This year's Innovation Pipeline at West Coast Green was relatively small.  In part this may reflect the state of the economy, which has lead to decreased investments in new building technologies.  Despite that, there are a few interesting technologies that have been brought to market recently or will hopefully be available soon.  Here's a look at several products that may just change the future of this industry. 

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If you're reading this and you live somewhere in the area of 118 Areys Lane, Orleans, Massachusetts, you should go check out a house that we previously mentioned.  You remember the Modern Lake House?  The home was designed by Zero Energy Design and built by Cape Associates.  With the red and orange exterior, it looks a touch loud, but it's still a stunner.  What do you think?  ZED will be on site today from 10 am to 4 pm, Saturday, October 3, 2009. 

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• Heroes of the environment 2009.
• The economics of sustainable buildings.
• Cities can learn from comparing their carbon footprints.
• Cities weigh green features versus expense in new buildings.
• Sacramento opens one of nation's longest green streets.
• Green building: it's not just a trend any more.
• Study pushes net-zero solar homes in Texas.
• San Francisco tilts toward wind power.
• 10 myths about being green at home.
• LEED – the verdict.

Also, follow @jetsongreen on Twitter for more news, links, and commentary.

Today at West Coast Green 2009, Green Horizon showcased their new SFH40 on-demand housing, and it's an impressive unit.  Designed to be a self-sustaining home for a family of four, it can be shipped anywhere in the world in a standard shipping container and set up in less than two hours by unskilled people.  Each unit has two bedrooms with built in furniture, a bathroom, and a kitchen area.  But it's also designed to be a self-sustaining shelter in the aftermath of a disaster when infrastructure may be damaged, so it includes solar panels and batteries, a bio-diesel generator as backup, and water purification equipment.  Units can be interconnected to share power and water.

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Earlier this year, the OC Register highlighted one company's efforts to transform unused warehouse space in Santa Ana, California.  Orange County based Marketing Via Postal Group, Inc. needed offices for their new warehouse and decided to reuse 10 twenty-foot shipping containers as offices and a kitchen.  MVP's employees did the work and the container spaces now have porthole windows, office furniture, plants, and bathrooms/sinks. 

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