Do you wonder what the future holds for you and your family? BC Hydro, GE and Chevrolet will provide some answers when they showcase the future of sustainable living during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
The organizations have partnered to create a futuristic green home featuring existing and emerging conservation-enabling technologies including GE Profile "Smart" appliances and the Chevrolet Volt – GM's extended-range electric vehicle coming in 2011.
Get Google Map directions to the Power Smart Village
The Home of the Future featuring GE Profile "Smart" Appliances will be a part of the Power Smart Village – BC Hydro's sustainability-focused celebration site in downtown Vancouver that will be open to the public each day of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
"British Columbia is a leader in clean energy and conservation and we can proudly showcase our commitment to sustainability to the world during the 2010 Winter Games," said Blair Lekstrom, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.
"We are working to create a conservation culture in B.C and the Home of the Future will help make sustainable living real," said Beverly Van Ruyven, acting BC Hydro president and CEO. "With the help and innovation of our partners – GE and Chevrolet – we can show British Columbians how choosing conservation-friendly products, making simple changes in behaviour and adopting new technologies can combine to make a difference right now."
GE Profile plans to demonstrate how "Smart" appliances and energy management technologies work. These products can enable consumers to manage their costs and energy consumption while helping to reduce demand during peak times and allowing consumers save on energy bills.
"I think GE Profile 'Smart' appliances will usher in another revolution, a revolution in which these appliances will enable us to use energy more wisely and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said James Campbell, GE Appliance & Lighting president and CEO. "As residential energy use continues to increase, GE can provide consumers a solution that will give them control over their energy usage with little or no disruption to their lifestyles."
The home will feature smart metering technology which will allow customers to choose to monitor and control their energy use. In addition, a home energy management system can act as a central nervous system for monitoring resource use and energy consumption within the home. The system can provide both real-time and long-term information on consumption and generation.
There will be two Chevrolet Volt electric vehicles in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Games. The cars, which plug into standard 110 or 240 volt outlets, will recharge at the Home of the Future and provide a glimpse into the future of transportation.
"The electrification of transportation will allow British Columbians to remove petroleum and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their daily transportation routine," said Arturo Elias, president of GM Canada. "When using British Columbia clean electricity, the Chevrolet Volt will produce less than four per cent of the greenhouse gases emitted by today's cleanest hybrids and provide a reliable, environmentally-friendly transportation solution."
The Home of the Future is being constructed from two recycled steel shipping containers and also features other sustainable-living elements including vertical gardens on the exterior walls, high efficiency windows, solar panels, recycled pine-beetle wood and energy efficient LED and compact fluorescent lighting.
The Home of the Future featuring GE Profile "Smart" Appliances and the Power Smart Village will open on Feb. 10 and close on March 21, 2010.
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