Figure 2.46 An Example of a RETScreen Financial Summary Visual

the fi nancial indicators. The sensitivity analysis section is intended for general use, while the risk analysis section, which performs a Monte Carlo simulation, is intended for users with knowledge of statistics.

Environmental Accounting

In Stockholm, the municipal government, together with the Royal Institute of Technology and an engineering consultant fi rm, has created a tool to help plan and assess the development of Hammarby Sjöstad, a southern city district. The tool, called the environmental load profi le (ELP), has proven successful in evaluating and providing critical feedback to Stockholm’s cutting-edge initiative in sustainable development. Stockholm developed this tool to demonstrate how decisions and strategies in urban development might prove signifi cantly more benefi cial in enhancing long-term environmental and urban sustainability.

The environmental load profi le

The ELP is a life-cycle assessment-based tool built on defi ning relevant activities from an environmental perspective and on quantifying the environmental loads originating from these activities, such as emissions to air, soil, and water, as well as the use of nonrenewable energy resources. It takes into account all activities related to a project, such as materials, transport (transport of materials, supplies, and persons), machinery, electricity, heating, and materials recycling.

Figure 2.46 An Example of a RETScreen Financial Summary Visual

Source: Author compilation (Sebastian Moffatt). Note: The fi nancial summary refers to a wind energy system for Squamish, Canada.