RETScreen
Energy management software
Carbon accounting software
Utilities software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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CAD $869 per 12-month subscription
Free Trial unavailable
Free version
Small
Medium
Large
- Professional services (engineering, legal, consulting, etc.)
- Agriculture, fishing, and forestry
- Energy and utilities
What is RETScreen
RETScreen is an energy management and clean energy project analysis software used to evaluate energy efficiency, renewable energy, and cogeneration projects. It supports feasibility analysis, performance tracking, and measurement and verification workflows using engineering and financial models. Typical users include energy managers, engineers, consultants, utilities, and public-sector organizations assessing project viability and ongoing results. The product is commonly deployed as a desktop-based analysis tool with supporting datasets and templates rather than as a building controls platform.
Strong project feasibility modeling
RETScreen provides structured workflows for screening and feasibility analysis of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. It combines technical calculations with financial analysis (e.g., costs, savings, payback) in a single model. This makes it well-suited for early-stage project evaluation and business-case development. It is particularly useful when interval-meter or IoT telemetry is limited and analysis must rely on engineering assumptions and reference data.
Measurement and verification support
RETScreen includes capabilities for tracking performance over time and comparing actual results against baselines. It supports common measurement and verification concepts used by energy managers and program administrators. This can help standardize reporting for internal governance or incentive programs. The approach is model-driven, which can be advantageous for consistency across many sites or projects.
Broad technology and sector coverage
The tool is designed to handle multiple project types, including efficiency measures and various renewable generation options. It is used across commercial, industrial, institutional, and utility contexts, which supports portfolio-level analysis. Its templates and datasets help users start analyses without building models from scratch. This breadth can reduce the need for separate tools for different project categories.
Limited real-time operational control
RETScreen focuses on analysis and reporting rather than continuous optimization and automated control. It does not function as a building management system or an industrial energy management control layer. Organizations seeking real-time fault detection, automated setpoint control, or device-level orchestration typically need additional operational platforms. As a result, it may sit alongside, not replace, systems used for day-to-day facility operations.
Data integration can be manual
Compared with platforms built around automated data ingestion, RETScreen often relies on user-provided inputs and file-based data handling. Integrations with utility billing providers, meters, and enterprise systems may require additional effort or custom processes. This can increase time-to-value for large portfolios with many meters and accounts. Data quality management may depend heavily on user workflows.
Carbon accounting is not full-scope ESG
While RETScreen can support emissions-related calculations tied to energy use and projects, it is not positioned as a comprehensive enterprise carbon accounting and ESG reporting suite. Organizations needing broad Scope 1–3 coverage, supplier data collection, audit-ready controls, and multi-framework reporting may require dedicated ESG tooling. Its strengths are closer to project-level energy and emissions impact analysis than enterprise-wide ESG governance. This can limit suitability for corporate sustainability reporting programs with complex assurance requirements.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Viewer | Free (Viewer mode) | RETScreen Expert Viewer mode is available completely free-of-charge; provides significant functionality but does not include full Professional features (e.g., saving/printing/export may be restricted). |
| Professional | CAD $869 per 12-month subscription (plus applicable taxes) | Full functionality (Professional mode) available via renewable 12-month subscription. Includes ability to save, print, export files and access premium features. Each paid subscription key may be installed on up to 10 computers for use by employees of the subscribing organization. |
Seller details
Government of Canada (Natural Resources Canada)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Non-profit
https://www.retscreen.net/
https://x.com/RETScreen
https://www.linkedin.com/company/retscreen/
