A dedicated National Solar Centre is to be launched early next year to help drive the UK PV industry towards the 22GW capacity target anticipated by government.

The centre has secured a £1.1 million grant from the European Regional Development Fund, and the Building Research Establishment (BRE), which is overseeing the project, is now looking for staff to run it.

The £1.1 million NSC will be based in new-build offices in St Austell, Cornwall, one of the UK’s leading solar regions.

BRE wants the centre to function as a ‘voice’ for the UK solar industry, providing best practice advice on solar development and giving investors confidence in developing projects in the UK.

The NSC will also provide the industry with analysis of generation data drawn from existing solar installations and develop guidance on the construction and integration of large-scale systems.

The centre is due to launch at a London event on January 16, with a keynote address by Energy Minister Greg Barker. It will officially open for business next April.

Further information on the job vacancies at the NSC is available here.