Carbon Co-op partnered with a consortium of experts to deliver the Energy Generation and Storage across Manchester project, to assess the city-wide opportunity for rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) generation, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and solar carports.
The Challenge
Manchester City Council has declared a climate emergency and aims to operate as a zero-carbon city by 2038. Achieving this requires the rapid, scalable deployment of renewable energy. However, the rollout of solar and storage across Manchester has often lagged behind its technical potential due to complex barriers around funding, legal structures, and building suitability. We also know that locally-based, citizen-led approaches to renewable energy provide significant additional socio-economic benefits, including increased local support and economic value multipliers.
What We Did
Working alongside SkenarioLabs, Fillip Advisory, Frazer-Nash, and Meiseki Consulting, the project investigated the technical and financial feasibility of solar and battery storage across over 700 public, commercial, educational, and community assets.
Carbon Co-op led on Community Buildings. We engaged with local community groups to explore their readiness, financial appetite, and support needs for installing energy generation technologies.
Key Insights & Findings
- We found that delivering solar and storage is constrained much more by legal complexities (like leasehold arrangements), fragmented governance, and data scarcity than by a lack of physical roof space.
- Solar PV performs best financially when the energy generated is used on-site rather than exported to the grid.
- Community organisations are highly interested in solar, but urgently need holistic, whole-building energy assessments to identify necessary repairs and confirm technical feasibility before they can accommodate PV.
- Grants were highly prioritised by community groups as a form of financial support, alongside a strong need for access to technical mentoring and trusted installers.
Outputs & Next Steps
To help community groups overcome these initial barriers, Carbon Co-op has developed an introductory guide to solar designed for community organisations, supported by Manchester City Council.
The project also recommended strategic delivery models—such as Community Co-operatives and Municipal Energy Service Companies (ESCOs)—that can help schools and community buildings scale local energy generation while keeping revenues and social value within the community.
The project was commissioned by Manchester CityCouncil. Supported by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) through the Local Net Zero Accelerator programme.