QUESTION: I'd like to buy a solar water heating system for our home since we use a lot of hot water with six people in our family. Does the government sponsor any programs that will help pay the cost for me?ANSWER: Actually, they do. There are federal residential tax credits available that will give you back 30 percent of the purchase cost of a solar water heating system, up to a maximum credit of $2,000. The system must be certified by the national Solar Rating & Certification Corporation or the Florida Solar Energy Center and must be installed by the end of next year.In addition, about half of the states have their own tax credits in addition to the federal ones, and a number of states offer further incentives such as property tax or sales tax exemptions. Visit www.dsireusa.org for complete details on all federal and state incentive and rebate programs. You'll also find a listing of many utility companies around the United States that offer financial assistance programs for these systems.In terms of overall financing, the company you're buying the system from probably has an arrangement with a bank to set up a payment system, and some solar companies even offer their own financing.Ken Sheinkopf is with American Solar Energy Society. Send your questions to askken@ases.org.