Federal tax credits for residential solar reduces your cost by 30%. Consumers who install solar energy systems (including solar water heating and solar electric systems), small wind systems, geothermal heat pumps, and residential fuel cell and microturbine systems can receive a 30% tax credit for systems placed in service before December 31, 2016; the previous tax credit cap no longer applies. more info...
Solar Renewable Energy Credits(SREC) play a huge role in making solar economical. SREC's are tradable credits that represent all the clean energy benefits of electricity generated from a solar electric system. Each time your solar electric system generates 1000kWh (1MWh) of electricity, an SREC is issued which can then be sold or traded separately from the power. As a solar producing homeowner, you create an SREC each time your solar array produces one megawatt-hour (MWh). With an SREC valued at $200, a typical home owner would receive about $150 a month, or $54,000 dollars over the 30 year minumum life of the system. more info...
Combining the federal tax credits with SREC's and the reduced or eliminated electric bill, solar makes dollars and sense--not to mention protects our priceless environment.