The centre, based in Cornwall, will open in April and will focus on reducing the cost and increasing the efficiency of solar photovoltaic (PV) products.
Speaking at the launch, energy and climate change minister Greg Barker said: “The coalition’s new Energy Bill is set to revolutionise the investment opportunities in renewables – delivering a fundamental change to the way we generate power in the UK to 2020 and beyond. Solar must be part of that.”
“So there could be no better time for the National Solar Centre to launch, to ensure the industry is in the best place to be an important part of the UK’s energy mix.”