Building Community Power ⚡ + The hidden magic of MVHR

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Subject: Building Community Power ⚡ + The hidden magic of MVHR

Welcome to the March newsletter! We are covering everything from regional policy shifts right down to the air quality in your living room.

At the macro level, we have just launched Building Community Power, a major new report mapping out how strategic authorities can better support the community energy sector. We officially launched this report with local groups and funders at our recent Fuelling Greater Manchester network event, and we are also preparing for the rollout of the new Home Energy Model (HEM) at our rescheduled EcoHome Lab.

At the micro level, we are diving into a fascinating discussion on the community forum about the hidden, everyday perks of MVHR systems (hint: members claim it involves significantly less dusting!). We are also taking a moment to highlight what it truly means to be a member-owner of Carbon Co-op - so now might be your opportunity to become a member!

Grab a brew and catch up on the latest news, events, and community insights below.

🙋 Join Carbon Co-op as a member

Building Community Power: A new blueprint for Greater Manchester and beyond

A photo of a group of people at a networking event, sitting at a table with a lot of biscuits and snacks

How can local authorities and the community energy sector work together to reach our clean energy goals?

That is the question at the heart of our major new report, Building Community Power, released this week. Commissioned by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and produced in partnership with Regen, the report explores the massive potential for collaboration between the municipal and community sectors.

With the recent launch of the Local Power Plan (2026) and Great British Energy Local, there has never been a better time to grow the community energy sector. Drawing on interviews, spatial data analysis, and real-world case studies, our report outlines exactly how strategic authorities across the UK can unlock this potential through new funding, project matchmaking, and public-commons partnerships.

Work on implementing these recommendations in Greater Manchester has already begun!

👉 Read the report

Help us spread the word! We want these findings to reach as many local authorities, policymakers, and community groups as possible. You can help us amplify the message by liking, sharing, or tagging your network in our announcement on LinkedIn.

🔗 Share our LinkedIn post

Fuelling Greater Manchester

Did you catch our lead story about the new Building Community Power report? We officially launched it this past Monday at our latest “Fuelling Greater Manchester” networking event!

Hosted alongside GMCR at Sustainable Ventures, it was fantastic to see around 25 people from all corners of the sector come together—from existing community energy groups and tech providers to local authorities and funders. Alongside the report launch, we spent the session exploring the peer learning needs of attendees over some light refreshments.

What's next? These free, informal networking sessions run roughly quarterly. We are currently programming the rest of the year, which will include exciting opportunities to visit community energy projects across Greater Manchester.

If you are involved with or interested in community energy, we would love to see you at the next one.

🚀 Sign up to the Meetup group to get notified about future events

Rescheduled: EcoHome Lab – Introducing the Home Energy Model (HEM)

A photo looking at wood fibre, external wall insulation on a building wall, looking up to the sky.

Take two! After a brief delay last month, we are back on track for our deep dive into the new Home Energy Model (HEM), which is set to replace the long-standing SAP methodology.

Join us on Thursday, 12th March as Marianne Heaslip (People Powered Retrofit) shares her insider perspective from working on the model's verification team. Whether you are a professional or just interested in how we measure building performance, this is a unique chance to get the technical lowdown before HEM goes live.

Please note: Due to some recent issues with Meetup, we are coordinating the RSVPs and sharing the joining links directly through our Community Forum this time. We will continue to make the Meetup available for those who prefer it.

📅 Date: 12 March, 6:00 PM

📍 Location: Online

👉 RSVP on our forum

Community Spotlight: The Hidden Benefits of MVHR

A photo of a square grey vent on a red painted wall

When we talk about Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR), the focus is usually on saving heat and preventing damp. But on the community forum this month, members have been discussing the “unsold” advantages: air quality and health.

A community member pointed out a surprising everyday perk of filtered air: significantly less dusting! Another member shared an anecdote about a family noticing their kids bringing home fewer winter bugs, sparking a fascinating discussion on how controlled humidity and fresh air might help our immune systems.

The thread also includes some practical advice for anyone considering an installation (spoiler: get the ducting right, and don't hide the unit in an inaccessible attic).

👉 Read the full discussion and share your MVHR experiences

What we are reading: A Plan for Places

A photo of the frontage of several older terraced houses, with one of the boarded out with scaffolding. In front of the buildings a man in business clothes is walking his dog

How do we fix the UK's broken retrofit system? A new report from the think tank Common Wealth proposes a radical shift: moving away from fragmented, individual-home approaches and towards neighbourhood-scale transformation.

The report, “A Plan for Places”, calls for the creation of subregional 'Home Improvement Corporations' to coordinate area-based retrofits. Crucially, it recommends these bodies employ Direct Labour Organisations (DLOs) to ensure high-quality work, fix underlying disrepair, and create secure green jobs.

We were delighted to see Carbon Co-op's Jonathan Atkinson and People Powered Retrofit's Marianne Heaslip thanked by the authors for their input on the paper! If you are interested in how the government's Warm Homes Plan could be deployed to truly transform communities, protect tenants, and tackle older solid-wall homes street-by-street, this is a must-read.

📍 Read the full report from Common Wealth

Did you know? You hold the steering wheel!

A blurred photo from the Carbon Co-op AGM of a room full of chairs and people facing towards a stage

Did you know that Carbon Co-op members are literally co-owners of the organisation?

Unlike traditional companies, we are entirely democratically accountable to our members. Our members elect our Board of Directors, who in turn hold our staff and organisation to account.

We operate using a system called Policy Governance. In this model, the Board’s primary job is to ensure that all our day-to-day work remains laser-focused on our ‘Ends’—our ultimate goals and mission to tackle climate change through community-led action.

So, whether members are voting at our AGM, standing for the board, or simply paying their membership fee, they are directly ensuring that Carbon Co-op stays true to its roots and delivers real impact.

📜 Read more about our governance

🙋 Join Carbon Co-op as a member

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

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Subject: Building Community Power ⚡ + The hidden magic of MVHR