Chic energy goes green, keeps green in wallet

Geothermal to wind to solar, alternative sources gain glamour, efficiency

Is green the new black?

More than 1 million U.S. households now warm their homes in the winter with heat from the Earth instead of using furnaces or fuel lines. Elton John, Richard Branson

Even President Bush has a geothermal system in his vacation home in Crawford, Texas. Designed by architect David Heymann, Prairie Chapel Ranch captures solar energy and has a cistern that gathers rainwater and wastewater, purifies it, then uses it to irrigate the greenery around the presidential getaway.

Reducing the size of your carbon footprint and increasing the number of renewable energy systems you use is becoming something to brag about. From geothermal systems to wind turbines to solar panels, going green is starting to get glamorous, as well as being politically correct, of course, and simply forward-thinking. And as renewable and conservationist technologies are becoming economically competitive with traditional fuels, several alternative energy companies have seen demand skyrocket in 2006.

Business Week