A new £5 million project is set to boost research, training and industry partnerships in the solar sector.

The Supersolar hub aims to create a standards lab for solar energy devices, a training programme for the sector and an inclusive solar community which links research carried out in universities and industry.

The hub is expected to help in generating a low carbon economy in the country.

Professor David Delpy, Chief Executive of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, which is funding the research said: “The Supersolar research hub will bring together the UK solar energy research community to address the key research challenges facing the development of the next generation of solar technologies. Scientific research into all forms of low carbon energy generation is essential if we are to reduce carbon emissions and avert dangerous climate change.”

The research is being led by a professor from Loughborough University’s Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology (CREST).