RETScreen® Energy Modelling

Client: Village of Ryley, Alberta
Sector: Municipal facilities
RETScreen Application: Facility energy model, Portfolio analysis, energy and greenhouse gas evaluations, and energy conservation measures evaluations.

Project Context

The Village of Ryley manages a small portfolio of municipal facilities, including a library, community centre, curling rink, and municipal office. Many assets were aging and approaching endoflife, creating growing operational risk and uncertainty around energy performance, capital prioritization, and longterm planning.

Green Sky was engaged to support a portfolio-wide energy audit that combined building condition assessments with energy and greenhouse gas performance to inform coordinated capital and energy decisions.

How RETScreen Was Used

Green Sky used the RETScreen Clean Energy Management Software as a core analytical tool to support consistent, portfolio-wide evaluation across all facilities. RETScreen was applied to:

• Create a baseline for energy and greenhouse gas emissions across multiple buildings
• Model key building systems including HVAC, lighting, and envelope characteristics
• Compare performance across different facility types using a consistent framework
• Evaluate energy conservation measures (ECMs) alongside capital renewal needs
• Assess high level impacts of equipment upgrades, controls optimization, envelope improvements, and renewable energy options
• Support scenario based planning (near term operational improvements vs. longer term capital upgrades)

RETScreen enabled alignment between technical energy data and broader capital planning considerations, ensuring analysis was both defensible and decision focused.

Key Insights Generated

Using RETScreen at the portfolio level allowed Green Sky to identify clear performance patterns and priorities, including:

• Identification of the highest risk facility based on combined condition and energy performance indicators
• Recognition of near term, low cost energy opportunities applicable across all buildings
• Differentiation between facilities requiring immediate capital intervention versus those suitable for optimization based improvements
• Evaluation of longer term opportunities such as heat pump transitions and solar PV, aligned with future funding programs

These insights supported a phased implementation strategy that balanced risk mitigation, cost effectiveness, and energy and emissions reduction goals.

Value to the Client

RETScreen provided a transparent, repeatable framework that helped the Village of Ryley:

• Make informed decisions rather than isolated building upgrades
• Integrate energy performance into capital planning discussions
• Understand tradeoffs between operational improvements and major equipment replacement
• Build a credible foundation for future funding and program applications

The result was a clear, structured roadmap that aligns energy management with longterm infrastructure planning.

Client: Confidential Public Sector Research Organization (Canada) 
Sector: Energy infrastructure (research / institutional)
RETScreen Application: Energy modelling, lifecycle cost analysis (LCCA), greenhouse gas emissions analysis, and scenario-based energy and carbon optimization

Project Context

A Canadian public-sector research organization is developing a new customer transformer station to support reliable power supply for critical operations. The facility is designed as a fully electric building and is expected to operate over a 40-year lifecycle. 

To meet internal lifecycle carbon accounting requirements, the organization required an integrated assessment of embodied carbon, operational energy use, and lifecycle costs at the 60% design stage. The goal was to evaluate design options that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining cost-effectiveness and operational reliability. 

A consulting team was engaged to conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA), incorporating energy modelling to support informed design decisions.

How RETScreen Was Used

The consulting team used the RETScreen Clean Energy Management Software as a core analytical tool to model energy consumption, emissions, and lifecycle cost scenarios for the proposed facility. RETScreen was applied to:Green Sky applied RETScreen Clean Energy Management Software to analyze facility-level energy performance using available building information, utility data, system descriptions, and local climate conditions. RETScreen was used to:

• Create a baseline for energy and greenhouse gas emissions
• Develop an energy model based on 60% design drawings, system specifications, and operational assumptions
• Estimate annual electricity consumption, energy costs, and greenhouse gas emissions
• Evaluate HVAC, lighting, and building envelope performance under different design conditions
• Compare four scenarios, including baseline, cost-neutral GHG reduction, maximum GHG reduction, and optimized design
• Assess the impact of high-efficiency heat pump systems, lighting controls, and envelope improvements
• Evaluate renewable energy integration through a rooftop solar PV system
• Conduct lifecycle cost analysis (LCCA) incorporating capital costs, operating costs, and carbon shadow pricing
• Support scenario-based decision-making using Net Present Value (NPV) and lifecycle cost comparisons

RETScreen enabled consistent evaluation across design options, linking energy performance with long-term financial and emissions outcomes. 

Key Insights Generated

Using RETScreen to evaluate multiple scenarios allowed the consulting team to identify key performance drivers and design priorities, including:

• Process-related electricity demand accounts for approximately 64% of total energy use, making it the dominant driver of operational performance
• Targeted efficiency improvements can reduce greenhouse gas intensity by approximately 10% while maintaining cost neutrality
• Advanced scenarios incorporating solar PV can achieve up to ~34% reduction in greenhouse gas intensity
• High-efficiency HVAC systems and lighting controls represent the most practical near-term improvements
• Fully electrified design shifts emissions dependency to the grid, reinforcing the importance of electricity decarbonization
• Scenario-based analysis highlights clear trade-offs between capital cost, emissions reduction, and lifecycle value

Value to the Client

RETScreen provided a transparent and decision-focused framework that enabled the organization to:

• Evaluate multiple design scenarios using a consistent energy, emissions, and cost framework
• Understand trade-offs between capital investment, operational efficiency, and greenhouse gas reductions
• Identify a cost-effective, optimized design pathway with positive lifecycle value
• Support early-stage, risk-informed decision-making at the design phase
• Align project outcomes with lifecycle carbon and infrastructure planning requirements

The result was a clear, scenario-based roadmap that supports low-carbon, cost-effective, and resilient energy infrastructure design. 

Client: Rural Municipality (Northern Rockies Region)
Sector: Municipal government
RETScreen Application: Facility energy model, energy and greenhouse gas evaluations, and energy conservation measures evaluation.

Project Context

• The municipality sought to conduct an energy audit of its recreational centre to gain a clear understanding of current energy performance, operating costs, and greenhouse gas emissions. The goal was to better understand how building systems such as HVAC, lighting, and the building envelope contributed to overall energy use. This audit was intended to support capital planning and help prioritize energy conservation measures.
• Green Sky was engaged to conduct the energy audit.

How RETScreen Was Used

Green Sky applied RETScreen Clean Energy Management Software to analyze facility-level energy performance using available building information, utility data, system descriptions, and local climate conditions. RETScreen was used to:

• Create a baseline for energy and greenhouse gas emissions
• Model key building systems including HVAC, lighting, and envelope characteristics
• Evaluate energy savings from identified energy conservation measures (ECMs)Compare proposed ECMs with baseline scenario

Key Insights Generated

The RETScreen analysis supported:

• Identification of priority opportunities for energy and emissions improvement
• Comparison of near-term operational measures versus longer-term capital upgrades
• Understanding of relative impacts of different ECMs on energy use and GHG emissions

This enabled the municipality to view facility energy performance in a structured, decision-focused manner.

Value to the Client

RETScreen provided the municipality with:

• A practical, transparent tool for evaluating municipal facility energy performance
• Clear insights to inform capital prioritization and upgrade planning
• A repeatable framework that can be applied across additional facilities over time
• Results aligned with NRCan-recognized energy management practices