A VILLAGE outside Abergavenny is set to become the latest community to catch the green energy bug.

If plans get the go ahead by Monmouthshire Council, the southern side of Pandy Village Hall’s roof could be covered in solar-energy powered photovoltaic panels.

The scheme, headed up by the Crucorney Energy Group, could see as much as £3,000 earned for the community every year by selling back electricity to the national grid.

Group chairman Andrew Erskin said the plan could involve the installation of 42 panels on one side of the roof.

They could generate 9.66 kilowatts of electricity at its peak, enough to power 10 homes and save seven tonnes of carbon dioxide that would have otherwise been emitted by burning fossil fuels.

A total of £38,000 is needed to build the scheme, and to raise the cash the group is making grant applications with Monmouthshire Council and electrical power company E.ON.

Money earned by the solar panels could be ploughed back into the community or spent on future energy saving schemes, although Mr Erskin said there is no definite plan for how it could be spent.

"The village hall is ideal," said Mr Erskin. "The roof is south facing and at 38 degrees, and there is no shadow coming over the village."

This means the sun could potentially generate power at the site all day long, he said.

The Crucorney Energy Group works to reduce the environmental impact of the Crucorney area through a range of schemes, including community electricity generation.

It is part of a Brecon Beacon’s wide initiative called The Green Valleys, which supports community groups installing their own micro-generation power stations.