The RETScreen model for assessing potential PV projects

Author

Thevenard, Didier ; Leng, Gregory ; Martel, Sylvain

Author_Institution

Numerical Logics Inc., Waterloo, Ont., Canada

fYear

2000

fDate

2000

Firstpage

1626

Lastpage

1629

Abstract

The RETScreen(R) software was developed to assist in the preliminary assessment of potential renewable energy projects. First released for on-grid applications, the RETScreen PV model was recently upgraded to cover off grid applications. These include stand-alone, hybrid and water pumping systems. The program guides the users in the design of their systems, by providing Initial estimates of array, battery, or pump size. By changing a few of the system´s parameters, users are able to quickly screen the most effective technology and system size depending on load, climatic conditions, and season of use. This paper describes various models (radiation, array, battery, whole system) used to predict energy production from PV systems, given climatic variables and system parameters

Keywords

battery storage plants; photovoltaic power systems; power system analysis computing; power system planning; secondary cells; software packages; solar cell arrays; PV power systems; RETScreen model; battery size; climatic conditions; computer simulation; energy production prediction; load; off grid applications; potential PV projects assessment; potential renewable energy projects; pump size; season; solar array size; Application software; Batteries; Costs; Databases; NASA; Predictive models; Production systems; Renewable energy resources; Software tools; Solar radiation;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 2000. Conference Record of the Twenty-Eighth IEEE

Conference_Location

Anchorage, AK

ISSN

0160-8371

Print_ISBN

0-7803-5772-8

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PVSC.2000.916211

Filename

916211