June 2022
Member Spotlight
Throughout 2022, SECC will recognize one member every month, providing an organizational profile and highlighting the member's accomplishments in the smart energy space.
About Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec is a government corporation headquartered in Montréal, Québec. A recognized leader in hydropower and large power grids, it exports clean and renewable energy and promotes its expertise and innovations on world markets. For more than 75 years, Hydro-Québec has provided reliable energy and competitively priced, high-quality services tailored to its customers’ needs. Relying on clean renewable energy sources, Hydro-Québec contributes to Québec’s collective wealth and plays a central role in the emergence of a green sustainable economy. A firm believer in the power of innovation, Hydro-Québec develops state-of-the-art solutions and shares its expertise to help decarbonize the economy and optimize energy use.
Hydro-Québec by the numbers:
- Hydroelectric generating stations: 61
- Installed capacity: 37,231 MW
- Transmission lines: 34,826 km
- Distribution lines: 226,949 km
- Customers: 4.4 million
- Investments in Québec in 2021: $4.2B
- Net electricity sales: 210.8 TWh
2020-2029 Energy Savings Goal: 8.2 TWh
Energy efficiency is in Hydro-Québec’s DNA. To avoid wasting valuable natural resources, maintain an ecosystem of economic activities driven by energy efficiency products and services, enhance the competitiveness of local companies, defer new investments in electricity generation, transmission and distribution, better manage peaks by maximizing the use of its infrastructures and ensure that customer rates remain among the lowest in North America, Hydro-Québec has set the very ambitious goal of achieving 8.2 TWh in energy savings from 2020 to 2029.
Three new energy efficiency initiatives are in line with this strategic objective.
The Energy Performance Indicator
In April 2022, Hydro-Québec launched the energy performance indicator – a tool that provides customers with all their electricity use data at a glance. The advanced features help them better understand, track and analyze the elements that can impact their electricity bills and set out personalized recommendations in an action plan that leads to savings.
Available online and through the Hydro-Québec mobile application, this leading-edge, user-friendly tool provides customers with their energy consumption data hour by hour, day by day, month by month and bill by bill, as well as comparisons of their electricity use with the same period one and two years ago and estimates of their electricity consumption by use per billing period or year. The energy performance indicator makes comparisons with similar households and includes personalized advice and offers in action plans for every season to help customers reduce their electricity use and lower their bills.
The energy performance indicator, which replaces the ENERGY WISE Home Diagnostic (2003) and Dare to Compare (2011) services, is Hydro-Québec’s flagship efficiency program for residential customers.
Efficient Solutions for Small Businesses
Since 2011, Hydro-Québec has provided financial assistance to agricultural, commercial, institutional and industrial customers seeking to implement energy efficiency measures through the Efficient Solutions program. In 2021, it generated more than 405 GWh in energy savings.
Historically, smaller businesses have shown significantly less interest in energy efficiency programs, and Hydro-Québec recently adapted the Efficient Solutions program in response to their needs. Since May 9, 2022, small businesses (e.g., offices, restaurants, bars, grocery shops, convenience stores, retail stores, auto repair shops, etc.) can benefit from enhanced financial support to cover up to 90 percent of eligible additional costs. The minimum threshold was lowered to $1,000 in financial assistance to encourage the participation of smaller projects. An incentive is also available to aggregators and partners that submit projects on behalf of customers.
Electric Thermal Storage
Customers who want to replace their fuel‑burning central heating system with an electric one or invest in a new system may be eligible for the central heating with electric thermal storage program. From a heating decarbonization perspective, electric thermal storage technology offers the two-fold benefit of increasing electricity sales without adding load during peak periods.
Hydro-Québec launched a pilot project in which residential customers who opt for central heating with electric thermal storage receive a rebate on the purchase and installation of an eligible system. Hydro-Québec recommends that participants also sign up for the dynamic Rate Flex D to fully benefit from the savings offered by central heating with electric thermal storage. Depending on the results of the pilot project, Hydro-Québec may launch a broader purchase and installation program for residential customers.
