Green is the new black. At least according to designer Michael Keith, who spent a recent Sunday perusing the displays at the Go Green Expo in Manhattan. He says more and more of his clients have been asking him to incorporate eco-friendly elements into their home design projects. The good news, he says, is that, "it's not hard at all. Years ago maybe. But not today."

Although his business is Soho-based, he and his partner Ronald Skrepich recently worked on a renovation out West in which they used reclaimed wood from fallen trees, rather than cutting down standing trees. That's just one of many green choices that are now readily available."There are all different wood samples that are sustainable," he explains. "You've got recycled paper counters. You've got IceStone, a glass and concrete composition. These products are now easy to get."

And getting easier. From what's in your walls to what's on them, these days consumers have plenty of options, mainly because they are demanding them.

"Green means practical, long lasting," says Sarah Beatty, founder and president of Green Depot, which has locations in Brooklyn and the Bowery as well as a dozen or so more along the East Coast. "In building or renovating, that has to be the starting point."

Her company not only offers the materials to go green but also advice on how to do it. "We'll look at the blueprints and demonstrate where they can 'Flip It Green'"-which happens to be the catchy name of the service. And while there are many ways to green your space, she says a big one is making your home as energy efficient as possible-and that depends greatly on proper insulation. "$150.00 of your annual electricity bills leak out of your house," she says, a massive waste of fossil fuels. Rather than use the traditional fiberglass insulation (that pink stuff inside the walls) that Beatty warns contains formaldehyde, the Green Depot offers several alternatives like recycled newspaper and cardboard or even jeans. That's right...jeans. Beatty says Bonded Logic insulation is made of "pre-consumer denim offcuts," or the scraps of denim left over after jeans are made. This blue insulation is green in two ways: it's non-toxic, formaldehyde- and VOC-free, and also made from material that would otherwise have ended up in a landfill. "I never thought I'd be so excited about insulation," Beatty gushes.

But be prepared for sticker shock. Just like designer denim, this stuff will pack a wallop on your wallet. The "Rolls Royce of insulation," as Beatty puts it, is priced roughly 30% higher than traditional fiberglass insulation. But just like that investment in a good pair of jeans, she says this, too, is worth the price, because spending money on green improvements like these will lead to more green in your pocket down the road.

"It becomes an attribute to the resale of the home," she explains. "You want to use materials that will be a selling point; the fact that this house uses safer, very healthy materials is added value."

She says the same idea should be used in choosing paints and cabinets. Avoid particleboard cabinets, she says, which also contain formaldehyde, and choose VOC-free paints, which now come in an increasing array of shades. "Green can be Birkenstock and beige if you want," she laughs, "but now it's every color of the rainbow."

Claudette Bennett works at the Home Depot in Bed-Stuy, and manned the company's booth at the Go Green Expo. Having recently moved, she says she wanted to green her new place. "I changed out every single light bulb with energy saving bulbs" she begins, and then coated her walls with The Freshaire Choice paint, part of Home Depot's Eco Options brand.

"I used less paint because this covered more. My contractor liked it because it was less work for him. And it didn't smell," she adds. "Plus the color is great."

Marc Machlovitz was at a nearby booth touting the Sherwin Williams Harmony line. He says the product is green-inside and out. Not only is it VOC-free, the can is made of 100% recycled material and the ink used in the label is soy-based.

A trip to any home improvement store on Staten Island to pick up some of this new paint and a few CFL bulbs will likely cost you no more than a couple hundred dollars. But if you're looking to go beyond green, the sky is the limit. Or in this case, the sun.

Nothing says "Reduce my carbon footprint" like a little solar power, which sounds like a major renovation, but according to Anthony Conklin of Mercury Solar Systems, it only takes a few days to install. His company is based in New Rochelle, but does installations all across the city, including a few in Staten Island. "From what we've seen, Staten Island is a good candidate," he says. "Some tree issues, but we're definitely seeing a big groundswell in the five boroughs."

The technology has been streamlined, he says, so that the residential panels are now made to look like high-end black skylights. Install them on the south side of your pitched roof and you're in business.

"During the day, you draw power from the solar system before the main grid," Conklin explains. "As you produce more than you need, it pushes it onto the grid where it can be used after hours." This means that even after the sun goes down, your home can still run on rays of sunshine captured during the day.

When it comes to converting to solar, many homeowners get caught up on the cost, which Conklin says is typically about $36,000 per home in the five boroughs. But he adds with a bright smile, "That's not what the customer pays."

He then launches into a series of rebates and credits-federal, state, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)-which chip away at the price like an auctioneer in reverse until eventually he's got it down to a net cost of a few thousand bucks. With an average savings of about $1,000 a year on your electrical bill, he beams, "the system pays for itself in three years."

Plus he says, it increases the value of your home (a recurring theme, it seems). He estimates that every dollar saved through renewable energy adds a $20 value to your property. And since the energy created by that solar powered system for one year is equal to 7,000 tons of carbon dioxide not being emitted into the air, he says it's no wonder his company is working 6-7 days a week installing systems.

"The President is behind it. Bloomberg is pro-green," he explains. "It's the wave of the future. It's not only about saving money but doing the right thing for the environment."

Kermit the Frog once famously said, "it's not easy being green." But judging from the number of companies and products on display at the Go Green Expo and various Earth Day events throughout the month of April, the sentiment behind his song might be a little outdated, along with the perception of price.

"There was a fallacy about green being too expensive," Beatty says, emphatically adding, "Not true. There's a range. Green has become a much more broad collection of unique products."

Designer Michael Keith admits that "It might be a little more expensive," but says prices have definitely decreased as consumer demand increased. "Ten years ago it was 30% to 40% more expensive. Now, its maybe 10%, and in a lot of cases, not at all." And keep in mind that  you don't have to jump into the big green sea all at once. "You don't have to go 100%," assures Skrepich, Vice President of Michael Keith Design. "Even if you go 30% or 50%, you are still helping the earth and your bodies."

Beatty agrees. "Don't hold yourself to impossible goals," she advises. "Just like a diet-incremental steps to positive changes." Changes that she says will one day be the norm.

"In ten years," she predicts, "there will be no such thing as green building. Building will just be green."