RETScreen Software

What RETScreen Software does

RETScreen Software is the clean energy management software product line developed and maintained by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), a federal department of the Government of Canada, with operational presence in Ottawa and Varennes, Quebec. Its core product, RETScreen Expert, is a Windows desktop application built on Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 that combines proprietary analytical algorithms with global climate data sourced from NASA satellites, cost databases, GHG emission factors, and equipment libraries to evaluate the technical and financial feasibility of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and cogeneration projects. The platform also provides measurement-and-verification capabilities through Performance Tracker, multi-facility analysis through Portfolio Management with Net Zero planning, and benchmarking through a Virtual Energy Analyzer that estimates energy savings of 30%-40% and emissions reductions of 80%-90%.

The product is offered in two tiers: a free Viewer mode distributed globally in 36 languages for self-serve adoption, and a Professional mode sold as an annual subscription at $869 CAD that unlocks save/export, advanced analytics, RETScreen Connect data integrations, and full portfolio functionality. Educational institutions receive unlimited installations on organization- and student-owned computers under a single annual subscription. RETScreen Connect integrates the Professional tier with a broad ecosystem of energy management, utility data, and metering platforms — including ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, EnergyCAP, EnergyPlus, Measurabl, Eyedro, MeterConnex, Green Button, and SQL/MySQL/PostgreSQL databases — and supports Excel/CSV file imports. Underlying programs include a RETScreen Innovation Lab for R&D, Data Onboarding for dataset curation, and Capacity Building for training and dissemination.

RETScreen is used by public-sector organizations, private-sector enterprises, and universities/colleges worldwide for clean-energy project planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting, as well as for academic teaching and research. Distribution is entirely self-serve through direct download from the NRCan website and Microsoft Azure Blob storage, with newsletter-based communications and no traditional sales channel. As a government initiative, RETScreen is not venture-backed and has no disclosed M&A or ownership activity; its strategic direction is set within NRCan's policy mandate to lower the cost of deploying viable clean energy projects globally.

Name

RETScreen Software

Legal name

RETScreen (Clean Energy Management Software) - developed by Natural Resources Canada

Website

https://retscreen.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RETScreen Software is a Government of Canada-developed clean energy management platform (Natural Resources Canada) offering RETScreen Expert — a Windows desktop application that uses NASA climate data and proprietary algorithms to assess feasibility, monitor performance, and manage portfolios of renewable, efficiency, and cogeneration projects for public-sector, private-sector, and academic users worldwide in 36 languages via freemium and $869 CAD/year Professional subscription tiers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clean Energy Management Software

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Adaptation & Resilience Planning Platforms (CAPEX Prioritization, Cost–Benefit, NBS) (EUABALAH)

Keywords

• Clean energy software
• Energy management platform
• Renewable energy analysis
• Energy feasibility software
• Carbon emissions tracking

Headquarters

HQ city

Varennes, QC

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Mode Subscription: Annual subscription to RETScreen Expert Professional mode, priced at $869 CAD per subscription per year. Includes software key activation for 12-month term with manual renewal process. One subscription covers up to 10 computers for organizational use. Educational institutions receive unlimited installations for teaching and research purposes.
2. Free Viewer Mode: Free Viewer mode provides core functionality of RETScreen Expert at no cost, enabling software adoption and market penetration. Premium features (save, export, advanced analytics) require Professional subscription.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

RETScreen Expert is a Windows desktop clean energy management software platform that enables low-cost planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and cogeneration projects. It combines proprietary analytical algorithms with global climate data from NASA satellites to assess the technical and financial feasibility of proposed energy projects, benchmark facilities, and track ongoing energy performance. The platform is offered as a free Viewer mode with a paid Professional mode annual subscription (CAD $869) unlocking advanced analytics, data integration via RETScreen Connect, and portfolio management capabilities.

Product overview

RETScreen Software is a clean energy management software suite developed by the Government of Canada. The core product is RETScreen Expert, an all-in-one platform available in two modes: free Viewer mode for basic energy analysis, and Professional mode (paid subscription at $869 CAD/year) which unlocks full save/export functionality, advanced analytics, portfolio management, and data integration capabilities via RETScreen Connect. The platform harnesses advanced algorithms with NASA satellite climate data to help determine financial feasibility of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and cogeneration projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RETScreen Expert: All-in-one clean energy management software platform available in Viewer mode (free) and Professional mode (subscription-based).
• RETScreen Innovation Lab
• RETScreen Data Onboarding
• RETScreen Capacity Building

Products and services

• RETScreen Expert Clean Energy Management Software All-in-one Windows desktop clean energy management software platform for engineers, architects, technicians, planners, facilities and energy managers, and academic users in the public and private sectors. Enables low-cost energy planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and cogeneration projects by combining proprietary algorithms with NASA global climate satellite data and built-in cost, fuel/electricity rate, GHG emission factor, and equipment databases. Distributed as a free Viewer mode and a paid Professional mode (CAD $869 per 12-month subscription) that unlocks full save/export, advanced analytics, Virtual Energy Analyzer, Performance Tracker, Portfolio Management, and RETScreen Connect integrations with EnergyCAP, EnergyPlus, ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, Measurabl, and other platforms. Available globally in 36 languages.

Quantifiable outcome

• Virtual energy analyzer estimates energy savings potential of 30%-40% for facilities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration16 records

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EnergyCAP: EnergyCAP is a commercial energy and sustainability management software platform that tracks utility data and benchmarks facility performance. RETScreen lists EnergyCAP as a direct RETScreen Connect integration, making it the closest comparable in meter-data-driven building energy management.
• EnergyPlus: EnergyPlus is the U.S. Department of Energy's whole-building energy simulation engine, used to model energy consumption in commercial and residential buildings. It is listed as a RETScreen Connect integration and represents the U.S. federal counterpart for detailed energy modeling and project feasibility analysis.
• Measurabl: Measurabl is an ESG and energy data management platform for real estate portfolios that aggregates utility data and tracks energy/emissions performance. It is named as a RETScreen Connect integration and competes directly in portfolio-level benchmarking and greenhouse gas tracking for commercial buildings.
• ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager: ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager is the U.S. EPA's free benchmarking tool for commercial building energy performance. It is the most direct public-sector counterpart to RETScreen, targeting the same facilities managers and integrating bidirectionally via RETScreen Connect.

Emerging players

• Carbon Lighthouse: Carbon Lighthouse is a building decarbonization analytics firm that identifies energy waste reduction opportunities in commercial real estate using proprietary measurement and analytics. It competes with RETScreen's Virtual Energy Analyzer for commercial building benchmarking and emissions reduction projects.
• Urjanet: Urjanet is a utility bill data aggregation platform that automates collection of electricity, gas, and water consumption from utilities worldwide. It is integrated via RETScreen Connect for utility bill data ingestion and provides complementary automated data acquisition for energy analytics workflows.
• Eyedro Energy Monitor: Eyedro makes plug-and-play energy monitoring hardware and software for homes and small businesses. It is listed as a RETScreen Connect integration partner and serves as a lower-cost monitoring solution for facilities adopting RETScreen for analysis.

Broad incumbents

• Schneider Electric EcoStruxure Power Monitoring Expert: EcoStruxure Power Monitoring Expert is Schneider Electric's enterprise power and energy monitoring software for industrial and commercial facilities. It is integrated with RETScreen via RETScreen Connect and competes as a large-vendor incumbent offering energy analytics as part of a broader hardware-and-software portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/retscreeninternational

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RETScreen Software