History
The goal of the 2002 Missouri S&T Solar House Design Team was to create a home that consumers would find comfortable and familiar. They didn’t want to “scare” consumers away from a solar powered home by making it appear to be a “futuristic” design. They went with a traditional ranch style home which was transported in three sections to the 2002 Solar Decathlon Build Challenge.
The home contains a sunroom, which holds all the controls for the house and its most celebrated feature: floor tiles that absorb heat during the day and radiate it at night to heat the home. This team chose solar panels with Missouri in mind. They chose Monocrystalline panels to provide more energy under variable weather conditions. All of the cabinetry, shelving, the deck, and the framework of the home was built by the 2002 MS&T Solar House Design Team.
Fun Fact: The original color of this home was blue, but once it was transported to be a part of Missouri S&T’s solar village, the color was changed to tan. The blue picture below was in 2002. The tan picture on the right was from 2024!
Learn more about the 2002 MS&T’s DOE’s Solar Decathlon submission at Missouri S&T | Solar Decathlon 2002!
The Team
This project allowed for a special collaboration – Missouri S&T (UMR at the time) collaborated with high school and adult building trade students from the Rolla Technical Institute (RTI)! The collaboration brought unique features to this home, but more importantly – this project brought the community together and allowed for a new learning experience.
Photos
