A High Wycombe community centre will use sunlight to power the building and support its services thanks to members of an energy co-operative who helped raise more than £20,000 for the project.

New solar panels on the roof of Castlefield Community Centre on Rutland Avenue will harness the power of the sun to generate more than 18,000 kWh of energy per year which is over five times what the average British home uses.

The technology will allow the centre to benefit from reduced energy costs and carbon footprint.

The project is the brainchild of the Low Carbon Chilterns Co-operative (LCCC) and Karima Foundation, which manages the centre. The LCCC is co-operative run by member-volunteers for local community buildings, and the solar roof is its first renewable energy project.

LCCC chairman Mark Brown said the co-operative was looking forward to creating more sun-powered community buildings in the future, saying they would “really benefit everyone”.

He said: “We are delighted to have been given this opportunity at the Castlefield Community Centre.

“This really is a win-win for everyone involved and we look forward to conducting similar projects at other community buildings in the area this year.”