RETScreen is a free software developed by Natural Resources Canada to assess the technical and financial viability of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. It contains standardized models and databases to analyze technologies like wind, solar, biomass and more. The software outputs key metrics like annual energy production, cost analysis, and greenhouse gas emission reductions. It is available for download online and uses a simple interface with color-coded cells to guide users through required inputs and outputs. RETScreen provides benefits like reducing costs for project assessment, standardizing analysis, and being accessible worldwide with minimal hardware requirements.

1. By Abdul Kashif Janjua

2. INTRODUCTION TO
RETScreen

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

7. Availability
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Overview
Basic Operation
 Where to get it
 How to Download it
 How to Install it
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

22. RETScreen - Operation
Background
Retscreen
Areas of Application
Availability
Overview
Basic Operation
 Getting started
 Save a file
 Printing
Benefits

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

27. End