U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer has called for an extension of the 30-percent federal solar investment tax credit for homeowners and businesses, which is set to expire in 2016. Also, currently, the federal solar tax credit is not guaranteed until the project is finished, although Schumer is pushing for residents to receive the tax credit as soon as the project begins. New York offers its own tax credit worth 25 percent of the cost of the installation, for a maximum of $5,000, for residential projects. Learn more here.