Figure 2.44 RETScreen Software

there have been major increases in capital costs over the past few years because of the demand for global construction materials, energy prices, and other factors. In short, times are diffi cult for fi nancing infrastructure, but opportune for innovative solutions.

As cities look to the future, it will be increasingly important to adopt development solutions that reduce future municipal costs and increase resiliency. The sustainable neighborhood example off ers much lower capital costs per unit, reduced municipal costs, lower costs to residents, and better value in the long term. It is also a more adaptable model, off ering more options for a wider demographic with high environmental quality and social amenities. The simple LCC tool has helped the city clarify these benefi ts prior to making any decisions about how to proceed. A number of other tools are available that perform similar functions; adopting an appropriate choice of tool is a key part of capacity building for the Eco2 pathway.1

LCC for a single infrastructure facility While Fort St. John has used LCC for community-wide planning, the LCC tool may also be applied to infrastructure facilities on a case-bycase basis. One of the challenges in integrated design is the ability to assess quickly a range of engineering options in infrastructure. How does one obtain informed estimates of the performance of diff erent technologies without commissioning an expensive series of feasibility studies? Where might one fi nd engineers and economists with suffi cient experience to compare the alternatives fairly over the life cycle? The solution usually involves the application of scalable spreadsheet tools that allow users to plug in default values established in previous projects in other locations and to alter assumptions rapidly as the design concept evolves and new information becomes available.

An example of an LCC tool for infrastructure facilities is the RETScreen Clean Energy Project Analysis Software, a decision support tool that builds the capacity of planners, decision makers, and industry to implement renewable energy, cogeneration, and energy effi ciency projects (fi gure 2.44). The software, provided free of charge, may be used worldwide to evaluate the energy production, energy savings, costs, emission reductions, fi nancial viability, and risks associated with various types of renewable energy and energy-effi cient technologies. Available in multiple languages, the software includes product, project, hydrology, and climate databases, a detailed user manual, a case study–based college- or university-level training course, and an engineering e-textbook. By using the software to explore options at the outset, cites may greatly reduce the cost of prefeasibility studies. The rigorous structure of the software model also helps ensure that decision makers are fully informed and that analysts are trained in assessing the technical and fi nancial viability of projects of all kinds. The software is sponsored by the government of Canada and has received contributions from many universities. It has been used in almost all countries.

Figure 2.44 RETScreen Software

Source: Natural Resources Canada.