This is a free opportunity for you to use RETScreen to model a solar PV project from start to finish.
A large number of factors affect the financial feasibility of a photovoltaic project. These range from the solar resource, equipment costs and financing terms, to tax considerations. RETScreen 4 software provides a rapid “prefeasibility” analysis of a proposed photovoltaic project that includes all these major factors affecting profitability. This is useful when first examining a proposed photovoltaic project; it allows quick evaluation of different project scenarios and helps identify the key determinants of project success. Although it does not replace in-depth engineering and financial tools, it can also be useful as a global summary—easily understood, shared, and communicated—as the project develops and planning becomes more detailed.
This free course will introduce the RETScreen 4 software (freely available at www.RETScreen.net) through an example of its use for assessing a proposed utility-scale photovoltaic project. Participants will learn about the software’s capabilities for assessing photovoltaic plant production, project costs, greenhouse gas emissions calculations, and financial analysis.
At the end of the seminar, the participant will be able to start using RETScreen 4 to explore considerations related to the profitability of his or her own photovoltaic projects, and see how the same tool could be applied to wind, hydro, or other clean energy projects.
