<prompt> Human: My wife and I bought our house in 2015 and the payments are around 20 of our income. Things are going well but Im looking into ways to save money in the long-term and build value. I know that solar tax credits are set to lower in 2019 so Im thinking that I need to act on it. The problem is that I have no idea what plan to do or how to best maximize value. Anyone out there with help?  <response>: Hey, Ive worked in the solar industry for a long time now and a lot of things have changed. I would suggest not doing any kind of lease or PPA power purchase agreement. The best thing you can do is pay cash or get a loan with a low interest rate. You can do the math yourself but usually youll come out ahead when you actually own the system.Dont go with any big name companies, I suggest smaller local companies. They can offer you a better price because they dont have to do any advertising.The cheapest system you can get is about 2.80 per watt of DC power name plate rating. The industry would like to reduce the cost to 1.40 but realistically that could take a while. The cost of PV modules has dropped significantly and I dont think it can drop anymore. There is currently a shortage on the market and the price might even go up due to the Sunniva and SolarWorld lawsuit. The cost realistically can only be reduced by reducing cost of customer acquisition and cost of labor. If you want to go super cheap you could pick up PV modules that no longer have warranty due to module companies going bankrupt. Standard PV modules run for about 50 cents per watt if youre not buying the premium stuff. I bet you could get stuff for much cheaper if youre not concerned about warranty. Anyways, shoot for 2.80 to 3.00 per watt in cost before any tax credits. I have given all this advice under the assumption you actually consume enough electricity to make solar worth while. 