Retrofit

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NW Energy Effiiciency Awards Team Photo
Retrofit
Homes & Workplaces
Published: 21/05/2025
News
GMCA Retrofit Team Win Regional Award

Representatives from the GMCA Environment Team, scooped up the ‘Regional Council or Local Authority Body of the Year’ at the North West Energy Efficiency Awards 2025 for the second year running!

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DETERMINER Team Photo
Retrofit
Homes & Workplaces
Published: 21/05/2025
News
DETERMINER Project Launch

DETERMINER is an ambitious EPSRC/IAA knowledge exchange project delivered in collaboration with Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance (CNCA) focusing on lowering the embodied carbon footprint of home retrofitting and new build homes projects.

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Open Homes Event 2025
Retrofit
Homes & Workplaces
Published: 30/04/2025
News
Open Homes Event 2025

Sign-up for the Your Homes Better Open Homes Event 2025 – Saturday 28th June.

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Four solar panels installed on the tiled roof of a residential home.
Retrofit
Homes & Workplaces
Environment
Published: 03/04/2025
News
Greater Manchester Retrofit Scheme Featured on Channel 4 News

A Greater Manchester energy efficiency scheme has been featured on Channel 4 News.

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An illustration of a desktop and laptop displaying a "Solar Calculator" tool interface, used to simulate the production, costs, and feasibility of solar power systems.
Retrofit
Homes & Workplaces
Published: 27/03/2025
News
New solar calculator measures cost and benefit of installing renewables

A new independent Solar Calculator has been launched, helping commercial and domestic property owners understand the capability and cost savings from installing solar.

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Headshot Dr Mithila Achintha
Retrofit
Innovation
Published: 04/06/2024
News
Calculating the Carbon impact of Building Retrofit Works

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has joined forces with the University of Manchester to develop a carbon calculator for quantifying the carbon impact of building retrofit works, providing a better understanding of materials and solutions with the least carbon impact.

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First Choice Homes Oldham resident Mary Clancy
Home & Workplaces
Retrofit
Published: 09/04/2024
News
Hundreds of Oldham homes given green makeovers

Around 200 homes across Oldham have been given major green makeovers to slash bills and make them more energy efficient as part of a trailblazing multi-million-pound retrofit programme to transform 3,800 properties across Greater Manchester.

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Salix Homes customer Julie Pemberton
Energy
Housing
Buildings
Retrofit
Solar
Published: 29/11/2023
News
Solar panel project shines bright in Salford

Housing Association, Salix Homes has recently completed solar panel installations to 49 properties after securing funding through the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund

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Energy
Housing
Buildings
Retrofit
Skills
Published: 20/11/2023
Blog
Southway Housing Trust and Cara EPS: Delivering Home Energy Efficiency Measures in South Manchester

In this article, Manchester housing provider Southway Housing Trust and Cara EPS, a multi-disciplinary net zero and retrofit business from Salford, provide an update on their partnership delivering on the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund…

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Retrofit
Published: 06/10/2023
News
Decarbonising Greater Manchester

Watch our brilliant new video to see how the decarbonisation of public buildings is having a positive impact across Greater Manchester.

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Retrofit
savings
Published: 26/07/2023
News
NEW Citizens Advice Report “Home Advantage” Unlocking the benefits of energy efficiency

A new report by Citizens Advice highlights the many benefits which could be achieved by improving the energy efficiency of the majority of UK households to an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of band C.

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Greater Manchester Rooftop Revolution
Zero Carbon Business
Retrofit
Solar PV
Published: 19/07/2023
News
Join the Rooftop Revolution

Is Solar really worth the investment? This blog from #BeeNetZero makes the business case for investing in solar covering return on investment through to increasing the value of the property.

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Take action…

To make a big change, we must all take small actions. Becoming greener and making an impact is easier than you might think. We have put together a range of blogs, articles, toolkits and checklists to help you make a start.

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Although we set out with a simple mission to reduce plastic waste, we’ve quickly realised that it’s just one piece in the sustainability puzzle. One of the biggest, but most easily attainable actions we can achieve is to look at where our goods come from and reduce the carbon footprint needed to get a product from manufacturer to consumer. Many of the products we stock are made by local, independent manufacturers, who provide us with a wide range of things from reusable face wipes, wax food wraps, face coverings, soap bars, plant pots, kitchen cloths/sponges and butty bags.

