The renewable energy hub is being created as part of a wider programme of investment on the site.
It includes plans to bring back into use the once steam-powered winding engine which has not been used for the past six years.
It first operated in 1894 and was used to raise and lower workers, equipment and coal from the surface to the seam below.
The project will be used to train engineering students in mechanical skills which experts say are disappearing fast.
Joanna John from design engineers Max Fordham said installing solar panels on historic structures is not an easy undertaking.
She added: “On older buildings there might be materials that need to be dealt with appropriately or you might need a structural engineer involved to help ascertain whether that roof structure can hold the weight of the solar panels.”
Because of the complexity involved, the most immediate priority will be to build the ground mounted solar-array first with the rooftop panels coming at a later stage.
The museum needs to raise £450,000 to allow the work to go ahead and has launched a crowd-funding appeal.