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  1. REEEP Annual Report 2022
  2. RETScreen Expert – Decision Intelligence Software Platform

Project

RETScreen Expert – Decision Intelligence Software Platform

The RETScreen Clean Energy Management Software platform is the world’s leading clean energy decision-making tool, enabling low-carbon planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting.

  • Location: Canada
  • Status: completed

BACKGROUND

The RETScreen Clean Energy Management Software platform enables low-carbon planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting. Developed by the Government of Canada in collaboration with government and multilateral organizations, RETScreen Expert, an advanced version of the software, is the world’s leading clean energy decision-making tool. RETScreen Expert incorporates benchmark, feasibility, performance and portfolio analysis for various types of facilities, including commercial, institutional, residential, industrial and power generation, all within one comprehensive platform. By helping to break down barriers to the development of clean energy, RETScreen allows decision-makers and professionals to determine if a proposed clean energy project makes sense and to track facility performance and emission reduction efforts.

As of April 2023, RETScreen is used by more than 800,000 energy, facility and sustainability professionals around the world. The software is available in 38 languages, covering 2/3rds of the world’s population and is used by over 1,400 colleges and universities worldwide.

REEEP’s Support

Over a number of programme cycles, REEEP supported CanmetENERGY throughout the development of RETScreen 4 (9th Call from 2013/15), the RETScreen Performance Analysis module (7th Call from 2009/11) and Benchmark Analysis Tool (8th Call from 2011/13), as well as the creation of RETScreen Clean Energy Legal & Policy Toolkits (6th Call from 2008/10). All of these innovative tools are part of a free clean energy project analysis software suite that helps practitioners and decision makers quickly and inexpensively determine the technical and financial viability of potential renewable energy, energy efficiency and cogeneration projects.

In 2011-2013, REEEP helped develop two new components for RETScreen: a Benchmark Analysis Tool to allow for comparisons of the energy performance of different facilities and energy applications by country, and a Clean Energy Policy Toolkit to aid policy analysis and training. The Benchmark Analysis Tool has become an integral part of project analysis for all types of energy projects and has directly contributed to better quality energy analyses around the world.

The toolkit is currently being used by governments, private firms, manufacturers, and other stakeholders. It has been incorporated in universities, colleges, hospitals, and other institutions in countries such as Canada, United States, France, Ghana, and Mexico to name a few.

Interview with Kevin Bourque

Senior Engineer, RETScreen Software, Energy Efficiency and Technology Sector, Government of Canada

In what way has REEEP’s support helped RETScreen Expert succeed?

REEEP’s support and funding has helped advance many features in the RETScreen software and has helped expand access to the platform globally. For instance, REEEP contributed funding for the development of RETScreen’s Benchmark and Performance Analysis modules, as well as the Clean Energy Policy toolkit. REEEP’s funding was also used for translation, making the software more accessible worldwide.

What are some latest exciting developments and/or updates of the RETScreen Expert?

There have been many additions to the latest update to RETScreen Expert, an advanced version of the software. Version 9 was released in late 2022 and includes many new archetypes, including deep emission reduction, archetypes for water treatment plants, a scaling tool, and an EnergyPlus connector for output results linked directly to the software.

In the Performance Analysis Module, new direct data connectors such as EnergyCAP, Blackstone, Schneider and more have been added. Version 9 now includes an automated energy performance report generator for ISO 50001 and new advanced filtering tools.

In the Portfolio Analysis Module, new automation tools for portfolio creation and management of portfolio-wide feasibility analysis, performance analysis (M&V), GHG reporting, and so on.
Databases throughout the software have been added and updated, including GHG emission factors, cost databases, utility rate databases and more.

These are only some of the many new features incorporated in the latest version of RETScreen Expert. The software is constantly being updated to assure it is the most cutting-edge platform for energy management.

What is the main focus of the RETScreen innovation lab and how did our work help to expand towards that?

The RETScreen Innovation Lab collaborates with government and multilateral organizations such as REEEP to co-fund and develop advanced versions of the RETScreen Clean Energy Management Software platform.

REEEP’s contributions have helped the innovation lab ensure that the RETScreen software is always at the leading edge of the clean energy technology transition, and that we continuously improve our platform to meet the complex needs of our large and rapidly growing global user community.

The innovation lab works to continuously update the platform such that the RETScreen software harnesses advanced algorithms and data to simplify decision making around energy projects, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, cogeneration and transportation.

What are the main benefits of RETScreen Expert to global economic development as well as energy security?

As the world’s leading software for clean energy, RETScreen Expert provides decision-makers with the tools they need to help reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. There has been a rapid uptake by energy, facility and sustainability managers at public and private sector enterprises, who are using RETScreen Expert for portfolio-wide energy management and greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting.

How is the Monitoring, Targeting & Verification Tool for RETScreen software integrated into the current version of RETScreen?

The Monitoring, Targeting & Verification Tool is part of RETScreen’s Performance Analysis Module. This module helps the user monitor, analyze, and report key energy performance data to facility operators, managers and senior decision-makers.

Implementing an energy monitoring, targeting and reporting (MT&R) system can be a powerful way to better manage energy project investments as well as identify additional project opportunities. In addition, the measurement and verification (M&V) of actual savings (or production) achieved by a clean energy project is an important final step in the energy decision chain.

To help address this need on a global basis, RETScreen, in collaboration with REEEP and the NASA Langley Research Centre, developed the RETScreen Performance Analysis Module. This energy management software tool, which integrates near real-time satellite-derived weather data from NASA for the entire surface of the planet, can be used worldwide to track a facility’s actual energy performance versus predicted performance.

Were there any other positive outcomes you would like to share with us?

In addition to continued global uptake and ongoing development, all Canadian federal departments are required to use RETScreen as part of the Government’s Greening of Government Strategy. We also provide data onboarding services on a cost-recovery basis for our enterprise customers to help them with their portfolio-wide deployment of the RETScreen Clean Energy Management Software platform.

In January 2023, the RETScreen World Conference was hosted by Energy Manager Canada and featured many speakers from different industries who shared their experiences and best practices in using the software. Recordings of every session, including the live Q&A sessions, is available on the conference website: https://www.energy-manager.ca/virtual-events/retscreen/

REEEP’s support and funding has helped advance many features in the RETScreen software and has helped expand access to the platform globally

Kevin Bourque
Senior Engineer, RETScreen Software, Energy Efficiency and Technology Sector, Government of Canada

FIND OUT MORE

Check out their growing library of videos and training material on their YouTube eLearning channel. If you have any questions about RETScreen, please send an email to retscreen@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

RETSCREEN'S YOUTUBE

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