Power in the City

Power in the City

Organisation behind the project

Based in Greater Manchester, Carbon Co-op is a not-for-profit community energy organisation which aims to help people and communities make radical reductions in system-wide and household carbon emissions and energy bills in the fight against climate change. It delivers energy-saving, innovation projects, runs retrofit services for domestic homes such as insulation, new heating systems and solar panels and promotes low carbon behaviour through education, communications and campaigns.

Background and detailed description of the project

Our £14,850 grant will fund the development of a series of podcasts called Power in the City. The podcasts will tell stories of local people who have made simple changes to their homes or lifestyles and reduced their energy use, or who have got involved in community energy schemes, to inspire more people to do the same.

Carbon Co-op believes that a basic understanding of energy matters forms the basis for householders to become active players in the transition to a net zero carbon future. The aim of the podcasts is to offer an engaging and accessible introduction to some of the latest innovations in smart grids, renewable energy and efficiency. This will inspire more people to change the way they think about their energy use and their carbon emissions, give a voice to people whose opinions aren’t often heard in the energy debate and reimagine their local energy infrastructure.

A series of workshops will explore issues with participants drawn from Carbon Co-op’s network, with a focus on engaging the elderly, disabled people, ethnic minorities and people from deprived areas. 

The outcome will be three informative, entertaining and accessible 40-minute podcasts which explore the past, present and future of energy in the Manchester region. Each episode will concentrate on different elements of the energy system, featuring interviews and stories from a broad range of social groups.

The podcasts are intended to engage listeners on energy issues, provide hands-on tips about taking an active role in the energy transition and inspire them to consider new innovations such as solar panels, take part in community energy schemes and retrofit their homes to make them more energy efficient.

The podcasts will go live on a range of platforms and it is hoped each episode will reach as many as 10,000 people.

Project partners

To deliver the Power in the City project, the Carbon Coop will be working with a number of partners including:

• Sound artist – working as a subcontractor to Carbon Co-op, a sound artist will be recruited to collaborate on the podcast soundtrack and sound design
• Podcast producer – a producer specialising in podcast production will be recruited to provide production, sound recording and editing expertise
• Fieldwork – this design and technology brand agency will oversee brand development, the production of graphics and marketing materials
• University College London (UCL) – a specialist in sustainability and energy infrastructure from UCL will lead on the research design for the workshops, interview forms and scripting.

Where to go for further information

For more information on our community and local energy strategy visit our strategy page, or to find out more about the work of the Carbon Co-op visit their website.