3. RETScren - Background
Leading software for assessing viability of
renewable energy technologies and
projects
Started in 1996
Developed by Natural Resources Canada
(Nrcan) in collaboration with UNEP,
NASA and Worldbank
Over 70,000 users in 211 countries
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Overview
Basic Operation
Benefits
Availability
4. RETScren - Background -components
Standardized project analysis software
Product, cost and international weather
databases
Online manual
Case studies
Textbook
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Overview
Basic Operation
Benefits
Availability
5. Areas of Application
Used for analysis of different types of energy
efficient and renewable technologies
(RETS) covering:
Energy production
Life-cycle costs
Greenhouse gas emission reductions
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Overview
Basic Operation
Benefits
Availability
6. Areas of Application - Technologies
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Overview
Basic Operation Wind Energy
Small Hydro
Photovoltaic
Biomass Heating
Solar Air Heating
Solar Water Heating
Passive Solar Heating
Ground-source Heat Pump
Combined Heat & Power (CHP)
Can be applied to industrial, commercial,
institutional, community, residential and
utilities for the following technologies
Benefits
Availability
8. Retscreen
Availability - Where to Get it
Background
Areas of Application
Availability
Overview
Basic Operation
Where to Get It
How to Down Load
It
How to Install It
Free-of-Charge for download
Available at RETScreen website
(www.retscreen.net)
Benefits
9. Availability - How to Download it
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Overview
Basic Operation
Where to Get It
How to Down
Load It
How to Install It
Go to RETScreen website
(www.retscreen.net)
Select link for Software and data or
download free
A page listing the models that can be
download will appear
Select model of interest, e.g. Wind energy
A page will appear with download
message at the bottom
Click on download bottom to login (for
registered users) or to register before
download begins
Benefits
Availability
10. Availability - Installation
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Availability
Basic Operation
Where to Get It
How to Down
Load It
How to Install It
Open the download file on your computer
Follow on-screen installation instructions
Do not change directory names set by
RETScreen installer program
Do not change file organization set by
RETScreen installer program
Do not move the RETScreen program file
and other files in the “Program” directory
Benefits
Overview
11. RETScreen - An Overview
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Overview
Basic Operation
Worksheets Available
Features
Colour Coding
Benefits
Availability
12. RETScreen Overview - Worksheets
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Availability
Overview
Basic Operation
Worksheets
Available
Features
Colour Coding
Energy Model
Cost Analysis
GHG Analysis
Financial Summary
Sensitivity & Risk Analysis
Benefits
13. RETScreen Overview - Worksheets
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Availability
Overview
Basic Operation
Worksheets
Available
Features
Colour Coding
Energy Worksheets
INPUTS
Location of Energy project
Type of system used in the base case
Technology to be used
Renewable energy source (for RETS)
Loads (where applicable)
OUTPUTS
Annual energy production or saving
Benefits
14. RETScreen Overview - Worksheets
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Availability
Overview
Basic Operation
Worksheets
Available
Features
Colour Coding
Cost Analysis
INPUTS
Initial, annual & periodic costs for
proposed system
Credits for any based case costs that
are avoided
OUTPUTS, Either
Pre-feasibility analysis or
Feasibility analysis
Benefits
15. RETScreen Overview - Worksheets
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Overview
Basic Operation
Worksheets
Available
Features
Colour Coding
GHG Emission Reduction Model
Determines annual reduction in the emission
of GHG because of use of proposed
technology instead of base technology
Benefits
Availability
16. RETScreen Overview - Worksheets
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Overview
Basic Operation
Worksheets
Available
Features
Colour Coding
Benefits
Financial Summary
INPUTS
Avoided cost of energy
Production credits
GHG emission reduction credits
Inflation, discount rates, taxes
OUTPUTS, Either
Financial indicators, e.g.NPV to
evaluate financial viability
Cumulative cash flow
Availability
17. RETScreen Overview - Worksheets
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Availability
Overview
Basic Operation
Worksheets
Available
Features
Colour Coding
Sensitivity & Risk Analysis Model
Determines how uncertainty in various
estimates of various key parameters may
affect the financial viability of the project.
Can perform either sensitivity analysis or
risk analysis or both.
Benefits
18. RETScreen Overview - Features (Recap)
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Availability
Overview
Basic Operation
Worksheets
Available
Features
Colour Coding
Product Data
Weather Data
Cost Data
Unit options
Currency options
Benefits
19. RETScreen Overview -Features (Recap)
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Availability
Overview
Basic Operation
Worksheets
Available
Features
Colour Coding
Inputs
Site location information
Renewable resources condition
Equipment specification
Avoided cost
Financing type
Interest rates, project life, taxes
Incentives
Benefits
20. RETScreen Overview - Features (recap)
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Availability
Overview
Basic Operation
Worksheets
Available
Features
Colour Coding
Outputs
Energy production
Financial savings
GHG emission reductions
ROI, NPV etc.
Life-cycle cost
Cashflow analysis
Benefits
21. RETScreen Overview - Cell Color Coding
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Overview
Basic Operation
Worksheets
Available
Features
Color Coding
White - Model Output
Yellow - User input (required to run model)
Blue - User input (required to run model & databases)
Grey - User input (for reference purposes only)
The RETScreen cell colour coding scheme
Benefits
Availability
23. RETScreen Operation - Getting Started
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Availability
Overview
Basic Operation
Getting Started
Saving a File
Printing
On the Windows desktop, go to start
Select All programs, then RETScreen
International
Select one of the two icons (not the
RETScreen website)
RETScreen International start screen will
appear
Click on “Click Here to Start” button to
Benefits
24. RETScreen Operation - Saving a File
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Availability
Overview
Basic Operation
Getting Started
Saving a File
Printing
Use standard Excel procedure
Original Excel Workbook file foe each
RETScreen model should not be saved
under its original distribution name
Use”File, Save As” option to avoid
overwriting the master
File can saved on different media (Hard
disk, diskette, flush disk etc.)
Recommended to save files in “MYFiles”
directory automatically set by the
RETScreen installer program
Benefits
25. RETScreen Operation - Printing
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Overview
Basic Operation
Getting Started
Saving a File
Printing
Use standard Excel Printing Procedure
Wookbooks formatted for standard “letter
size” and 600dpi printing quality
Set the right print quality through “File,
Page Setup, Page Print Quality” then select
the proper dpi rating for the printer
"
Benefits
Availability
26. RETScreen - Benefits
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Overview
Basic Operation
Reduces the cost of pre-feasibility and
feasibility
Reduces subjectivity in project assessment
Standardized
Wide range of analysis models for different
technologies
Simple to use
Worldwide usage
Minimal hardware requirements
Free of charge
Well supported
Benefits
Availability