Solar Energy Centre is the institute established in India with a view to encourage research in the field of solar technology as a viable alternate energy system. It is located at the 19th milestone on the Gurgaon-Faridabad road in Haryana state of India, and is established on a gently sloping site covering about 200 acres in a suburban setting, where climate is hot and dry with summer temperatures reaching as high as 47 degrees C. Its aspect of related with solar energy can be very well observed from its building design.
Its building is designed taking into account principles of passive solar design to reduce energy consumption in the building, which is achieved by reducing heat gain in summer, encouraging effective ventilation, natural cooling and effective insulation to prevent heat loss during the winter, thus reducing both heating and cooling costs. A solar evaporative cooling system has also being established for a part of the technical blocks of the Solar Energy Centre, which helps to maintain a lowering of temperature by 2-3ºC in comparison with rooms without RSEC system.
A number of technology demonstration projects have been established by the centre, which includes a 46 KW solar PV power project at the Centre. The center serves as an effective interface between the Government and institutions, industry & user organizations for development, promotion and widespread utilization of solar energy in the country.