Tour 'Home of the Future,' on display at Vancouver's Olympics

If "home of the future" makes you think of some spaceship-like vessel, think again. A more conventional version is now on display in Vancouver during the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

It's not all status quo, though, as the above virtual tour shows.  The "Home of the Future," part of the Olympic Pavilion, was built using recycled shipping containers that are wrapped in cedar cladding and pine beetle wood.

It showcases the latest in home conservation: solar panels, a hybrid hot water heater, General Electric's smart appliances, an electric vehicle charging station, a home energy management system that lets you set lights to go on and off at certain times and a digital smart meter to monitor and reduce energy usage.

Outside is a green living wall by Green Living Technologies, a company based in Rochester, N.Y., that's been building projects worldwide. The wall reduces storm water runoff, filters air pollutants, absorbs carbon dioxide, insulates the home and also provides shade.

The home was built by BC Hydro, the official supplier of electricity to the 2010 Winter Games. It will be on display until March 21, when the Paralympics end.

"We haven't decided where the home will go after the Games, but we would like to ensure that it is kept in tact and that goes to an organization that shares the same values as us around sustainability and conservation," BC Hydro's Simi Heer tells USA TODAY.

 Source: usatoday.com