Introducing RETScreen Expert

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Introducing RETScreen Expert

RETScreen Expert is a clean energy management software system developed by the Government of Canada. RETScreen recognizes the crucial need to address climate change, and is a proven enabler of clean energy projects worldwide.

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What is RETScreen Expert?

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A systematic process: RETScreen’s decision engine offers a systematic way to manage energy. Comprehensive resources: RETScreen supports decision-making for a wide range of facility types and energy management projects. Evidence-based decision-making: RETScreen’s databases provide facts and figures needed to assess specific energy projects. Rigorous analysis: RETScreen’s analysis worksheets ensure a rigorous approach.

Why use RETScreen Expert?

RETScreen’s decision engine supports a systematic process. Energy management decision-making involves three inter-related components – benchmark, feasibility, and performance. These establish a systematic work flow from the conception of a project to the assessment of its results.

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A benchmark is a standard point of reference that allows you to gauge the energy performance of a specific facility. Comparing energy consumption or production of a facility to a benchmark provides a preliminary indication of the scope for improvement. Benchmarks can be helpful in target-setting.

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Feasibility refers to the likelihood of success of a project. A feasibility analysis of an energy project involves taking account of its technical and financial dimensions. Feasibility analysis allows you to test alternatives and choose the one that makes sense.

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Performance focuses on comparing the actual energy performance of a facility to its expected performance. Tracking energy and analyzing performance allows you to proactively manage energy investments, take corrective action when necessary, and ensure that energy management is optimized on an ongoing basis.

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Power plants produce energy. Power | Heating | Cooling systems produce multiple types of energy.

Real property - such as industrial and commercial/institutional facilities - consume energy.

RETScreen can support decision-making for a wide range of facilities and projects.

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RETScreen’s databases enable evidence-based decision-making. The databases provide ready access to data for the factors that influence energy management decisions, including climate, benchmarks, project costs and products.

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There are two types of data: climate and weather. Long term averages for climate data come from ground monitoring stations, i.e. “Ground” and/or from NASA's global satellite/analysis data, i.e. “NASA.” Historical weather data come from NASA satellite-derived data.

RETScreen’s climate and weather databases provide the meteorological data that are used for all aspects of energy management decision-making, including benchmarking, feasibility analysis and performance analysis.

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RETScreen’s benchmark database provides benchmarks for more than 4,400 types of facilities. There are benchmarks for real property, as well as power plants located around the world. The data come from a wide range of sources, which are explicitly identified in the benchmark database.

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The product database provides various types of technical information often required for feasibility analysis.

RETScreen’s cost database provides a range of typical costs associated with different energy management projects. Cost data are needed to analyze the feasibility of different projects. The cost database provides estimates for some of the data requirements, including for the initial costs of the project as well as the ongoing operations and maintenance costs. This database can be customized to local conditions.

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RETScreen’s worksheets facilitate rigorous analysis. The worksheets enable users to specify the type of analysis, the location, facility type, and the technical and financial data needed to carry out a rigorous assessment of a project. The worksheets are linked to the integrated databases. This saves time and effort in doing an analysis of a project.

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RETScreen has several important features that are integrated into the software. The "User manual" is a context-sensitive help resource that is linked to each type of analysis and each database. Its thousands of pages are designed to provide quick and easily accessible explanations of different parts of the software. Its "eLearning" resources include a wide ranges of videos on RETScreen’s YouTube channel. These can be accessed directly from within the software.

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Click on All.

Let’s see how to navigate through an analysis.

Each of the tabs takes you to one of the steps in the energy management process.

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Click on Set climate data location...

The default location is Varennes, Quebec, which is where RETScreen offices are located. We want to set Montreal, Quebec as the location.

Click on the search field.

Here, we have pre-entered Montreal QC in the search field.

Click on Montreal, QC.

Click to confirm the location.

The location is now set to Montreal, which is where HEC Montréal is located.

Click on Paste data to continue.

Click to scroll down.

Every RETScreen analysis requires setting the climate location for the project.

Here are the types of climate data that can be used in analyzing different energy management projects. Different types of projects require different types of climate data. RETScreen identifies which data are pertinent for specific analyses.

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Click on File.

To get to back to RETScreen’s Home page, click on "File".

Click on Close.

You need to clear an analysis once you are finished.

The analysis that you have been working on has closed, and you will then be able to initiate a new one with fresh worksheets.

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This is an introduction to RETScreen’s home page. We will explore the different functionalities and how to use them in subsequent modules of the course. For this course, you will be able to complete all of the exercises and most of the analyses with the viewer mode of RETScreen. If you have access to the professional mode of RETScreen with a software key or a RETScreen subscription, you will be able to save, export and complete all analyses.

Keep in mind...

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