Solar's New Dawn: Summit Tackles Post-Credit Era and Trust Issues

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – April 29, 2026 – As the U.S. solar industry confronts a dramatically altered landscape, software leader Aurora Solar has announced its seventh annual virtual summit, Empower 2026, aimed at arming thousands of professionals with strategies for a new era. The free event, scheduled for May 14, arrives at a critical juncture for the industry, which is now navigating a market without the long-standing 25D residential tax credit and grappling with fundamental challenges of consumer cost perception and trust.

The summit's theme, "The New Shape of Solar," directly addresses the seismic shifts underway. With former SEIA President and CEO Abby Hopper delivering the keynote, the event promises to be a pivotal forum for an industry moving beyond a period of incentive-driven growth toward one defined by resilience, strategic financing, and deeper customer engagement.

Navigating a Post-Incentive Landscape

The most significant headwind facing the residential solar market is the expiration of the 30% 25D Residential Clean Energy Credit on December 31, 2025. The termination of this key federal incentive, which was a powerful sales driver for over a decade, has reshaped market dynamics. The industry witnessed a predictable surge in installations through late 2025 as homeowners rushed to qualify, followed by a widely forecasted contraction in demand in early 2026.

This new reality places immense pressure on solar companies to adapt their business models. Empower 2026 is positioned to address this head-on. The opening keynote from Abby Hopper, titled “Working Together to Create a Future of Solar for All,” will focus on how businesses can lead through the current market contraction by diversifying financing, embracing energy storage, and aggressively pursuing soft cost reductions.

"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 — not the one we wish existed."

Confronting 'Cost Shock' and the Trust Deficit

While policy changes present external challenges, new research from Aurora Solar's 2026 Snapshot report reveals that internal industry hurdles are just as significant. The report, compiled with data from market intelligence firm Ohm Analytics, underscores a troubling disconnect between consumer interest and conversion.

According to the data, homeowner interest in solar remains remarkably high at 71 percent. However, the path to adoption is blocked by two major barriers. The first is what Aurora Solar has termed “Cost Shock”—the gap between perceived and actual solar costs—with 44 percent of homeowners stating that solar costs more than they initially expected. The second-largest barrier is a crisis of confidence, with 41 percent of homeowners reporting that it is difficult to determine which solar companies are trustworthy.

"The data is pretty clear — homeowner interest in solar remains strong, but cost perception and trust are the real conversion barriers right now," said Chris Collins, Founder of Ohm Analytics. "Installers who address those two things directly will have a significant advantage this year.”

The summit will feature a dedicated session with Collins to unpack these findings, offering data-driven strategies for installers to build credibility, educate consumers on value, and ultimately close the gap between interest and installation.

The Rise of TPO and Whole-Home Electrification

In response to the shifting financial landscape, the industry is rapidly pivoting its financing strategies. With the upfront cost advantage of the tax credit gone, Third-Party Ownership (TPO) models—such as leases and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)—are emerging as the dominant path forward. The 2026 Aurora Solar Snapshot projects a massive shift, with 65 percent of solar sales professionals anticipating that TPO will account for more than half of their 2026 projects, a significant jump from 44 percent in 2025.

An Empower 2026 session will dive deep into this trend, featuring Troy Roble of Palmetto LightReach and Mike Gilroy of Sungage Financial. They will break down how TPO structures offer homeowners a viable path to solar adoption with little to no upfront cost, a compelling proposition in the post-25D market.

Beyond financing, the summit will explore the strategic expansion from simple panel installation to whole-home electrification. Driven by homeowner concerns over grid reliability—which 53 percent of homeowners say has become less reliable—and the impacts of extreme weather, the demand for integrated systems including battery storage, EV charging, and electrified appliances is growing. A timely session will feature insights from European energy leaders, including Sebastian Blake of Octopus Energy and Toni Werner of Energiekonzepte Deutschland, who will share lessons learned from scaling these integrated solutions across mature markets in the UK and Europe.

Additional sessions will cover the use of artificial intelligence to reduce soft costs, evolving strategies for the Commercial & Industrial (C&I) sector, and Aurora Solar's own product roadmap. Attendees can also earn up to five free North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) continuing education units, making the event a crucial opportunity for professional development. For an industry at a crossroads, the summit offers a playbook for what comes next, focusing on the core tenets that will define the new shape of solar: lower soft costs, smarter financing, diversified offerings, and unwavering customer trust.