A well-known Totnesian community hub has just held the official launch of its solar installation.

An array of 77 solar panels have been installed on the roof of Totnes Library and have been producing electricity since mid-October last year.

The library is part of the Mansion which, in addition to the library is used by Rainbow Nursery and a number of local organisations.

Aside from the 40 regular volunteers, most of them quite elderly, there is the Solar Squad who have been working in this project.

The hope is the panels will generate around 25 per cent of the power used overall saving around £7,000 a year.

Manager Jackie Minton said: “We went out into the community and asked people to donate.

“We had the Tottenham Cinema, The Bull, an insurance company, lots of different organisations and community groups within the Mansion have donated as well- our pottery studio, the Mansion Art group. “These people each donated over £450 and so they received a commemorative plaque.”

Within nine months the community had raised over £32,500, which pays for 77 panels to go up on the roof.

“Bloom Renewables have been absolutely immense in getting this sorted for us, they looked into how to get it connected to the grid which was really quite tricky to begin with,” added Ms Minton.

The system has been up and running since mid-October and is thought to have saved over £500 so far with projected savings of £7,000 a year, which would be around a quarter of their annual bill, most of which will be produced over the summer.

The actual building called the Mansion, was once a school and the library and nursery buildings were built at the back.

Ms Minton said: “The flat roof is perfect for it with a really open array, so 77 panels fit on it perfectly

It’s easy to clean and just keep the seagulls off it.”