Carl from Lentils and Lather

Our aim is to start changing the habits of families in Greater Manchester by getting them to ‘borrow’ rather than ‘buy’ brand new toys. We’re making sure that toys can be reused again and again by children who need and want them – and they are not just sitting in a cupboard or under someone’s bed.

Kim from That Toy Thing

The best part of upcycling is that old furniture is often better made than the equivalent flat-packed furniture we get today and with a little bit of time, love and care, you can create a completely unique piece of furniture for your home that no one else will have. I also love that these pieces of furniture have a history of their own and through transforming and updating them we can breathe a new lease of life into them.

Hannah from Tread Softly

The Green Recovery Challenge Fund is providing a further boost to the ambitions of the Great Manchester Wetlands Partnership to create a thriving, inspirational and connected landscape. It supports the recovery of wildlife through habitat creation and improvement as well as community recovery through providing opportunities for local people to develop skills, knowledge and beneficial connections to their local natural environment.

Jo Kennedy, Coordinator of the Great Manchester Wetlands Partnership

The reason I signed up to the Green Homes Grant scheme was two-fold, selfishly the measures will add value to the properties and make them more valuable in the future. But more importantly it benefits the tenants, keeping them warmer and prevents problems like damp and condensation. Ultimately measures like external wall insulations should keep tenants happier and ensure they remain in the house for longer.

Neil, Rochdale property owner

We used to think we didn’t have enough time to shop on our local market because we were working; how wrong we were?  We discovered it is an amazing place to shop for plastic free. We swapped tea bags for tea leaves and coffee jars for beans which we buy from The Market Grounds on Ashton Market – well worth a visit as the homemade cakes are delicious. All the stall holders have been amazing, not one of them minds us taking our containers to be filled with meat from the butchers. We get our bread, cheese, fruit and veg from the market too.

Julie from Ashton-under-Lyne

Kat Mulhall, Events Manager at Victoria Baths Trust in Manchester

Although becoming carbon neutral is important to our organisation, it’s a lot of work for a small team to put the measures into place. The Journey to Net Zero course has given me practical, step-by-step advice that has made it easy for me to lay the foundations for our organisation to be able to take action and achieve our goal of becoming carbon neutral.

Kat Mulhall, Events Manager at Victoria Baths Trust in Manchester

Kat Mulhall, Events Manager at Victoria Baths Trust in Manchester

The Business Growth Hub has given us focus and extra knowledge. They’ve helped us form the base to grow sustainably and work efficiently as a team while making us conscious of our environmental impact as a business.

 

Ollie Birchall, Founder of Nutri Bar

I’ve not really been a cyclist throughout my life, more of a runner to be honest. And certainly not commuted. But I just thought if I’m going to change, surely now is the moment to change. I’m feeling the personal benefits of doing it. You just feel better when you come into work. It clears your head. There are benefits of cutting congestion, cleaning up the air. Everyone benefits when people cycle.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester

We think our water fountain is INCREDIBLE, it’s the perfect place for people to ‘refill’ and help themselves to any of the free edibles we’ve got growing in Market Place. We’re so grateful to all the organisations that helped make this happen. Alongside the plastic free motion that was passed by council and helped us achieve our first Surfers Against Sewage objective and in turn our Plastic Free Community status, it shows real commitment in reducing plastic waste and supporting our community.

 

Pete Fillery, Plastic Free Rammy and Incredible Edible Ramsbottom

I guess I’ve always been what you would call a conscious consumer. I’ve always detested plastic bags, all of my skin care products at home are plastic-free, vegan, and sustainable. My toothbrush is made of bamboo, there’s no plastic anywhere in the house. Everything in the salon has to be vegan – that was the first rule for me. We started with one brand of haircare products that was vegan, organic, and Fairtrade, but the distributor in the UK was wrapping all of the deliveries in plastic, and it felt really needless, so we ditched them.

 

Rachael, Gronn eco-salon in Bury

Although becoming carbon neutral is important to our organisation, it’s a lot of work for a small team to put the measures into place. The Journey to Net Zero course has given me practical, step-by-step advice that has made it easy for me to lay the foundations for our organisation to be able to take action and achieve our goal of becoming carbon neutral.

 

Kat Mulhall, Victoria Baths Trust, Manchester

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