• Feasibility Analysis: Evaluate potential energy efficiency changes, renewable energy options, and cogeneration projects by analyzing energy impacts, costs, and emissions.
• Performance Analysis: Monitor and verify the energy performance of projects after implementation, comparing actual results against predicted savings.
• Portfolio Management: Manage and analyze multiple facilities simultaneously, allowing for aggregated reporting and forecasting.
• Benchmarking: Compare a facility’s energy performance against similar buildings or established energy intensity targets.

RETScreen can analyze a wide array of energy technologies and sectors:

• Renewable Energy: Solar PV, wind, water power, geothermal, and biomass.
• Energy Efficiency: HVAC upgrades, lighting changes, industrial process improvements, and residential/commercial building retrofits.
• Cogeneration: District energy, heating, and cooling facilities.
• Transportation: Analysis tools for individual vehicles and fleets.

This example highlights how leading institutions like the University of Toronto leverage RETScreen as both a teaching and research tool, demonstrating its practical value in real-world energy modelling applications. Its collaborative, data-rich environment allows students, researchers, and facility managers to analyze energy systems, assess project feasibility, and support sustainability initiatives, reinforcing its role as a versatile platform for both academic and operational energy decision-making.

Click here to learn more

RETScreen’s integration with global climate datasets, including NASA satellite data, provides a unique advantage in energy modelling by enabling accurate, location-specific analysis anywhere in the world. This capability allows users to model energy performance, assess renewable potential, and evaluate efficiency measures with confidence, making it a globally applicable solution for climate-responsive energy planning and emissions reduction strategies.

Click here to learn more

The RETScreen Net Zero Planning Tool extends traditional energy modelling by enabling users to develop portfolio-wide decarbonization strategies at scale. It allows for rapid pre-feasibility assessments across multiple buildings, helping organizations identify cost-effective pathways to achieve net-zero targets while minimizing analysis time and investment risk, making it a highly efficient solution for strategic energy planning.

Click here to learn more

Case Study – Transforming Building Performance Using RETScreen  

RETScreen was used to compare a code-based base case with the proposed redevelopment design for a community centre in Edmonton. The analysis quantified how envelope, ventilation, heating, cooling, lighting, controls, and photovoltaic upgrades reduce fuel use, energy demand, and greenhouse gas emissions

Executive Summary:

The Challenge 

• 1964 building shell with stripped interior systems. 

• Envelope upgrades needed to address heat loss and air leakage. 

• Existing 80% efficient furnaces, rooftop units, and boiler. 

• Ventilation and lighting had to be modeled from code-based assumptions. 

The RETScreen Approach 

• Base case modeled to minimum NECB requirements. 

• Proposed case reflected the actual redevelopment plans. 

• Envelope, HVAC, DHW, lighting, and controls were modeled in RETScreen. 

• A 56-kW photovoltaic system was included in the proposed case.

Key Results:

Main Energy Conservation Measures:

Key Insights:

This project shows one of RETScreen’s main strengths: it can support decision-making even when a building is not operating in a normal occupied condition. By comparing a code-minimum baseline against the proposed redevelopment design, the model made it easier to see how better insulation, improved heat recovery, higher-efficiency mechanical systems, lighting strategies, controls, and solar PV work together to reduce energy use and emissions. 

Executive Summary:

RETScreen was used to evaluate the existing and proposed building performance for this head office building for an Education and Workforce Development company. The model clearly quantified energy savings, fuel reduction, cost savings, and greenhouse gas reductions from envelope, HVAC, ventilation, lighting, and solar PV upgrades.

The Challenge 

• Poor wall and roof insulation in the original building and addition 

• Double-pane windows with no low-e coating and noticeable air leakage 

• Outdated heating and cooling systems, including failed heat pumps 

• No heat recovery ventilation in the original configuration 

• Older fluorescent lighting systems 

• Opportunity to offset electricity consumption through solar PV 

The RETScreen Approach

RETScreen was used to develop a base case and proposed case model. The proposed case included wall and roof insulation upgrades, improved air sealing, triple-pane low-e argon-filled windows, upgraded exterior doors, high-efficiency air-to-air heat pumps, 55% energy recovery ventilation, LED lighting with occupancy controls, a higher-efficiency domestic hot water system, and a 40-kW solar photovoltaic system. 

