ÉcoPerformance — Standard Implementation stream

Eligibility for this grant is determined by specific requirements related to the type of consumer and the projects they intend to implement.

• Applicants must be classified as either "Grand consommateur" or "Petit et moyen consommateur," which includes industrial, commercial, and institutional categories.
• Projects must be aimed at energy efficiency, energy conversion, or reduction of fugitive emissions, excluding those for simplified implementation or bioenergy conversion.
• Projects must meet the specified Payback Period (PRI) minimum and maximum requirements for their category, which varies between 1 to 20 years depending on the type of consumer.
• Eligible expenses must fall under approved categories such as equipment purchase and upgrade costs, engineering work, installation, professional fees, and measuring and reporting costs.
• Conversion to another fossil energy source is not permitted for certain commercial, municipal, and institutional projects.
• Applicants with ISO 50001 certification may have specific cost-per-ton CO2e criteria.

Who is eligible?

Eligible applicants for this grant include organizations engaged in energy efficiency projects, energy conversion projects, and reduction of fugitive emissions. Specifically, the program is open to both large and small to medium consumers across industrial, commercial, and institutional sectors.

Eligible expenses

The grant covers specific expenses directly related to the acquisition and enhancement of equipment and the implementation of energy conversion projects.

• The cost of purchasing and upgrading equipment, including equipment required for energy consumption measurement.
• Engineering costs as defined under the applicable laws, covering various disciplines such as electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, and more.
• Installation costs.
• Commissioning costs.
• Professional fees.
• Calibration costs.
• Contribution fees that must be paid to the distributor to facilitate an energy conversion.
• Measurement costs and expenses for report drafting.

Eligible geographic areas

The grant program covers expenses directly associated with reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency.

• Costs related to energy analysis and consulting services.
• Engineering costs for detailed project analysis or RCx reporting.
• Purchase and installation of energy-efficient or conversion equipment.
• Administrative costs capped at 5% of total eligible expenses.
• Technical and economic studies for conversion of energy sources, particularly in mining sectors.
• Certification costs for energy management systems, such as ISO 50001.

EcoPerformance grants have evaluation and selection criteria that include:

• Demonstrated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
• Evidence of decreased fossil fuel consumption.
• Improvement in energy efficiency of processes and buildings.
• Reduction of fugitive emissions from processes.

Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

• Updated guidelines require that all new applications use the revised forms effective October 3, 2023.
• The maximum financial assistance for standard energy analyses for large energy consumers has increased from $50,000 to $75,000.
• Projects must consider the increased allowable timeline for completion according to the new regulations.
• A new internal and external hourly rate update is reflected in the guidelines.
• An administrative cost cap has been set at 5% of eligible expenses.
• There is a 30-day administrative period for the submission of applications to facilitate orderly reception and eligibility verification.
• For the RCx component, measures must represent at least 5% of the site's energy consumption prior to the project.
• A maximum of $10,000 in financial assistance is available for companies obtaining ISO 50001 certification under the Energy Management component.
• The commercial-institutional bi-energy component (natural gas and electricity) has been added.
• Voluntary participants in the Cap-and-Trade System for Greenhouse Gas Emission Allowances (SPEDE) are now eligible under the Implementation of Large Industrial Projects component.
• Projects utilizing CO2 refrigeration systems for agro-food processes and food preservation on industrial sites are accepted, regardless of compressor power.
• Refrigeration projects with a decentralized reference scenario are not eligible for food preservation.
• Projects accepted between December 7, 2018, and March 31, 2024, under EcoPerformance or Bioenergies are not eligible for additional funding from the Low Carbon Economy Fund.