EcoHome Lab: Introducing the Home Energy Model (HEM)
2026-03-12 18:00 - 19:30 (Africa/Abidjan) | Online event
RESCHEDULED from February due to illness.
For over 30 years the methodology used to gauge the energy and carbon performance of UK buildings has been the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), but all that is about to change. Over the past few years Government has been working with building professionals to develop the Home Energy Model (HEM) which is due for publication shortly.
We are very pleased to be joined by Marianne Heaslip, the Technical Director of People Powered Retrofit who has been working as part of HEM’s quality assurance and verification team. The session will introduce the key principles of the new methodology, how it differs from SAP and what that means for how we model buildings to inform regulation (like EPCs) and design.
Sign-up here

***
Now in our regular monthly slot – every second Thursday of the month. A hangout for people taking control of their home energy usage and generation. We use open-source hardware and software to gain a better understanding of energy in our homes, how to make the best use of the energy we generate and reduce energy wasted.
Catch up on some of our previous sessions and presentations.
Unless there’s a specific title to the session, it means we have no scheduled speaker and it will be an open session. We welcome contributions.

EcoHome Lab: Introducing the Home Energy Model (HEM)
Online event
For over 30 years the methodology used to gauge the energy and carbon performance of UK buildings has been the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), but all that is about to change. Over the past few years Government has been working with building professionals to develop the Home Energy Model (HEM) which is due for publication shortly.
We are very pleased to be joined by **Marianne Heaslip, the Technical Director of [People Powered Retrofit](https://retrofit.coop/)** who has been working as part of HEM’s quality assurance and verification team. The session will introduce the key principles of the new methodology, how it differs from SAP and what that means for how we model buildings to inform regulation (like EPCs) and design.

EcoHome Lab: Monthly meetup and skill share
Online event
***
Now in our regular monthly slot – every second Thursday of the month. A hangout for people taking control of their home energy usage and generation. We use open-source hardware and software to gain a better understanding of energy in our homes, how to make the best use of the energy we generate and reduce energy wasted.
Catch up on [some of our previous sessions and presentations](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiz1gBPXWVAJ4hzg3zj72hVrXVJgWvzOG).
Unless there’s a specific title to the session, it means we have no scheduled speaker and it will be an open session. We welcome contributions.
This is a CarbonCo-op (https://carbon.coop/) initiative working close together with OpenEnergyMonitor (https://openenergymonitor.org).
http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/3/d/c/e/600_397215822.jpeg
http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/3/e/0/a/600_397215882.jpeg
Topics will include:
• Home energy monitoring.
• House energy performance assessment
• Sensors – electricity, gas, temperature, humidity, air quality…
• User interfaces, dashboards
• Smart houses and automation
• Aggregation of data sources
• Taking the power back! – Making better use of the surplus power we generate
Who is it for?
• Anyone with skills in physical electronics, web development or programming who wants to use that knowledge to reduce energy and carbon!
• There will be open space for small groups to focus on adding new sensors or hacking the user interface, there will always be a ‘newbies’ group for people interested in finding out more.

EcoHome Lab: Regional data for accurate carbon footprinting
2026-06-11 18:00 - 19:30 (Africa/Abidjan) | Online event
***
At Ecohome Lab we’re all about the carbon savings, but how we calculate our carbon can lead to very significant over and under estimates. This can in turn lead us to make retrofit decisions which won’t deliver our desired outcomes.
In this session we’ll go through the three valid methodologies for calculating your homes carbon emissions, their level of accuracy and why the differences between them can be so significant. We’ll also provide you with the datasets to do your own comparison on your own home.
Join us here: https://meet.google.com/nwk-njkj-iim

Fuelling Greater Manchester goes to Stockport Hydro!
2026-07-11 11:00 - 13:00 (Europe/London) | Stockport Hydro, 1 Mill Lane, Romiley, Stockport SK6 3BR, 1 Mill Lane, Romiley, Stockport, SK6 3BR, United Kingdom
Join us on Saturday 11th July when we will visit Stockport Hydro for a guided tour of this incredible Community Energy project.
Stockport Hydro is the first community-owned hydroelectric scheme in Greater Manchester. Construction was completed in May 2012 and by March 2013, it had already produced 100,000 units (kWh).
It is a real success story in terms of Community Energy and is a leading example of what communities can do when they come together to generate renewable energy.
We will be welcomed by Stockport Hydro volunteers at 11am outside the Hydro. In four groups we will then visit:

The powerhouse – to see the operation of the plant
The decking – to see the river flow, debris collected and wildlife
The bank downstream – history, ownership and community involvement
The car park – green energy, the water cycle, future plans.

The visit takes approx 90 minutes, allowing time for questions.
The visit will be followed by an optional picnic in the beautiful grounds of Chadkirk Chapel. Bring your own food and drinks for the picnic. If the weather is inclement, we will retreat to Dobbies Garden Centre that has a lovely cafe.
Who should attend
We welcome anyone interested in community energy, those interested in setting up or running similar community energy projects, those with an interest in tackling climate change and creating new local energy assets or anyone interested in the engineering challenges of small scale hydro and seeing how energy is generated from the power of the River Mersey.
Additional information:
Parking: There is no visitor parking on the site. It is possible to park at the Vale Road Car Park – 5 minutes’ walk away and safest place to cross the road. See https://carparkmaps.co.uk/carparks/view/13143 Parking is also available at Dobbies Garden Centre, across Dooley Lane.
Address: Stockport Hydro at Otterspool Weir, Mill Lane, Romiley, Stockport SK6 3LQ
Arriving by train: It is possible to reach Stockport Hydro by train, arriving at Rose Hill Marple followed by a gentle walk of about 30 minutes (distance is approx 1.3 miles). Email Lorenza at [lorenza@carbon.coop](mailto:lorenza@carbon.coop) if you want to learn more about this option as we will coordinate a group walking from Rose Hill Marple station to the Hydro leaving Rose Hill Marple at 10.30am.
Comfort: Please wear comfortable clothing and shoes. It’s an exposed site on the river, it can be muddy and cold/wet.
Toilets: The nearest toilets are inside Dobbies Garden Centre.
This 2026 series of Fuelling GM events is supported by the Energy Learning Network. Events are organised by Carbon Coop and Greater Manchester Community Renewables.
Learn more about Stockport Hydro: https://stockport-hydro.co.uk/

EcoHome Lab: Introducing the Household Energy Ledger
2026-08-13 18:00 - 19:30 (Africa/Abidjan) | Online event
We’re pleased to welcome back Trystan Lea, co-founder of the OpenEnergyMonitor project to introduce his latest tool for helping householders with decarbonisation decision making.
The Household Energy Ledger a tool designed to enhance user understanding of the co-benefits of installing multiple different low carbon technologies. Allowing assessment of energy saving, cost savings against a variety of tariffs and of course the impact on overall household carbon emissions.
The tool is currently under active development and Trystan will be taking us through the design process, the assumptions on which the calculations are based and welcoming discussion on additions or potential improvements.
Register for the event here.
