RETScreen Energy
Analysis & Modeling
We use RETScreen Expert in our decarbonization and energy planning work. Whether we are evaluating a single building or managing a portfolio of facilities, RETScreen enables us to deliver energy analyses that drive confident decision-making for our clients.
What is RETScreen Expert?
The RETScreen® Clean Energy Management Software platform enables low-cost energy planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting.
RETScreen Expert is an all-in-one platform available in Viewer mode free-of-charge. Premium features are available in Professional mode by purchasing an annual subscription.
Developed by Natural Resources Canada, RETScreen Expert is an internationally recognized Clean Energy Management Software platform. RETScreen gives our team access to climate data, global benchmarking databases, and rigorous financial modelling, all within a single integrated platform. Check the introduction video and visit the RETScreen website for more information.
How we use RETScreen
Harnessing World-Class Energy Intelligence for Our Clients
1
Benchmark Analysis
Understanding how a building performs relative to its peers is the first step in identifying opportunity. We use RETScreen's benchmarking module to compare a facility's energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions against reference buildings of the same type and climate zone. The module draws on a global database of commercial, institutional, industrial, and residential facilities, and quickly surfaces underperforming buildings to help prioritize action across a portfolio.
2
Feasibility Analysis
We use RETScreen to model the technical and financial viability of proposed energy efficiency measures and clean energy technologies. Our feasibility analyses cover:
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Projected energy and cost savings
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GHG emission reductions
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Return on investment (ROI) and simple payback periods
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Sensitivity and risk analysis
This ensures our clients have a clear, evidence-based picture of what an upgrade will deliver.
3
Performance Analysis
For buildings already undergoing efficiency improvements or with existing energy targets, we use RETScreen's performance analysis module to measure and verify actual, ongoing energy performance. By comparing modelled baselines to real utility and BAS data, we identify deviations, confirm savings, and uncover additional optimization opportunities over time.
4
Portfolio Analysis
For clients managing multiple facilities such as municipalities, school districts, or commercial property owners, RETScreen's portfolio module allows us to aggregate and analyze data across an entire asset base. We can configure custom dashboards to track energy consumption, costs, and emissions by facility type, fuel source, or geography, providing a consolidated view that supports strategic planning, capital budgeting, and stakeholder reporting.
Why it matters
RETScreen is developed and maintained by Natural Resources Canada and is backed by climate data spanning over 6,700 global weather stations. It is an excellent screening tool for energy project analysis in the public and private sectors across Canada and abroad. When FirstLight delivers a RETScreen based analysis, our clients receive:
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Credibility backed by both the RETScreen's modelling framework and FirstLight's hands-on experience applying it across a diverse range of building types and project scales
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Comparability through performance metrics benchmarked against real-world reference facilities
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Continuity through a living model that can be updated as building data evolves
Killarney Community Centre Decarbonization Plan
FirstLight Energy Solutions partnered with the City of Vancouver to conduct a Heat Recovery & Gas Conservation Study for Killarney Community Centre, a multi-use civic facility in Vancouver. The study identified a prioritized bundle of measures to reduce natural gas consumption and GHG emissions, supporting the City's Climate Emergency Action Plan and a federal GICB grant application.
Put your building data to work
If you'd like to learn more and how a RETScreen analysis can support your next energy or decarbonization project, contact us at info@firstlightenergy.ca.