⚡ Growing GM's Community Energy Network, Retrofit Site Visits & Getting Winter Ready

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Subject: ⚡ Growing GM's Community Energy Network, Retrofit Site Visits & Getting Winter Ready

Hi Friend,

Welcome to the autumn edition of the Carbon Co-op members' newsletter!

As the autumn chill sets in across Greater Manchester, and we inevitably start reaching for the thermostat, our focus is naturally turning toward keeping our homes warm and our local energy projects thriving.

This month is all about getting hands-on, whether that means tracking down hidden draughts before winter truly bites, getting a rare behind-the-scenes look at a deep retrofit in progress, or collaborating with peers to build local, democratic energy projects.

Dive in to see what we have been up to and how you can get involved!

💡Check out the Greater Manchester Community Energy Network!

A collage of pictures from our community energy network with the text: Greater Manchester Community Energy: Supporting groups and communities to power our places

Whether you are looking to scale an established community energy organisation or just taking the first steps to form a local group, the Greater Manchester Community Energy Network is your dedicated space to collaborate.

We are bringing together seasoned community energy practitioners, industry professionals, and enthusiastic volunteers to share resources, tackle shared challenges, and build local, democratically owned energy projects. A core part of this network is our regular Fuelling Manchester sessions.

These meetups are heavily rooted in peer learning. For established groups, they provide a vital forum to share hard-won experiences on project delivery and swap strategies for navigating major applications, like the GBE Community Fund. For those newer to the sector, it is an invaluable opportunity to learn directly from peers who have been there and done it.

We are currently planning our next online session for later this month. To ensure you receive the invitation and all future network updates, make sure to sign up for our dedicated community energy mailing list.

👉 Get Community Energy Network updates

🛠️ See a Deep Retrofit in Action: Longsight Site Visit

Mid-works installation of woodfibre external wall insulation

Have you ever wondered what a deep retrofit actually looks like before the final finishes go on? One of our very own Carbon Co-op team members is kindly opening their doors for an exclusive, mid-works site visit at their home in Longsight, Manchester.

This is a brilliant opportunity to see the messy middle of a project and inspect the fabric improvements up close. You’ll be able to view the installation of woodfibre external wall insulation (EWI), triple-glazed windows, and a solid insulated floor. Even better, the householders, their architect, and the on-site contractors will all be there to answer your burning questions about the works and their decision-making process.

Spaces are strictly limited to 18 attendees due to site constraints, so grab your ticket early!

(Note: The exact address will be emailed to you after booking).

📅 Date: Thursday 22nd October 2026

⏰ Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

👉 Book your spot on the site visit

📋 Help Shape the Future of Community Energy Resources

A gif saying: UK community energy groups! we need your help. New commercial and legal resources are coming and we need your input to shape them! Complete the national survey today link in post.

Developing community-owned energy projects is incredibly rewarding, but it can often feel like reinventing the wheel when it comes to the paperwork. That is why we are working alongside Regen, Sonya Bedford MSc MBE, and the North West Net Zero Hub to build a new national resource library.

Funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, this project aims to create common, standardised templates, forms, and legal agreements to drastically reduce the cost and time burden for community groups across the UK.

To ensure these tools genuinely hit the mark, we need the insight and experience of the sector. Whether you have example documents to share or just want to feedback on what resources would be most useful for the projects we develop, your views are vital. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts before the deadline on Wednesday 14th October.

✍ Respond to the survey by October 14th

🍂 Autumn is here...

A screenshot of a thermal imaging camera in our tool library

As the autumn chill sets in and we inevitably reach for the thermostat, now is the perfect time to start thinking about your home's winter readiness. Before you turn up the heating, it pays to know exactly where your home is losing warmth. Did you know that as a Carbon Co-op member, you can borrow our thermal imaging camera? It is a brilliant, hands-on tool for tracking down hidden draughts, spotting missing insulation, and identifying invisible cold spots around windows and doors. Let’s make sure the heat you pay for stays inside this winter!

📖 Borrow the thermal imaging camera and other tools

Registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965, registration number 31342R.

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Subject: ⚡ Growing GM's Community Energy Network, Retrofit Site Visits & Getting Winter Ready