Saving a file
In RETScreen Plus, a RETScreen file can be saved in a ".ret5" file format as part of the RETScreen Project Database as a user-defined project. The user may create (i.e. save) as many ".ret5" files as preferred, and in fact, may save multiple versions of a project, or multiple projects, within one single ".ret5" file. The ".ret5" files are created by the user by using the Save icon in the File worksheet or by pressing "ctrl-s" on the keyboard. This allows the user to customise the project database with their own user-defined ".ret" files, and allows for easy transmission of project files over the Internet, to be shared with other RETScreen users working on a particular project.
In RETScreen 4 and REFRIG3, to save a RETScreen Workbook file in Excel file format (e.g. ".xls"), normal Excel saving procedures can be used.
In addition to, or instead of, the standard Excel saving option, a RETScreen data file can be saved in a ".ret" file format as part of the RETScreen Project Database as a user-defined project. The user may create (i.e. save) as many ".ret" files as preferred, and in fact, may save multiple versions of a project, or multiple projects, within one single ".ret" file. The ".ret" files are created by the user by using the "Save" or "Save as" Excel functions, and then selecting the special RETScreen file type (*.ret). In addition to the advantage of allowing the user to customise the project database with these user-defined ".ret" files, the other advantage is that the ".ret" file size is about 100 KB as opposed to 8 MB for a conventional ".xls" file that is normally created when saving an Excel workbook file. This helps free up considerable hard-drive space and allows for easier transmission of project files over the Internet, to be shared with other RETScreen users working on a particular project.
Note: If additional worksheets are inserted into the RETScreen workbook, they will not be saved if the user saves the file in ".ret" file format. Instead, the RETScreen workbook should be saved in the Excel file format (e.g. ".xls"). Links to external worksheets will be saved in the ".ret" file, but the external worksheets need to be saved separately in the Excel file format.
The Delete button in the User-defined Project database dialogue box allows the user to delete projects from the user-defined project data within an individual ".ret" file. This is provided because each time the user clicks on "Save" or the save icon, the file is saved within the ".ret" file. The delete function allows the user to delete versions that are not required. This is purely an optional housekeeping function.
In RETScreen 4 and REFRIG3, to save a RETScreen Workbook file in Excel file format (e.g. ".xls"), normal Excel saving procedures can be used.
In addition to, or instead of, the standard Excel saving option, a RETScreen data file can be saved in a ".ret" file format as part of the RETScreen Project Database as a user-defined project. The user may create (i.e. save) as many ".ret" files as preferred, and in fact, may save multiple versions of a project, or multiple projects, within one single ".ret" file. The ".ret" files are created by the user by using the "Save" or "Save as" Excel functions, and then selecting the special RETScreen file type (*.ret). In addition to the advantage of allowing the user to customise the project database with these user-defined ".ret" files, the other advantage is that the ".ret" file size is about 100 KB as opposed to 8 MB for a conventional ".xls" file that is normally created when saving an Excel workbook file. This helps free up considerable hard-drive space and allows for easier transmission of project files over the Internet, to be shared with other RETScreen users working on a particular project.
Note: If additional worksheets are inserted into the RETScreen workbook, they will not be saved if the user saves the file in ".ret" file format. Instead, the RETScreen workbook should be saved in the Excel file format (e.g. ".xls"). Links to external worksheets will be saved in the ".ret" file, but the external worksheets need to be saved separately in the Excel file format.
The Delete button in the User-defined Project database dialogue box allows the user to delete projects from the user-defined project data within an individual ".ret" file. This is provided because each time the user clicks on "Save" or the save icon, the file is saved within the ".ret" file. The delete function allows the user to delete versions that are not required. This is purely an optional housekeeping function.
