Energir — Energy efficiency program – Feasibility study

• Financial assistance for feasibility studies covers the lowest of 50% of the study costs before taxes or $50,000 per account and per fiscal year.
• Financial assistance for the implementation of energy efficiency measures is $1 per m³ of natural gas saved in the first year, up to a maximum of $1,000,000 per account and per fiscal year, or 50% of eligible project costs before taxes; requests under $1,000 are not eligible.
• Additional financial assistance for energy tracking (monitoring savings) is available, covering up to 80% of monitoring costs, with a maximum of $15,000.
• When other financial aid is received for the same project, Énergir's contribution is reduced to ensure that the client pays at least 25% of the eligible project costs.

• The applicant must be a current or prospective Énergir customer.
• The applicant must operate in the commercial, institutional, or industrial sector.
• The project must aim to improve energy efficiency related to natural gas or renewable natural gas consumption provided by Énergir.
• All studies or implementation projects must be recommended or carried out by a registered engineering firm or a qualified engineer employed by the applicant, and be reviewed and signed by a member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec.
• Applications must be submitted before the start of the feasibility study or the implementation of efficiency measures.

Who is eligible?

• Commercial sector companies
• Institutional sector organizations
• Industrial sector companies

Who is not eligible

• Companies that are not current or prospective Énergir customers in the commercial, institutional, or industrial sectors.
• Projects or measures that involve the substitution of natural gas with another form of energy as the primary focus.
• Projects that have already received financial assistance for feasibility studies from the EcoPerformance program.
• Projects in buildings or facilities that have undergone a similar feasibility study within the last five years, unless significant modifications or new focus areas are demonstrated.
• Projects where the essential focus is on equipment modernization or rate optimization, as these are not eligible if they constitute the main recommendations.

Eligible expenses

• Incremental costs of energy efficiency measures or projects (including material acquisition, installation, and engineering work before taxes).
• Engineering and professional fees, both internal and external, related to the feasibility study or implementation of eligible measures.
• Costs for the purchase and installation of equipment directly tied to the approved energy efficiency measures.
• Expenses for energy consumption measurement and tracking equipment related to the follow-up of achieved savings (subject to program approval).
• Professional fees for the preparation and verification of energy savings calculations and follow-up reports.

Eligible geographic areas

• Quebec

• Compliance with the specifications and the service offer previously approved by Énergir.
• Clear justification and documentation of the projected natural gas savings using validated calculations.
• Compliance with applicable laws and regulations regarding air quality, the environment, and natural gas and propane installation codes.
• Submission of a preliminary report for Énergir's review before the final presentation to the client.
• Adherence to the specified deadlines for each phase of the project.

• Financial assistance may be reduced if additional grants from other organizations are received for the same project.
• For large projects saving 500,000 m³ of natural gas or more annually, post-implementation tracking of energy savings is mandatory.
• A preliminary feasibility study report must be submitted before the final version is provided to the client.
• Invoices for financial assistance must comply with specific tax requirements, including TPS and TVQ details.