Solar Photovoltaic Installations: The Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors Explains.

It seems there is considerable confusion about whether an electrical contractor's license is required for solar-photovoltaic (SPV) installations.

Substantially, the question is: are SPV installations, including the SPV panels themselves, electrical work within the meaning of the regulations, so as to require an applicant for a construction permit to obtain an electrical contractor's license to perform such work? 

The short answer is yes; except that owners of single-family homes doing work on their own dwellings are exempt.

Recently the Board considered this issue and concluded that SPV systems, including the SPV panels themselves, to the extent that they are used for the generation, transmission, or utilization of electrical energy, constitute electrical work within the meaning of the Act.

Therefore, unless work was exempted by statute (e.g. operates at less than 10 volts, etc.), a contractor is required to obtain a license and business permit issued by the Board to install, erect, and repair, etc., SPV systems including SPV panels themselves.

To read the Excerpt on SPV Systems from the Spring 2010 Construction Code Communicator click Here.

To view the Spring 2010 Issue of The Construction Code Communicator click Here

1099 Rule Buried In Health Care Reform Law Draws Criticism

Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif., has introduced a bill that would roll back the provision buried on page 737 of H.R. 3590 The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, that will require businesses to file 1099 forms to any vendor from which they purchase $600 or more of goods and services.

The provision is expected to be especially hard on small-business owners who could be faced with a drastic increase in paperwork.

Given the current Senate and House Majority that passed HR 3590, we do not have high hopes for this bill to ever see the light of day. The best advise we can give to our members is to start preparing to comply now so you do not get caught by surprise when the provision takes effect on January 1st, 2012.
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Governor Christie Creates "Choose New Jersey" Program

Senator Steve Oroho (R-Sussex, Morris, Hunterdon), commended Governor Christie on establishing “Choose New Jersey,” a new privately funded nonprofit corporation that has been created to bring businesses and jobs back to New Jersey.

“Over the past ten years New Jersey has established a reputation for being one of the most anti-business states in the country. Our penchant for raising taxes, increasing debt and enacting unnecessary regulations have forced many businesses to close down or leave the state and cost many people their jobs.

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Governor Christie Leading By Changing The Course in N.J.

Governor Chris Christie continues to receive National attention for his management of New Jersey’s budget crisis. As painful as it is, the bold steps he is taking are necessary if we are to recover from the worst economy in generations.

Frankly, Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid and yes even the President of the United States could learn several lessons if they were to read his opinion piece.

Almost daily, I receive correspondence from across the Country from people that wish they had a Governor like Chris Christie in their State.

“The Reform Agenda: Changing Course in N.J.”

By Governor Chris Christie

As you all know, we have a fiscal crisis in New Jersey: a $10.9 billion deficit on a $29.3 billion budget. At 37 percent, it's the worst budget deficit percentage in America, worse than California, worse than New York, worse than Illinois, and bold steps must be taken to deal with it.

On March 16, we put forward a budget with $10.9 billion in reductions against proposed spending of the Corzine administration.

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