{"id":18587,"date":"2026-04-28T17:54:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T17:54:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aurorasolar.com\/?post_type=news&p=18587"},"modified":"2026-04-28T22:58:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T22:58:58","slug":"aurora-solar-empower-2026","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/aurorasolar.com\/news\/aurora-solar-empower-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Aurora Solar Announces Empower 2026: Free Virtual Summit on May 14 to Help Solar Professionals Navigate the New Shape of Solar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n


<\/em>Former SEIA CEO Abby Hopper, Octopus Energy, Palmetto LightReach, Ohm Analytics and more headline a full day of expert sessions \u2014 free to attend, with up to five NABCEP CEUs available<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

April 29, 2026 \u2013 SAN FRANCISCO<\/strong> \u2013 Aurora Solar<\/a>, the leading platform for solar sales and design used by more than 7,000 organizations to design over 20 million solar projects globally, today announced Empower 2026, its seventh annual free virtual summit for solar professionals. The event draws more than 5,000 solar professionals each year and features keynote speaker Abby Hopper, former President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), alongside experts from Palmetto LightReach, Octopus Energy, Ohm Analytics, and more. Registration is free and open now \u2014 the summit takes place May 14 at aurorasolar.com\/empower-2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WHAT: <\/strong>Empower 2026 \u2014 Aurora Solar’s seventh annual free virtual summit for solar professionals
WHEN: <\/strong>May 14, 2026, 9:00 AM PDT \/ 12:00 PM EDT
WHERE: <\/strong>Virtual \u2014 free and open to all solar professionals
REGISTER: <\/strong>aurorasolar.com\/empower-2026<\/a> 
CEUs: <\/strong>Up to 5 free NABCEP CEUs available (PVTS and PVDS tracks)
SPEAKERS: <\/strong>Abby Hopper, former President & CEO, Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA); Chris Collins (Ohm Analytics); Troy Roble (Palmetto LightReach); Sebastian Blake (Octopus Energy); Toni Werner (Energiekonzepte Deutschland), Mike Gilroy (Sungage Financial), and more.
TOPICS: <\/strong>Solar financing and TPO; whole-home electrification; homeowner market data; AI and soft cost reduction; C&I strategy; Aurora Solar product roadmap.
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Empower 2026 is designed for a solar industry in transition. This year’s summit theme, “The New Shape of Solar<\/a>“, comes at a pivotal moment: the 25D residential tax credit for cash and loan purchases expired, and the companies that will lead the next decade of solar growth are those actively adapting today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New research from Aurora Solar underscores the urgency. The 2026 Aurora Solar Snapshot \u2014 Aurora Solar’s annual survey of U.S. homeowner and installer sentiment \u2014 finds that 71 percent of homeowners say they have at least some interest in solar, yet 44 percent say it costs more than they initially expected, a barrier Aurora Solar calls \u201cCost Shock.\u201d At the same time, 41 percent of homeowners say it is difficult to determine which solar companies are trustworthy \u2014 the second-largest barrier to adoption after cost. The full 2026 Aurora Solar Snapshot is available at https:\/\/aurorasolar.com\/aurora-solar-snapshot\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The solar industry is at an inflection point, and the professionals who show up, adapt, and invest in getting better are the ones who will lead what comes next,” said Chris Hopper, co-founder of Aurora Solar. “Empower 2026 is built around the market solar professionals are actually in \u2014 not the one we wish existed. The new shape of solar is defined by lower soft costs, smarter financing, diversified offerings, and customer trust. That is the playbook for this moment.”
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Sessions: What attendees will learn<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Empower 2026 features seven sessions spanning the topics most critical to solar professionals right now:<\/p>\n\n\n\n