skill standards.

According to the State Energy Conservation Office website (www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us/re_rpsportfolio.htm) the Texas legislature established its Renewable Portfolio Standards in 1999, (Senate Bill 7), which mandated the development of certain amounts of renewable energy and prompted the renewable energy industry to rapidly accelerate its production. The 2005 Texas Legislature (Senate Bill 20) increased the state’s total renewable energy mandate to 5880 MW by 2015 and a target of 10,000 MW by 2025, with a requirement that the state meet 500 MW of the 2025 target with non-wind renewable generation – a provision that indirectly promotes solar power. Such incentives create a workforce demand that must be met with trained technicians.

As these efforts create results over time, demand for qualified technicians to install, maintain, and repair solar energy systems can be expected to grow steadily. This occupational area is still so new that neither the Bureau of Labor Statistics nor the Texas Workforce Commission collects data on employment in solar energy; however, the American Solar Energy Society estimates that in 2006, there were 7,600 jobs in the solar photovoltaic (electricity generation) and solar thermal energy (hot water generation) industries nationally. Most of these workers were solar photovoltaic (PV) installers. Workers enter the solar energy field from a variety of backgrounds but most workers have construction, electrician, and plumbing experience. Most recently, a new report by CleanEdge, a clean technology market publication, indicates that, combined, PV and wind power provided more than 600,000 jobs globally in 2008 and are expected to generate 2.7 million jobs by 2018.

Texas Workforce Commission data indicate that electricians in Texas earn an average hourly wage of $18.64, and plumbers earn an average hourly wage of $19.58, so it could be speculated that solar photovoltaic installers and solar thermal installers, respectively, potentially earn similar wages. A job analysis was conducted in November, 2008, which resulted in the creation of a DACUM chart of duties, tasks, skills, and tools. TSSB staff worked under the direction of project sponsor Texas State Technical College (Waco) and with industry subject matter experts to revalidate the DACUM and to develop skill standards elements based on the DACUM. Staff coordinated online surveys to engage subject matter experts to complete and validate the resulting skill standards.

The Distributed Renewable Solar Energy Technician skill standards contain five critical work functions in the areas of site assessment, system design, resource coordination, system installation, and system maintenance.

The TSSB recognized the standards in accordance with its Guidelines for the Development, Recognition, and Usage of Skill Standards (October 2006). For more information, please contact the TSSB at (512) 936-8100.