What Is PV2?

What PV2 Means Here

Photovoltaic Installer/Designer (PV2) is a solar credential issued by ETA International. It sits above the entry-level photovoltaic installer certification (PVI1) and is aimed at people who do more than mount panels. A PV2 candidate is expected to understand how a system is scoped, sized, wired, tested, commissioned and maintained, and to have the field experience to back that up.

The acronym "PV2" is shared by several unrelated credentials in other industries, so searching the bare term can send you to the wrong place. Everything on this page refers only to the ETA Photovoltaic Installer/Designer (PV2) certification. If you want other angles on the same question, see our short explainers on what PV2 stands for and the meaning of PV2, or the broader overview of PV2 certification.

Who Issues It and How It Fits ETA's Renewable Energy Line

ETA International publishes the PV2 competency requirements, administers the written exam through its network of Certification Administrators, and maintains each holder's certification record. Testing is arranged with an ETA Certification Administrator, using either Trapeza online testing or a paper exam, depending on what the administrator offers.

PV2 is designed to supplement PVI1 knowledge rather than replace it. The PV2 competency document focuses on the additional layers a designer-level technician must master, which is why a current PVI1 certification matters so much in the eligibility path (more on that below). Think of PVI1 as the foundation of installation fundamentals and PV2 as the credential that adds site assessment, customer needs analysis, component selection, array sizing, energy storage and project management on top.

Exam Format, Fee and Retake Rules

According to ETA's current Renewable Energy Certifications listing, the PV2 exam works like this:

A 75% cut score on 100 questions means you need roughly 75 correct answers. Because this is a competency-based exam rather than a curve-graded one, there is no hidden ranking of candidates; you either demonstrate the required knowledge or you do not. For more on the scoring threshold, read our breakdown of the PV2 passing score, and for the full cost picture beyond the exam fee, see the PV2 certification cost guide.

The listing does not describe a separate hands-on practical exam. That does not mean the credential is purely academic, though. The documented installation experience required for eligibility is where practical competence gets verified, and the written exam then tests whether you can apply it. ETA's general testing FAQ permits a nonprogrammable calculator, which is relevant because array sizing and wiring questions often involve arithmetic. The FAQ does not establish PV2-specific rules about reference books, so ask your Certification Administrator what is allowed before test day.

Eligibility: What You Need Before You Sit

PV2 is not an open-enrollment exam. ETA's PV2 Certification Process and Experience Checklist spells out several requirements that must be satisfied alongside passing the written exam:

• Age: Candidates must be at least 18.
• Training: 60 contact hours of ETA-approved or equivalent photovoltaic training. A current PVI1 certification credits 40 of those 60 hours.
• Safety: OSHA 10 construction safety, or an equivalent jurisdictional course.
• Customer service: ETA Customer Service Specialist (CSS) certification.
• Experience: At least 150 attested experience points, including every compulsory task and at least two reference contacts.
• Installation history: The compulsory experience includes at least three systems of 2 kW or larger.
• Conduct: Agreement to ETA's Code of Conduct.

The practical effect is that PV2 favors people already working in solar. Someone who has only completed classroom training will find the experience-points requirement the hardest gap to close. Our dedicated PV2 requirements article walks through each prerequisite in more detail, and the PV2 training page covers the contact-hour component.

The 15 Competency Areas

ETA's PV2 competency requirements (copyright 2019, currently linked by ETA) list fifteen numbered headings. These are unweighted official objectives. ETA does not publish a percentage-based blueprint, so there is no honest way to say how many questions come from any single area. What ETA does state is that exam questions derive from the certification competencies, which makes the list your primary study map. Note also that PV2 builds on PVI1, so the headings reflect the added designer-level material rather than every prerequisite installation topic; they alone do not guarantee exhaustive exam coverage.

