Bridges Community Centre in Monmouth has been held up as an 'exemplar' model of a sustainable community energy project by the Welsh Shadow Minister for the Environment and Sustainability.

Russell George AM was guided around the centre by the chair of Transition Monmouth, Hayden Cullen-Jones, and by Phil Powell, a technical engineer from Gwent Energy, a community interest company who have been instrumental in funding and installed 40 PV solar panels on the roof of the centre.

Energy saving at Bridges has been in partnership with Transition Monmouth, a local voluntary group set up as part of the Transition movement, aiming to create local pathways to a low carbon future.

Transition Monmouth has also been mentoring a number of young people involved to help Bridges become a more sustainable community centre.

Mr George, who is also the Assembly Member for Montgomeryshire, was shown plans of other renewable energy schemes in the county including a hydro energy scheme in Tintern and a community solar farm in Newcastle.

Mr George said: "In order to fully undertake my role as Shadow Environment Minister, it is important that I get out of what may perceive to be the 'Cardiff Bay Bubble' and see what good work is happening on the ground in other parts of Wales; that is the fundamental purpose of my visit to Monmouthshire.

"Bridges Community Centre has been working hard to reduce its carbon footprint and support energy saving in the surrounding community.

"Through the excellent support of the Transition Network and Gwent Energy, they have achieved significant reductions and made real cost savings.

Phil Powell, director of Gwent Energy CIC, chose Bridges as an exemplar project and the venue for the meeting.

Gwent Energy both installed and helped arrange the financial package for the 10 kilowatt array at Bridges which was installed in December 2011 and hence attracted the full Feed in Tariff.

In the first year, it has generated over eight megawatt hours of electricity which attracted over £3,000 of feed-in Tariff income and saved more than £800 off the centre's electricity bill.

Both Transitioners expressed concern that the Whitehall Green Deal package was not going to attract a big take up as financial benefits were not clear in a fluctuating energy market.

They urged Mr George to lobby the Welsh Government to spend more on doing things rather than studying or consulting on them.

If upfront costs were underwritten, many more community groups and small businesses would take energy saving measures, they said.