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A state licensing board said Tuesday it needs more time to decide on a proposal to increase the number of licensed electricians required for the installation of solar photovoltaic systems in Hawaii.
The Board of Electricians and Plumbers voted to defer a decision on the matter until its next meeting in December after several "new issues" were introduced during public testimony Tuesday, according to a spokesman for the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
The board is considering a proposal from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1186, which maintains that because of the electrical wiring involved in the installation of a PV system, there should be a 1-to-1 ratio of licensed electricians to other workers on a job site.
The union contends a licensed electrician must either perform or supervise the "bonding and grounding" of all pieces of a PV system from the racks that hold the panels in place to the wiring connecting the system to the electric meter. Bonding and grounding are safety measures that offer protection from electrical shock by creating a pathway for current to flow back to the earth.
Many solar companies oppose the change, saying it will increase costs.
The board first considered the IBEW’s proposal at its monthly meeting in October but did not have enough time to hear from all those who wanted to testify. The meeting was continued until Tuesday. After hearing more testimony Tuesday, the board met for several hours in executive session before announcing it would defer the matter until its next meeting, Dec. 17.
One of the new issues brought to the board’s attention Tuesday was the way PV panels are being incorporated into a building’s design.
Guy Akasaki, president and chief executive officer of Commercial Roofing & Waterproofing Hawaii Inc., showed board members photographs of roofing tiles and other building materials with built-in PV modules. Akasaki said the new materials raise the question of whether a licensed electrician would have to be involved in other phases of home construction, such as framing and roofing.