Key Results:

Main Energy Conservation Measures:

• Upgraded wall and roof insulation 

• Improved air sealing and reduced infiltration 

• Replaced existing windows with triple-pane low-e argon units 

• Replaced older heating systems with high-efficiency heat pumps 

• Added energy recovery ventilation 

• Upgraded fluorescent lighting to LED fixtures 

• Added motion and occupancy-based lighting controls 

• Included a 40 kW solar PV system producing approximately 35,040 kWh/year 

Key Insights:

RETScreen converted detailed building data into clear, decision-ready results. The largest impact came from reducing heating demand through envelope improvements, heat pump upgrades, and energy recovery ventilation, while solar PV further reduced purchased electricity. 

RETScreen was used to compare the car dealership building’s base and proposed cases and quantify savings from LED retrofits, motion and daylight controls, programmable thermostats, upgraded heating equipment, and ventilation improvements. Utility analysis showed that natural gas closely tracked heating degree days, while electricity remained comparatively stable through the year. 

Executive Summary:

The Challenge 

• Eight-zone dealership with mixed heating, cooling, and ventilation strategies. 

• Natural gas use rose strongly with 21°C HDD, highlighting heating as a major cost driver. 

• Many areas still used older T12, T8, T5, and CFL lighting with fully manual controls. 

• Several zones lacked dedicated ventilation or cooling, creating uneven building performance. 

The RETScreen Approach 

• Utility trends for gas, electricity, and water were reviewed before modeling upgrades. 

• Base and proposed RETScreen cases captured HVAC, DHW, lighting, ventilation, and controls. 

• The proposed package included LED retrofits, sensors, programmable thermostats, and high-efficiency heating equipment. 

• Model verification showed the base case tracked historical utility use closely. 

Key Results:

Main Energy Conservation Measures:

Executive Summary:

The energy audit shows how RETScreen can be used for more than a conventional building-only study. In this project, RETScreen helped connect utility history, weather, production activity, end-use breakdowns, process opportunities, and measure-by-measure savings into one clear decision-making framework. That made it easier to see where the brewery’s biggest loads sit, which upgrades are operationally attractive, and which ideas should be treated as longer-term capital projects. 

The Challenge 

• Natural gas use stays high even in summer because brewing still needs steam and hot process loads. 

• Electricity use is steady year-round, making it harder to find obvious savings from seasonal trend review alone. 

• Most lighting and most thermostats are manual, which increases the chance of unnecessary run hours. 

• The building has no air-conditioning system and only limited mechanical ventilation outside selected exhaust points. 

• Warped and damaged warehouse doors contribute to avoidable infiltration losses. 

The RETScreen Approach 

• It compared actual utility bills to the model, showing the model was close enough to support decision-making. 

• It separated process heat, space heating, refrigeration, lights, and mechanical loads instead of treating the site as one undifferentiated total. 

• It quantified each ECM separately, including savings, cost impact, and simple payback. 

• It let building measures and process measures be reviewed in the same study. 

• It translated technical changes into energy, fuel, cost, and GHG outcomes that non-technical decision makers can follow. 

What the Rate Review Suggested:

Commercial Insight 

• For electricity in 2024, the report found variable plans were on average cheaper than fixed plans, with the Burst Energy variable plan identified as the lowest-cost option. 

• For natural gas in both 2023 and 2024, the report found variable-rate and regulated-rate options to be the cheapest on average, with the Burst Energy variable plan again identified as the lowest-cost option. 

• This is useful because the study did not stop at capital upgrades; it also looked at operational purchasing decisions that could reduce annual cost immediately. 

Key Results:

Main Energy Conservation Measures:

• Install motion sensors and daylight sensors in offices, hallways, the boardroom, washrooms, and warehouse zones. 

• Repair or replace damaged warehouse doors to reduce infiltration and avoidable heating loss. 

