The Innovative Projects Program promotes the development of high-performance energy-efficient real-estate projects.

Hydro-Québec is offering real estate promoters and building contractors financial assistance to develop projects that optimize building energy consumption through the use of high-performance technologies and innovative electromechanical systems.

Eligibility criteria

The main eligibility criteria are as follows:

  • The buildings
    • They must be brand new or have undergone major renovations.
    • Existing buildings that have undergone renovation.
    • They must be intended for residential, commercial, institutional, agricultural or industrial use.
  • The project
    • Must entail the construction or renovation of multiple buildings.
    • The usable area of all buildings covered by the project must exceed 50,000 square metres.
    • Heat pumps must meet at least 80% of the space heating (building envelope/fresh air) and water heating needs of all buildings covered by the project.
    • A district energy system is mandatory and must connect and supply all buildings covered by the project to enable heat exchange between them. It must meet the total space heating and air-conditioning needs (building envelope/fresh air) as well as all water-heating needs for all buildings covered.
    • Each building’s energy performance must improve by at least 25% in comparison with the performance of the reference building used by Hydro-Québec.
    • The energy efficiency measures implemented in each new or substantially renovated building must meet the criteria set out in the appendix to the guide.

Financial assistance

Financial assistance is provided to the participant (an individual, legal entity, corporation or trust) acting through the trustee or the organization that is submitting its project to Hydro-Québec.

The maximum amount of financial assistance is:

  • $8 million per project;
  • calculated based on the kilowatthours saved for all eligible electricity savings resulting from the energy efficiency measures implemented.

Incentive compensation

Hydro-Québec recognizes and encourages the contribution of consulting engineering firms who use their energy efficiency expertise to help clients – project participants – carry out their projects under the program.

The maximum compensation is:

  • $50,000 per project;
  • calculated based on the kilowatthours saved for all eligible electricity savings through the energy efficiency measures implemented.

Signing up for the program

Refer to the Participant's Guide [PDF 179 KB– in French only] to find out how to implement your project. A complete list of eligibility criteria as well as the steps involved in submitting your application are provided.

Contact us

Requests for information as well as any documents related to the program must be sent to projetsinnovants@hydro.qc.ca.

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