The fifteen areas are:

1. History and Background of Photovoltaics (PV)
2. Additional PV Project Safety (the official document spells this "ADDITONAL")
3. How the Grid Works
4. Determining Customer Needs
5. Codes and Standards
6. Conducting a Site Survey
7. Components Selection
8. Array Sizing
9. Wiring the System
10. Energy Storage Systems
11. PV Mounting Systems
12. Project Management
13. Testing and Troubleshooting
14. Commissioning the System
15. Maintaining the System

For a deeper walk through each heading, see our complete guide to all 15 PV2 content areas. Below are three clusters worth understanding at a high level.

Codes and Standards deserves special attention because it touches almost every other area. Wiring, grounding, rapid shutdown, labeling and interconnection decisions all trace back to code requirements, so familiarity with how the applicable electrical code treats PV systems pays dividends throughout the exam.

Why PV2 Blends Design and Installation

The "Installer/Designer" label reflects how solar work really happens at many small and mid-sized contractors. The same technician who climbs on the roof may also size the system, choose the inverter and walk the customer through the proposal. PV2 is built for that hybrid role.

That shapes the kind of knowledge the exam rewards. Expect to reason from a scenario toward a decision, such as picking a compatible component, spotting why a measured value looks wrong, or deciding what has to happen before a system can be commissioned, rather than merely recalling a definition. Candidates who have physically installed systems tend to find the troubleshooting and commissioning material intuitive, while those with stronger classroom backgrounds may find array sizing and component compatibility more comfortable. Our article on how hard the PV2 exam is discusses where candidates typically feel the strain, and the PV2 pass rate page addresses what is and is not publicly known about outcomes.

Who Hires PV2 Holders

The certification is relevant wherever photovoltaic systems are designed, installed or serviced. Typical employers and engagement types include:

• Residential and commercial solar installation contractors that want technicians able to survey, size and commission systems
• Electrical contractors expanding into PV and storage work
• Solar developers and engineering-procurement-construction firms needing field staff who understand design intent
• Operations and maintenance providers responsible for testing, troubleshooting and keeping systems performing
• Training organizations and instructors who use ETA credentials as a benchmark

Because the credential documents both training and verified field experience, it can help a hiring manager separate someone who has taken a course from someone who has actually completed installations. For a view of role types, see our PV2 jobs overview, and if you are weighing the investment, the PV2 ROI analysis and salary guide take a measured look at earning potential. This article does not cite specific pay figures, since none are published by ETA for this credential.

Renewal: A Conflict You Should Check Directly

PV2 certification carries a four-year term, but the maintenance requirements are not described identically across ETA's own materials. This is worth flagging plainly rather than guessing:

• The PV2 checklist specifies 24 continuing-education hours over four years and $25 annual maintenance.
• ETA's general maintenance policy distinguishes a standard route (40 hours over four years or employer verification) from a hands-on route (24 hours plus employer verification), and both routes carry $25 annual maintenance.
• The renewable energy overview marks hands-on as not required for PV2.

These do not line up cleanly. Before you plan your continuing education, confirm the applicable PV2 maintenance route with ETA rather than assuming one reading is correct. The general policy is posted on ETA's maintenance page, but the person who can tell you which path applies to your record is ETA itself.

Sequencing Your Preparation Around PV2's Domains

Because ETA publishes no weighting, a sensible plan is to move in the order a real project unfolds, which mirrors how the competencies connect. One illustrative way to sequence it, assuming you have already satisfied or are completing the eligibility items:

Put the calculation-heavy material (Array Sizing and Wiring the System) early enough to leave time for repetition, since numerical fluency is hard to cram. Keep a nonprogrammable calculator in your practice routine so test day feels familiar. For a fuller approach, our PV2 study guide and one-page PV2 cheat sheet are good companions, and you can test your recall with timed questions on the main PV2 practice test site. Working through full-length practice questions under a two-hour clock is the most direct way to check whether you can keep pace across 100 questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

PV2 is best understood as a credential that verifies two things at once: that you have actually built photovoltaic systems, and that you can pass a 100-question written exam covering the design-to-maintenance lifecycle. If that matches the work you do or want to do, begin with the eligibility checklist, map your gaps against the 15 competency headings, and build your preparation from there.