Story provided by IronRidge. 

The solar industry has grown exponentially over the last several years, and nowhere has this growth been more evident than in Florida. Last year saw over 70,000 homeowners’ transition to solar energy in the Sunshine state: a 167% increase over 2019¹. The demand for labor has increased in-line with this trend, so finding skilled and passionate employees to meet this demand is a challenge. Not only does IronRidge strive to make products that are thoughtfully engineered and code compliant, but we look for opportunities to provide value to our contracting partners through resource development. Making the solar labor force stronger is something we are passionate about. The guys on the roof are the direct conduit to our products and the final arbiters of a quality installation.

The IronRidge Installer Certification Program was launched in August of 2021. It pairs on-line courses with hands-on skills assessment in the local market. We started with a composition shingle course, then added a course for tile roofing systems. Both our shingle and tile courses are available in English and Spanish. As Florida solar contractors know, the Florida tile market is unique and presents code and water-proofing challenges (did you know that both underlayment and tile level flashings are code required?). These Florida specific considerations are referenced in the course.

The latest addition to the course catalog is a Ground Mount course. Have you thought about ground mount as an arrow in your quiver of service offerings? If so, our Ground Mount course is a great place to start.

Our efforts did not stop at comprehensive, practical online courses. We have partnered with local community colleges, labor groups, distribution partners and contractors to bring in-person training to the community. We also advised the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association and the Florida Solar Energy Center on the development of their first-of-its-kind solar apprenticeship program. This is the first such program to be registered as an apprenticeship program with the United States Department of Labor.

To date, over 500 Florida-based installers have achieved some level of IronRidge Certified Installer certification, with 20% of those achieving full certification through attendance at in-person events. We are excited that many FlaSEIA member contractors have taken advantage of this free training to equip their team members. It speaks to the thoughtfulness and engagement of member contractors. A fully IronRidge certified installer is one that is invested in their craft. They recognize the value in engineering, documentation, products, and training. Our future as an industry is dependent on their efforts to Make Solar Stronger.

Information on the IronRidge Installer Certification Program can be found at:

https://www.ironridge.com/resources/on-demand-training/ or by contacting techsupport@ironridge.com

¹Data extrapolated from Ohm Analytics (www.ohmanalytics.com), State View of Florida