Net Metering for Rate G customer-generators served by an off-grid system – Option III
A customer-generator is a Hydro‑Québec customer who produces electricity using equipment they own and operate to meet part or all of their energy needs.
If you’re a customer-generator, if you generate electricity from a renewable energy source and if your installation is connected to one of Hydro‑Québec’s off-grid systems, except the Schefferville and Lac-Robertson systems, Net Metering Option III may be of interest to you. It allows you to inject your surplus power into the Hydro‑Québec grid in exchange for credits applied to reduce your bill. Inversely, if the power you generate is not enough to meet your needs, you can draw power from the Hydro‑Québec grid and enjoy reliable, high-quality service.
Your electricity bill will periodically be accompanied by a report that shows your consumption in kilowatthours (kWh), how much electricity was supplied by Hydro‑Québec and how much you injected into the grid. If you generate more than you use, the surplus will earn banked credits that will be deducted from your future bills.
Managing your surplus bank
Under Net Metering Option III for customer-generators connected to an off-grid system, if you feed in more electricity to the grid than you draw out, the surplus is put into a bank in the form of credits.
The value of the power injected into the system is equal to the number of kilowatthours (kWh) injected multiplied by a price that varies depending on the type of generating station that supplies electricity to the off-grid system to which your electrical installation is connected.
Prices for electricity injected based on the type of generating station that supplies the off-grid system:
- Heavy fuel oil power plant: /kWh
- Light diesel power plant: /kWh
- Arctic diesel power plant: /kWh
Rates in effect as of April 1, . This table does not replace the Electricity Rates publication in any way whatsoever.
A bill under a contract with the Net Metering Option III for customer-generators cannot be below the applicable system access charge.
These credits cannot be exchanged for money or transferred to another electrical service contract. They will expire after a certain period of time.
Your surplus bank will be initially reset to zero at the start of the consumption period beginning on or after March 31 following your initial sign-up. After that, it will be reset to zero every 24 months. In other words, you have two years to use your credits, apart from those accumulated during the first months.
You may make arrangements with Hydro‑Québec for a later reset date, as long as it falls within the 24 months following your sign-up. Your bank will then be reset to zero at the start of the consumption period beginning after the selected date, and every 24 months thereafter. Since the first reset is scheduled for March 31 after you sign up for this option, be sure to contact us before then.
Example for a Rate G customer‑generator
Consumption period 1
Baseline data
- Kilowatthours supplied by Hydro‑Québec 500 kWh
- Kilowatthours injected into Hydro‑Québec grid 300 kWh
- Surplus bank balance – previous period $0.00
Bill calculation
| Value of electricity injected (arctic diesel power plant) | /kWh1 x 300 kWh = |
| Surplus bank | $0.00 + = |
| System access charge | = 1, 2 |
| Energy supplied by Hydro‑Québec | /kWh1 x 500 kWh = |
| Amount due for electrical service | + = |
| Maximum amount to be withdrawn from surplus bank | – = |
| Amount due after withdraw from surplus bank | = |
| Surplus bank balance | – = |
- Rates in effect as of April 1, . This table does not replace the Electricity Rates publication in any way whatsoever.
- Per month, prorated to the number of days in the billing period.
Consumption period 2
Baseline data
- Kilowatthours supplied by Hydro‑Québec 800 kWh
- Kilowatthours injected into Hydro‑Québec grid 250 kWh
- Surplus bank balance – previous period
Bill calculation
| Value of electricity injected (arctic diesel power plant) | /kWh1 x 250 kWh = |
| Surplus bank | + = |
| System access charge | = 1, 2 |
| Energy supplied by Hydro‑Québec | /kWh1 x 800 kWh = |
| Amount due for electrical service | + = |
| Maximum amount to be withdrawn from surplus bank | – = |
| Amount due after withdraw from surplus bank | = |
| Surplus bank balance | – = |
- Rates in effect as of April 1, . This table does not replace the Electricity Rates publication in any way whatsoever.
- Per month, prorated to the number of days in the billing period.
Who can sign up for Net Metering Option III?
Residential and farm customers billed at Rate D, DM or DN and small-power business customers billed at Rate G whose maximum power demand never exceeded 50 kilowatts (kW) at least once during the last 12 consecutive monthly periods, who are supplied by one of Hydro‑Québec’s off-grid systems, except the Schefferville and Lac-Robertson systems, and who are able to generate electricity from a renewable energy source. The eligible renewable energy sources are:
- wind power
- photovoltaic power
- hydroelectric power
- geothermal power (for electricity generation only)
- bioenergy (forest biomass or biogas)
The electricity must be generated at a facility that is located at the same delivery point as the electricity service contract.
Customers are responsible for the costs of purchasing, installing, maintaining and inspecting the equipment.
Equipment compliance
Your generating equipment must be compliant with current regulations in Québec and with all conditions stipulated by Hydro‑Québec, in particular Hydro‑Québec standards E.12‑05 and E.12‑07.
The maximum generating capacity of the equipment must not exceed the lesser of the following:
- the estimated capacity required to meet all or part of your energy needs, or
- 20 kilowatts (kW) for single-phase delivery or 50 kW for three-phase delivery.
Want to sign up for Net Metering Option III or find out more about it?
Visit Hydro‑Québec’s Self-generation website.