When Missouri S&T started competiting in the Solar Decathalon in 2000, the Solar House Design team was started to build efficient homes to reduce the energy consumption without families sacrificing comfort. However after building the home the question remained: What to do with the homes after the competition? The answer became to build the Solar Village. After each house competited in their respective year, the team brought back the house to be permanently place at the Solar Village.  

By bringing back the homes allowed students to live in the homes and showcase how it would be like living in a sustainabile solar house. Another benefit is that it allowed research to be done on solar homes and help understand how these homes can help reduce our energy consumption. 

Today the Solar Village homes are connected via the Microgrid (will link to page) allowing further research opportunities. Students who live in these homes are selected among the Solar House Team (will link here as well) leadership to give a reward to those who have helped make the homes every two years.