Vermont Electrical Solar

SOUTH BURLINGTON — A Vermont electrician recently earned the renewable energy industry's preeminent certification for solar electric installers.

Matthew Murphy, 28, is now certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, an organization that implements voluntary credentialing and certification programs for green energy practitioners. All professionals certified by the board must meet an extensive experience prerequisite then pass an intensive exam developed in accordance with the trade's best practices. There are currently 16 such installers in Vermont.

"My (board) certification, along with the training I received through the IBEW Local 300 electricians' apprenticeship, reassures my customers that our installations of any size are done safely and reliably," Murphy said in a news release.

"By hiring an electrical professional who is NABCEP affiliated and well-versed on the National Electrical Code, the consumer can rest assured they are receiving the quality craftsmanship they need for their solar installation to be performing for 25 years."

Murphy, of Waterbury Center, works in the solar division at South Burlington's Peck Electric, one of the largest energy contractors in the state. He is a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 300 and instructs the union's solar photovoltaic program – Vermont's only year-round training of its kind for electricians. Since late 2008, he has trained nearly 100 electricians in solar technology and is approved to teach by the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee.

"We feel electricians are uniquely qualified to install solar photovoltaic systems," Kip Myrick, a licensed master electrician and part of Peck Electric's ownership team, said in the news release. "Matt's generation will be the key to transitioning Vermont trades people to the green technology future of our state. We are proud to enable our employees to obtain continuing education and certification, which ultimately gives us a competitive edge as more citizens turn to renewable energy."

Under Murphy's leadership, Peck Electric recently completed a 62-kilowatt solar installation at the Montpelier Wastewater Treatment Facility.

Based in South Burlington, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 300 serves 1,200-plus working Vermonters at some of the state's most successful businesses