Certified Thermal Electrician™
Standards Alignment & Scope Statement
1. Purpose
This statement describes how the Certified Thermal Electrician™ (CTE™) program relates to recognized electrical maintenance, electrical safety, thermography, and personnel-qualification frameworks.
CTE™ is a specialized electrical thermography training and certification program developed by Electrical Code Academy, Inc. for electrical professionals. Its curriculum addresses infrared measurement principles, electrical-system behavior, operating load, electrical safety, comparison methodology, reporting, and the practical application of thermography to electrical equipment.
This statement documents curriculum alignment and subject-matter relationship. It does not represent CTE™ as an ASNT certification, ISO certification, NFPA certification, or automatic substitute for an employer's personnel-qualification program.
2. Current Reference Standards and Frameworks
| Reference | Scope of Relevance | Relationship to CTE™ |
|---|---|---|
| Reference NFPA 70B (2026) | Scope of Relevance Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance. Establishes requirements for electrical maintenance programs and includes infrared thermography within the electrical maintenance framework. | Relationship to CTE™ CTE™ teaches electrical thermography within the broader electrical maintenance context, including equipment condition, operating conditions, documentation, measurement quality, and follow-up recommendations. |
| Reference NFPA 70E (2027) | Scope of Relevance Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace. Addresses electrical safety-related work practices and qualification for tasks involving electrical hazards. | Relationship to CTE™ CTE™ incorporates electrical-safety concepts applicable to thermographic inspections. CTE™ training does not replace the employer's responsibility to establish task-specific qualification, safety training, work practices, risk assessments, PPE requirements, and authorization. |
| Reference ANSI/NETA MTS-2023 | Scope of Relevance Standard for Maintenance Testing Specifications for Electrical Power Equipment and Systems. Provides maintenance-testing criteria and thermographic suggested-action criteria used within electrical power maintenance programs. | Relationship to CTE™ CTE™ uses the applicable ANSI/NETA thermographic comparison framework when teaching temperature-difference classification and suggested-action tiers. CTE™ colors are only a visual teaching aid mapped to the applicable technical result. |
| Reference ASNT Recommended Practice No. SNT-TC-1A (2024) | Scope of Relevance Provides recommendations employers can use in developing a written practice for training, qualification, and employer-based certification of nondestructive testing personnel. | Relationship to CTE™ CTE™ includes training in infrared theory, camera operation, measurement variables, inspection technique, electrical applications, and reporting that overlaps with subject areas relevant to infrared thermography training. Completion of CTE™ does not by itself constitute ASNT certification or employer certification under SNT-TC-1A. |
| Reference ISO 18436-7:2014 | Scope of Relevance Specifies requirements for qualification and assessment of personnel performing machinery condition monitoring and diagnostics using infrared thermography. The standard uses a three-category classification program. | Relationship to CTE™ CTE™ addresses several overlapping thermography fundamentals, including heat transfer, radiation, camera operation, measurement parameters, analysis, and reporting. CTE™ is not represented as certification to ISO 18436-7 unless the applicable ISO qualification and assessment requirements are independently satisfied. |
3. Curriculum & Competency Relationship
The following table identifies areas where CTE™ coursework overlaps with commonly recognized thermography competency subjects. It is not intended to declare automatic equivalency with an ASNT or ISO personnel-certification program.
| Competency Area | Relevant Thermography Subject | CTE™ Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Competency Area Infrared Theory & Heat Transfer | Relevant Thermography Subject Radiation, conduction, convection, thermal patterns, and basic heat-transfer principles. | CTE™ Coverage Electrical heating principles, I²R heating, conductor behavior, connection resistance, load effects, and electrical thermal patterns. |
| Competency Area Camera Operation & Measurement | Relevant Thermography Subject Focus, temperature range, emissivity, reflected apparent temperature, spatial resolution, distance, and measurement geometry. | CTE™ Coverage Radiometric camera operation, emissivity, reflected apparent temperature, IFOV/MFOV, distance, target resolution, viewing angle, focus, environmental conditions, and measurement limitations. |
| Competency Area Electrical Application | Relevant Thermography Subject Application-specific interpretation and understanding of the system being inspected. | CTE™ Coverage Panelboards, switchgear, transformers, conductors, terminations, circuit breakers, motors, distribution equipment, loading, equipment ratings, and electrical-system behavior. |
| Competency Area Comparison Methodology | Relevant Thermography Subject Establishing meaningful reference conditions before evaluating temperature differences. | CTE™ Coverage Similar-component comparison under comparable loading, component-to-ambient comparison, calculation of ΔT, and application of the applicable ANSI/NETA suggested-action criteria. |
| Competency Area Safety Practices | Relevant Thermography Subject Hazard recognition, safe inspection procedures, and limitations associated with energized equipment. | CTE™ Coverage Electrical safety principles, NFPA 70E concepts, approach boundaries, arc-flash and shock considerations, IR windows, equipment access, and task-specific safety decision-making. |
| Competency Area Reporting & Documentation | Relevant Thermography Subject Recording inspection conditions, measurements, observations, limitations, and recommendations. | CTE™ Coverage Equipment identification, thermal and visual images, load conditions, measurement parameters, reference temperatures, ΔT, comparison method, applicable action tier, limitations, and professional recommendations. |
4. Important Distinction: Training, Qualification & Certification
The terms training, qualification, and certification should not be treated as interchangeable.
