NABCEP PVTS study guide
NABCEP PVTS · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
NABCEP's PV Technical Sales credential sits inside the family of NABCEP board certifications, alongside the PV Installation Professional, the Energy Storage Installation Professional (ESIP), and the Associate Program credentials. What the public source material makes clear is the spine of the credential: NABCEP publishes a dedicated PV Technical Sales Job Task Analysis, described as a comprehensive JTA for PV Technical Sales Professionals. The NABCEP PVTS study guide has 6 sections and about 2,213 words.
01Domain 1: Customer Qualification and Load Analysis
Domain 1 covers the front end of a PV sale: qualifying the customer, reading their electricity use correctly, and converting stated goals into numbers a design can hit. Exam items test whether you can separate kWh (energy) from kW (demand), interpret a rate schedule, and recognize when a customer's goal is unrealistic for the site, budget, or tariff.
371 words, about 2 min02Domain 2: Site Assessment
Domain 2 is site assessment: collecting the physical, structural, and electrical facts that decide whether - and how - a PV system can be built. The exam tests which measurements matter, how shading and roof condition change production or cost, and where the electrical service limits interconnection.
398 words, about 2 min03Domain 3: System Design and Production Estimation
Domain 3 is technical design and production estimation: turning qualified load and site data into an array, inverter, and wiring that meet the yield target and the code. Items test string sizing at temperature extremes, DC/AC ratio choices, and the loss factors behind a production estimate.
391 words, about 2 min04Domain 4: Financial Analysis and Incentives
Domain 4 covers the economics: federal and state incentives, tariff compensation, financing structures, and the metrics used to compare options. Questions test incentive mechanics, what a payback or IRR actually measures, and how tax treatment changes the customer's net cost.
382 words, about 2 min05Domain 5: Proposal, Contract, and Customer Communication
Domain 5 is the proposal and contract: documenting assumptions, presenting numbers honestly, and papering the deal so both parties know what is included. The exam probes scope language, production and savings claims, required disclosures, and the ethics of how savings are sold.
335 words, about 2 min06Domain 6: Permitting, Interconnection, and Project Delivery
Domain 6 covers delivery after signature: permits, interconnection, installation oversight, inspection, and permission to operate. Items test the order of operations, who approves what, and why energizing early is a compliance and safety failure.
336 words, about 2 min