What Is a Solar Qualifying Agent?

What does a solar contractor license cover?

"Solar" covers two different kinds of work, and they're often licensed differently. Solar photovoltaic (PV) work covers the panels that make electricity, plus the racking, inverters and wiring that connect them to the building and the grid, and battery storage is increasingly installed alongside PV. Solar thermal work covers panels that heat water, for household hot water or for swimming pools. Where a state issues a solar license, it typically covers installing, repairing and replacing the panels and the equipment that goes with them, and it may include some incidental work, such as the roof penetrations and minor electrical connections needed to mount and wire the system. What sits outside it varies. The tie-in to the building's electrical service, service panel upgrades and standalone batteries often need an electrical license. Roofing beyond the attachment points belongs to a roofer, and structural changes belong to a general contractor. The connection to the grid is controlled by the utility, through its own interconnection approval (learn more about your state here).

What does a qualifying agent do in solar work?

The qualifier is the licensed person responsible for the solar work the business contracts for, from design and permit through final inspection and connection to the grid. A typical residential job moves through design to the adopted electrical code, permits, installation with the right licensed people doing the electrical work, local inspection, commissioning, and utility approval before the system can operate. One requirement is specific to rooftop solar: rapid shutdown, which de-energizes rooftop wiring so firefighters can work safely. Crews usually combine roof installers who mount racking and panels at height, where federal fall protection rules apply, with electricians who wire inverters, batteries and the service connection. Sales is often a separate function, and at least one state now regulates solar salespeople directly.

A qualifier who only lends a name isn't supervising, and that's a license rental. See our guides on how the qualifying agent relationship actually works and renting or leasing a contracting license.

Is solar licensed, and can another license cover it?

It depends on the state. Some states issue a dedicated solar contractor license or classification. In others, solar PV is electrical work, so an electrical contractor license is required and no separate solar license exists. Some use both: a solar classification exists, but some parts of the job, especially battery storage or the service connection, still need the electrical license. Solar thermal work is often covered by plumbing or pool licenses instead. Other licenses relate to solar in different ways. Electrical contractors can usually do solar PV work, since it is electrical work, and roofers and general contractors generally can't do the electrical side. Solar contractors in some states may do minor roofing, electrical or plumbing work that is incidental to a residential solar installation, instead of subcontracting it (learn more about your state here).

What does it take to get licensed in solar work?

Three things set solar apart. The first is NABCEP certification: the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners offers voluntary national certifications for individuals, including PV installation, PV design, energy storage installation and solar heating. They're personal credentials, not contractor licenses, and they don't replace a state license. The second is the electrical code. Solar PV follows its own articles of the National Electrical Code, covering solar PV systems, interconnected power sources and energy storage, including the rapid shutdown requirement, and they apply as each state or city adopts the code. The third is regulation of sales. Solar is one of the few trades where a state is starting to register the people who sell the systems, and not just those who install them. See our guides on what experience is required, how to gain experience, and what education is required.

What else should you know?

Most of what applies to any trade is covered in our guides. See starting a contracting business without a license and how long you have to replace a qualifying agent for when a business needs a qualifier, renting or leasing a contracting license for why renting isn't an option, and the state-by-state directory for how requirements differ. See all ten trades on our trades page, and the full list of guides on our guides page.

How do you find a solar qualifier or a business hiring one?

findQualifier.com is a public, searchable board of licensed professionals advertising their availability to work as a qualifier, by state and trade. Browse available qualifiers, browse businesses looking to hire, or post a listing.