Southern Energy Management's Solar Team Bolsters National Certifications

May 18, 2011 - PRLog -- Southern Energy Management (SEM) is pleased to announce that four more of our team members have recently earned certifications through the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP). Over the years, this nationally recognized agency has consistently set the bar for quality and excellence among solar professionals with its rigorous training and testing requirements.

SEM's Graham Alexander, David Boynton and Kyra Moore were part of the inaugural class of 97 NABCEP members to earn PV Technical Sales certificates this year. Additionally, Justin Stiles earned his Solar Thermal Installer certification earlier this week. This new round of achievements gives SEM team members a total of 13 NABCEP certifications combined.

Boynton has now earned three individual NABCEP certifications, putting him in a class of his own; currently there are only four people in the United States who have passed three separate NABCEP exams. In fact, the board recently profiled him as part of its "Faces of NABCEP" series. As SEM's Director of Training and Product Development, Boynton says continuing education is a vital part of his professional development.

"These certifications are not easy," Boynton said. "The exams require a great deal of solar knowledge and hands-on experience, as well as hours of preparation and studying. As more of our company's team members gain certifications, a culture grows within the company for everyone to absorb best practice standards as the norm."

Of the 75 NABCEP certifications currently held in North Carolina, SEM can claim 13; that works out to more than 17% of all the certifications in the state. This positions SEM to continue its leadership role in a state that's already pioneering solar power in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. To put it in perspective: Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia have a total of 68 NABCEP certifications combined.

"Solar is an investment and we take a lot of pride in bringing our clients the very best when it comes to solar know-how and expertise," SEM co-founder Bob Kingery said. "This is an industry where experience matters, and we're proud of the extra effort that our team puts in to make sure their solar work is consistently at the highest level. That level of dedication is what sets us apart."

The following is a breakdown of the NABCEP certifications held by SEM team members:

SOLAR THERMAL INSTALLER   
David Boynton
Bob Kingery
Justin Stiles    

PV INSTALLER
David Boynton
Max Isaacs
Kyra Moore
Justin Taylor
Jimmy Thompson  
Allison Torpey
JR Whitley    

PV TECHNICAL SALES
Graham Alexander
David Boynton
Kyra Moore

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Southern Energy Management is a North Carolina-based sustainable energy company offering energy efficiency, green building and turn-key solar services for homeowners, builders, companies, government and military clients across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. A certified B Corp, SEM's mission is to have a measurable impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, and to build a sustainable triple-bottom-line company. SEM was founded in a living room in Raleigh in 2001, and now employs a team of more than 90 sustainable energy professionals. SEM is consistently recognized as an industry leader both locally and nationally, and is among a small handful of companies in the U.S. to earn the National Energy Star Partner of the Year award five times (in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011). SEM also received the City of Raleigh 2011 Environmental Stewardship Award and the 2010 Green Jobs Award from SJF Institute & Green For All. http://www.southern-energy.com.