NABCEP SHI study guide
NABCEP SHI · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The NABCEP Solar Heating Installer Board Certification is a board certification for the people who physically install solar water and pool heating systems on buildings. NABCEP's Job Task Analysis for the credential is explicit about the boundary: its tasks apply to installation personnel, not to the system designer. The NABCEP SHI study guide has 7 sections and about 2,074 words.
01Safety and Hazard Control on Solar Water and Pool Heating Job Sites
This domain tests whether you can recognize and control hazards specific to solar thermal work: roof access, hot pressurized fluids, glycol, electrical energy, and pool chemicals. The exam expects hazard-first planning, not generic construction safety.
343 words, about 2 min02Site Assessment, Design Package Review, and Pre-Installation Planning
This domain tests site evaluation before hardware is ordered: solar access, shading, roof condition and structure, collector orientation and tilt, and the route from collectors to storage or pool equipment. Use a true-south reference, not magnetic south; correct compass readings for local declination.
320 words, about 2 min03Design Package Review and Pre-Installation Planning
This domain tests whether you can read a solar thermal design package critically before installation: collector and system ratings, load and storage sizing, freeze protection, expansion control, pipe sizing, pump head, controls, and permit/structural documentation. SRCC OG-100 certifies individual collectors; OG-300 certifies complete factory-built systems.
312 words, about 2 min04Collector and Array Mounting and Structural Attachment
This domain tests collector mounting and structural attachment: how arrays are fixed to roofs or ground, how penetrations are flashed, and how wind, snow, and seismic loads are handled. Mount collectors to structural members-rafters, trusses, or blocking-not to sheathing alone.
271 words, about 1 min05Hydronic Piping, Plumbing, Storage Tanks, and Pool Loop Installation
This domain tests hydronic installation: piping materials and joints, air and pressure control, storage-tank plumbing, and the pool loop. Use materials rated for the maximum stagnation temperature, and join copper with lead-free solder or approved press fittings.
272 words, about 1 min06Controls, Sensors, Pumps, and Electrical Interconnections
This domain tests controls, sensors, pumps, and electrical interconnections: how the controller decides to run the pump, where sensors go, and how line-voltage equipment is safely supplied and bonded. A differential controller compares collector temperature to storage temperature.
285 words, about 1 min07Commissioning, Troubleshooting, Maintenance, and Customer Handover
This domain tests commissioning, troubleshooting, maintenance, and customer handover: proving the system works, documenting it, and teaching the owner. Flush the loop, pressure-test at the specified test pressure, fill with the correct glycol concentration, and purge air.
271 words, about 1 min