NEW YORK — Jillian Lung says she’s no environmentalist. Still, she couldn’t pass up a chance to install a carpet of solar panels atop her co-op in Queens. ‘At these prices, why not?’ Lung said. The government has plowed so much cash into the solar industry that it’s effectively pulled the luxury tag off of home solar systems. Combined with local incentives, buyers can save up to 90 percent on a system, whether it’s for a single-family home or a 75-unit condo in the city. Thousands of homeowners are finding they can pay off a rooftop solar system in just a few years and then start pocketing the energy savings. Lung, the co-op president, stumbled into solar subsidy programs last year as she priced out roof repairs. City, state and federal incentives covered nearly three-quarters of the tab for a $394,514 solar system. The building flipped the switch on in July and already cut last month’s electric bill in half. ‘This was just icing on the cake,’ Lung said. ‘We had to change the roof anyway.’ Solar power has been getting cheaper for years. Panel prices declined 31 percent from 1998 to 2008 […]