May 8, 2021
ROLLA, Mo. — Missouri University of Science and Technology’s Solar House Design Team recently earned a second-place finish in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon Design Challenge. Missouri S&T’s house, named the Freedom to Live Independently, Green Housing for Tomorrow (FLIGHT) Home, earned second place in the Suburban Single-Family Housing Division. Seventy-two teams from 12 countries competed by designing energy-efficient homes that were presented virtually to energy and construction industry experts. The team includes Thomas Bleakney of Lisbon, a junior majoring in business and management systems. The team said the FLIGHT home represents a net-zero, single-family housing project that combines an environmentally friendly design with technology to grant veterans who have lost lower limbs full mobility in their daily activities. The design includes systems that aim to make cooking, using the restroom and getting dressed easier.