Opened in 1978, the design was motivated by the 1973 energy crisis and was the nation’s first underground solar heated school. The name of the school also reflects its design as Terraset means “set in the earth.” FCPS sought a grant from the  National Science Foundation but ultimately funding to install the solar paneling was provided by Fahd Ibn 'Abd al-Aziz Al-Saud, then crown prince of Saudi Arabia and later the king. He even attended the school’s dedication. The solar panels were later removed when they became damaged by Virginia’s seasonal changes in temperature.