The CTE™ credential certifies successful completion of the requirements established by Electrical Code Academy, Inc. for the Certified Thermal Electrician™ program.
Where an employer operates under an ASNT SNT-TC-1A-based written practice, that employer remains responsible for determining and documenting the training, experience, examinations, practical evaluations, and other requirements necessary for employer-based NDT certification.
Likewise, ISO 18436-7 establishes its own qualification and assessment framework. CTE™ completion should not be represented as ISO 18436-7 certification unless the requirements of the applicable ISO certification or conformity-assessment process have separately been satisfied.
5. NFPA Qualified-Person Status
NFPA electrical-safety qualification is based on the individual's demonstrated skills and knowledge related to the construction and operation of electrical equipment and installations, together with the safety training necessary to identify electrical hazards and reduce the associated risk.
Qualification is therefore task-specific and equipment-specific. A person may be qualified for one task or equipment type and not qualified for another.
The CTE™ program can provide specialized thermography knowledge and safety education that contributes to an individual's overall competency. However, the CTE™ credential alone does not automatically establish NFPA 70E qualified-person status for every thermographic inspection or energized electrical task.
The employer or facility remains responsible for determining that personnel have the appropriate electrical knowledge, task-specific skills, hazard awareness, work-practice training, PPE knowledge, and authorization required for the work performed.
6. Instructor Qualifications
CTE™ courses are developed and instructed by Paul Abernathy, an experienced Master Electrician, electrical code educator, and NFPA NEC technical committee participant.
His electrical background provides specialized subject-matter expertise in the application of infrared thermography to electrical systems.
Those electrical credentials should not be represented as equivalent to ASNT NDT Level III certification unless the applicable ASNT Level III credential has separately been earned.
7. CTE™ Certification Scope
Graduates of the Certified Thermal Electrician™ program have completed specialized training and assessment in the application of infrared thermography to electrical systems, including equipment such as:
- Panelboards, switchboards, switchgear, and motor control centers
- Transformers, bus connections, and terminations
- Conductors and cables
- Circuit breakers and disconnecting means
- Motors, drives, and related electrical equipment
Whether a particular graduate is authorized or qualified to inspect specific equipment while energized depends on that individual's electrical background, licensing where applicable, employer or facility requirements, equipment knowledge, task-specific safety training, and the actual hazards involved.
8. Technical Framework Used by CTE™
CTE™ does not use its color system as an independent thermography standard. The technical comparison must be established first.
Where ANSI/NETA MTS suggested-action criteria are being used, CTE™ applies the applicable comparison framework and then uses colors only as a visual teaching and reporting aid.
Similar Components Under Similar Loading
- 1–3°C ΔT: Possible deficiency — warrants investigation.
- 4–15°C ΔT: Probable deficiency — repair as time permits.
- Greater than 15°C ΔT: Major discrepancy — repair immediately.
These tiers visually map within CTE™ to Green, Yellow, and Red. There is no Orange tier for this comparison method.
Component-to-Ambient
- 1–10°C ΔT: Possible deficiency — warrants investigation.
- 11–20°C ΔT: Probable deficiency — repair as time permits.
- 21–40°C ΔT: Monitor until corrective measures can be accomplished.
- Greater than 40°C ΔT: Major discrepancy — repair immediately.
These tiers visually map within CTE™ to Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red.
Celsius values control the technical comparison. Fahrenheit can be shown as a converted ΔT convenience but is not treated as an independent severity scale.
9. Conclusion
The Certified Thermal Electrician™ credential is a specialized electrical-thermography training credential developed specifically for electrical professionals.
Its curriculum:
- Addresses infrared measurement fundamentals and electrical thermography applications.
- Incorporates the NFPA 70B electrical maintenance framework.
- Incorporates NFPA 70E electrical safety concepts while recognizing that task-specific qualification remains an employer or facility responsibility.
- Uses applicable ANSI/NETA MTS suggested-action criteria as the technical foundation for thermographic ΔT classification.
- Covers subject matter that overlaps with portions of ASNT SNT-TC-1A and ISO 18436-7 thermography competency frameworks.
- Does not claim to replace separate ASNT, ISO, NFPA, employer, licensing, or facility qualification requirements.
CTE™ is therefore best described as a specialized electrical thermography credential with documented alignment to relevant industry standards and practices—not as a self-declared equivalent to an independent third-party certification.