• Upgrade furnaces, unit heaters, and the steam boiler to higher-efficiency condensing equipment where economically justified. 

• Recover warm air from glycol chiller condensers to offset building heating demand during the heating season. 

• Use outdoor air through a mixing box to reduce cooler-box refrigeration energy during winter conditions. 

• Add heat-recovery ventilation in the taproom and office areas to meet ASHRAE ventilation needs more efficiently. 

• Investigate brewery-specific process upgrades such as nitrogen generation, stack heat recovery, and wort rectification. 

What This Says About RETScreen:

On a project like this brewery, RETScreen is valuable because it can show more than a single utility total. It helped identify that process heat remains the dominant load, that lighting-control upgrades are some of the clearer short-payback opportunities, that process-side heat recovery deserves attention, and that some equipment replacement measures have weak economics unless paired with broader operational goals such as emissions reduction, renewal planning, or maintenance risk reduction. 

Executive Summary:

The Visitor Centre audit shows how RETScreen turned utility data, field observations, and system-level issues into a clear action plan. The new building addition was modelled in both the baseline and proposed cases so that savings would not be overstated. 

The Challenge 

• Utility data came from a common electricity meter serving multiple buildings, making root-cause diagnosis harder. 

• A failed Lennox basement heat pump left the basement dependent on electric resistance backup heat and without cooling. 

• A hole in the ceiling and low insulation levels in parts of the basement envelope were creating avoidable losses. 

• The building was under-ventilated: estimated outdoor air intake was about 372 CFM versus a required 1,359 CFM for the main spaces, plus washroom exhaust requirements. 

• There were no occupancy control systems and all lighting was manually switched. 

• The new addition had to be included carefully in both models so savings percentages would remain credible. 

The RETScreen Approach 

• RETScreen regression analysis compared electricity use against 8°C heating degree days and produced a 97.65% confidence value. 

• The report switched the end-use section to Fuel Saved so the electricity effect of upgrades and GHG reduction would be easier to explain. 

• The new addition was modelled at the same upgrade level in both base and proposed cases so only real improvements to the existing building were counted. 

• The proposed case included heat pump repair, thermostat scheduling, LED retrofits, motion/daylight sensors, HRV-based ventilation upgrades, bathroom fan scheduling, and musty-room exhaust improvements. 
• RETScreen separated heating, space heating, mechanical equipment, lights, and other loads so the project team could see which measures mattered most. 

Key Results:

Where RETScreen Added Value: 

• It normalized utility data against weather, helping identify an abnormal electricity increase that was not caused by colder conditions. 

• It provided a clear before-and-after comparison for the existing building while keeping the new addition neutral in both scenarios. 

• It made it possible to isolate the effect of operational fixes such as thermostat schedules, fan scheduling, and controls, not just capital retrofits. 

• It translated technical findings into end-use charts, fuel cost savings, GHG impacts, and simple payback values that are easy for decision-makers to review. 

• It helped show that repairing a failed heat pump can be as important as a major envelope upgrade for reducing electricity use. 

Main Energy Conservation Measures: 

• Repair the failed basement heat pump and correct insulation on the heat-pump suction and liquid lines. 

• Install motion and daylight sensors throughout the building and convert remaining fluorescent lighting to LED fixtures. 

• Program thermostats for occupied and unoccupied periods to reduce unnecessary heating and cooling. 

• Seal the attic air leak by repairing the ceiling penetration and improve the lowest-performing basement walls and exposed main-level floor. 

• Upgrade ventilation to meet ASHRAE 62.2016, including dedicated HRV capacity for the auditorium and improved outdoor-air delivery to the main floor and basement. 

• Add a dehumidistat-controlled exhaust fan in the humid basement room and improve system balancing. 

Key Insight: 

This project shows that RETScreen is especially effective when the building has both operational problems and capital-upgrade opportunities. It did not just point to envelope improvements; it also showed the value of repairing failed equipment, tightening controls, improving ventilation, and explaining results with the right metric so savings and emissions could be communicated more clearly.