Background

RETScreen is the world's leading clean energy decision-making software. Made available free-of-charge by the Government of Canada. RETScreen breaks down barriers to the development of clean energy, allowing decision makers and professionals to determine if a proposed clean energy project makes financial sense, and thus expanding the market for clean energy. RETScreen is used by more than 230,000 people in 222 countries and territories, and by over 210 colleges and universities worldwide. The software is available in 35 languages and has led to large user savings of over $4 billion as of 2009.

Purpose

To incorporate a monitoring, targeting, and verification (“MTV”) tool into the existing RETScreen software.

Main Activities

• Develop a multilingual monitoring, targeting, and verification tool for integration into a future release of the RETScreen Clean Energy Software.
• Create training material for the MTV tool, which will be integrated into RETScreen’s online manual and Clean Energy Project Analysis Training Course.
• Promote and disseminate the MTV tool in a pilot project in India, China or Brazil with a group of key stakeholders

Expected Impact

• An MTV tool will be available in the RETScreen software, translated into 35 languages, and available worldwide at no cost. 
• The tool will make it possible to record and attribute energy consumption and costs; identify energy problems and billing discrepancies; allow the user to prioritize energy capital investments (such as retrofits); evaluate energy management program success and communicate the results; create incentives for energy management; budget energy costs more accurately; and empower the user to negotiate lower energy prices.
• Through the use of the RETScreen MTV tool, the average building will be able to save about 10-15% in energy costs, as well as achieve a 10-15% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. 
• It is estimated that by 2013, the RETScreen software and MTV tool will contribute to global user savings of $7.9 billion, an installed clean energy capacity of 24GW worth $41 billion, and a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of 20MT/year.