What is a PV GreenCard and PV Assessment?
What is the PV GreenCard?
Let’s dispel this myth right away! A PV GreenCard is not something you get; it is not like a driver’s license or a passport that identifies you as a qualified installer. Rather think of it as a document containing the details of a PV system from A to Z. The South African PV GreenCard is a safety certification that assures a standard of quality for PV (Photovoltaic) installations.
The PV GreenCard was developed by South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) in conjunction with the German Solar Energy Society (DGS Berlin) and the German International Cooperation (GIZ) to develop a national standardised report. This report is called the PV GreenCard and aims to promote a good standard of quality for Solar PV installations.
What is the PV GreenCard used for?
Stand out from the crowd, get exposure on www.pvgreencard.co.za!
SAPVIA, Green Cape, GREEN Solar Academy and all other partners do end-client marketing for you, the PV Green-Card is already established as a reliable quality criteria among clients, but also with banks and assurance companies. As an assessed installer working for a Certified PV GreenCard Installation Company you can be found on the interactive map found on the PV GreenCard website. You can also link the map on your own website and use the PV GreenCard registration as one more reason why clients should ask you to install their PV system.
As a SAPVIA assessed installer, you can issue PV GreenCards for your clients in both physical and digital format. These documents detail all the specifications of the installed PV system, as well as the check list of all the installation steps that have been completed to the required standard. This document can in turn be used as proof of compliance for insurance, finance, and regulatory purposes.
What is a SAPVIA accredited installer?
To help regulate the standard for PV installations in South Africa the PV GreenCard programme requires that all installers complete the SAPVIA PV Assessment. A SAPVIA accredited installer is a PV installer who has completed the SPAVIA PV Assessment and passed the assessment with an average of 80% between the theory and practical components. This assessment is there to evaluate installers and ensure the integrity of the PV industry by providing a benchmark from which to judge installers and their ability to perform PV solar installations.
GREEN Solar Academy, SAPVIA and GreenCape would like to encourage PV installers to undertake this 2-day PV assessment. The skills assessment will allow participants to test their theoretical and practical capability of installing PV systems. GREEN Solar Academy in association with its partners operates three SAPVIA PV Assessment Centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Ballito (KZN).
How do I get the qualification?
Prove your PV knowledge and installer skills in the SAPVIA PV Assessment. Sign up at one of the official assessment centres and take the theoretical and practical exam. Registration for the SAPVIA PV Assessment through www.solar-training.org.
It is also recommended that the installer familiarises themselves with the SAPVIA Solar PV Installation Guidelines. This document alongside the relevant building codes, regulations and national electrical codes will be the basis for PV installations in the country. GREEN Solar Academy also suggests preparing for the course by participating in the SuperSolarSchool , the SAPVIA endorsed 5-day preparation course.
Once you have passed your PV GreenCard Assessment you will be able to register your company on the SAPVIA PV GreenCard Installer Database. The cost to do this is R2 400 and your company must both be registered as an electrical contractor with the DoEL and employ an assessed PV GreenCard Installer to be eligible.
Once all this has been done, you will be able to issue PV GreenCards for your PV installations and contribute to the growing confidence and surety of quality in the solar PV industry.
Important: The PV GreenCard can be issued by any PV installer who passed the assessment but if you don’t have a wireman’s license, you will need a certified electrician to provide the CoC.
Why is the qualification important?
The PV GreenCard is quickly becoming an integral part of the PV industry. The PV GreenCard has become an assurance of quality for the customer, proof of an installers qualifications and the compliance of the PV system with national standards and labour law.
The three principal areas in which the PV GreenCard has become crucial to are financial institutions, insurers and to the customer/owners of PV systems. Financial institutions will and have required the issuing of PV GreenCard as a pre-requisite to price the risk of an installation or more competitively price a system, as well as the systems compliance to safety and quality.
Insurers require the PV GreenCard as an indication that a qualified and skilled installer completed the installation and followed the best installation practices. This allows them to extend insurance policies that will cover the rooftop solar PV installation or offer better rates for a system that has been signed-off with a PV GreenCard.
The PV GreenCard programme will also provide assurance of quality, education and a database of qualified installers to any owners of PV systems or potential customers for PV installations. The PV GreenCard will increase in demand as more customers request that their solar installations are done according to the SAPVIA standards which are set and updated in the PV GreenCard programme.
The PV GreenCard is quickly growing to become the standard for PV systems in South Africa and will soon become a requirement for all installers across the country.
Don’t waste any more time, join GREEN Solar Academy and start your journey to becoming a SAPVIA assessed installer with the authority to issue a PV GreenCard.