Innovative Projects Program

• Financial support is provided at a maximum rate of $0.75 per kWh saved for eligible electricity savings, except for projects using geothermal heat pumps, which have a maximum rate of $1 per kWh saved.
• The total financial support cannot exceed 75% of the additional eligible costs (over standard reference scenario) for the project.
• The maximum funding per project is $12 million.
• Support received from multiple programs or organizations, including this one, combined cannot exceed 75% of the additional eligible project costs, with the participant responsible for at least 25%.

• The applicant must own, operate, or be in the process of constructing one or more eligible buildings located in Quebec.
• The project must involve either new buildings or existing buildings with residential, commercial, institutional, agricultural, or industrial use.
• The project must consist of the construction or major renovation of multiple buildings.
• The total usable floor area of all buildings in the project must exceed 50,000 m² (excluding non-habitable areas and spaces not served by the energy network).
• All buildings in the project must be supplied with electricity by Hydro-Québec's electricity distribution network or an eligible municipal or cooperative network.

Who is eligible?

• Residential building owners or developers
• Commercial building owners or developers
• Institutional building owners or developers
• Agricultural building owners or developers
• Industrial building owners or developers

Who is not eligible

• Projects supplied by an autonomous electricity network (i.e., not connected to Hydro-Québec's or an eligible municipal/cooperative grid).
• Companies or individuals who owe money to Hydro-Québec, have ceased operations, are in liquidation, under insolvency, or dissolution.
• Applicants who do not comply with Hydro-Québec's Terms of Service or electricity rates.

Eligible expenses

• Additional costs associated with the implementation of the energy network (Réseau d’énergie) and highly energy-efficient measures, compared to the reference scenario.
• Acquisition and installation of high-performance technologies and innovative electromechanical systems.
• Costs related to the installation of heat pumps or systems for the recovery and valorization of thermal waste.
• Expenses for the implementation of energy-efficient measures that result in eligible electricity savings.

Eligible geographic areas

• Quebec

• Improvement of the energy performance of each building by at least 25% compared to the reference scenario.
• Implementation of an energy network connecting all buildings in the project for optimized energy exchange and recovery.
• Use of high-efficiency heat pumps or waste heat recovery technologies that meet at least 80% of the heating needs for spaces and domestic hot water.
• Achievement of energy performance in new buildings that exceeds the standards set in the Quebec Construction Code and the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings 2015 (as modified).
• Approval by Hydro-Québec, including a review of supporting documents, financials, and technical specifications substantiating claimed energy savings and project costs.

• The program requires that all submitted documents, including reports and invoices, be prepared in French unless an exception is specified in the Charte de la langue française.
• Participants must not submit the same energy efficiency measures under another Hydro-Québec program.
• Hydro-Québec may request supporting documentation to verify implementation of measures or compliance with program requirements at any time.
• Confidentiality of project data will be maintained by Hydro-Québec, except for general project information such as participant identity, project cost, and granted financial support, which may be disclosed.