Frequently asked questions

The energy transition refers to the full set of measures applied to decarbonizing Québec, thereby helping to limit global warming. The challenge is sizeable, since it involves gradually replacing polluting energy sources like gas and coal with renewable ones such as hydroelectricity, wind power or solar power. Electricity has never been so valuable.

Energy efficiency seeks to reduce energy consumption and waste by encouraging wiser use of our collective energy resources. This involves using less energy to deliver the same or a similar level of service—for example, through more efficient equipment or measures designed to recover waste heat.

Because implementing energy efficiency measures can reduce your electricity costs while making your business more competitive. By using energy more efficiently and responsibly, you'll contribute to the sustainable management of hydropower resources and play an active role in Québec's energy transition.

Demand response involves temporarily reducing the metered demand of a building or process during the periods when electricity demand is at its highest. Not only does this reduction help ease pressure on the grid, but customers who participate in peak demand events also receive a credit on their bill.

Because it offers financial support for implementing energy efficiency and demand response measures. Depending on your needs, it can also include an energy analysis of one or more buildings. The program is designed to help Hydro‑Québec customers use less electricity and become more competitive through a flexible offering tailored to their business activities or operational realities, whatever their line of work.

Based on your business and needs profile, we recommend you start by exploring the various program components (Energy Analysis, Small Businesses, Medium and Large Businesses and Farming) and their accompanying participant's guides. This will give you a sense of the requirements and the steps to take. You can also obtain tailored support from an industry professional, as well as contact us for more information.

Experts in the field are encouraged to inform their clients about the program and to propose energy efficiency or demand response projects.

Visit the Partners web page, which provides useful information and documentation to support your clients.

The Efficient Solutions Program is designed to be simple and accessible. For the Small Businesses component, the Simplified Option of the Medium and Large Businesses component, and the Farming component, you can use the OSE tool to calculate financial support in just a few clicks. As for the Customized Option, which is designed for medium and large businesses, Hydro‑Québec's team of experts is on hand to guide you through each stage of the application process.

The Efficient Solutions Program is intended for all businesses that use one or more buildings for commercial, institutional, industrial or agricultural activities and whose electricity is supplied by the Hydro‑Québec grid or through an eligible off-grid, municipal or cooperative system. Please refer to the Program page for full documentation and the complete list of requirements.

A request can be submitted by:

• A business or organization located in Québec, and accompanied or not by its partner (e.g., a supplier),
• A partner, i.e., a company that submits a project on behalf of a customer who has mandated it for this purpose,
• An aggregator, i.e., a company that submits a project on behalf of their customers.

Partners who accompany their customers under the Efficient Solutions Program generally receive incentive compensation. Their customer receives the financial support.

Aggregators submit the projects on their customers' behalf and receive both the financial support and the incentive compensation.

Hydro‑Québec periodically updates its Efficient Solutions Program. This is not only to improve various aspects, but also to better meet the needs of its business customers and reflect the evolving market trends in energy efficiency.

The improvements are also designed to encourage more customers to participate and thereby benefit from the program's many advantages.

In an energy transition context, electricity is more valuable than ever—and must be used wisely. For Hydro‑Québec, reducing electricity consumption helps limit the need to develop new infrastructures. With this in mind, the company offers financial support to encourage the adoption of sound energy management practices and efficient technologies that promote responsible electricity use.

Energy efficiency is also an effective way to lower energy costs. This is why Hydro‑Québec offers tools and programs designed to support customers in their energy-saving efforts.

The transitional rules outline the new terms, conditions and requirements that apply to certain components of the Efficient Solutions Program, depending on when the work began. Go to the transitional rules

You can contact us.

Since March 31, 2026, OSE 6.0 has replaced OSE 5.1.

To find out which version applies to your work start date, please refer to the OSE tool.

Key changes are as follows:

New measures added

1. Updated building envelope support measures with increased financial support
   1. Openings: windows and exterior garage doors
   2. Opaque element insulation: roofs and exterior walls
   3. Thermal bridges and junctions
   4. Commissioning: thermal assessment and airtightness testing
   5. Certifications: Passive House, BCZ-Design, LEED v4 and v5
2. New measure for solar panels
3. Decentralized heat pump and geothermal heat exchanger on a mixed water loop system
4. Phase-change thermal storage

Increased financial support

1. Thermal envelope
2. Multi-measure bonus (10% or 15%) applicable to certain measures:
   1. Heat recovery systems
   2. Geothermal heat pumps
   3. Thermal envelope

Revised financial support

1. Reduced financial support for DLC Premium-certified light fixtures
2. Merged lighting control measures
3. Standardized financial support for horticultural LED lighting, with or without natural light (Farming component)

Measure removed from eligibility

1. DLC Standard-certified light fixtures

Eligibility modifications

1. Split-system aerothermal heat pumps: eligibility now limited to ENERGY STAR-certified units
2. AHRI-certified heat pumps are no longer eligible

Modifications to certain terms and conditions

1. Under the Medium and Large Businesses component, minimum financial support has been reduced from $2,500 to $1,000
2. For the simplified offer, a $5-million cap has been introduced (aligned with the Customized Option)
3. OSE 2.1 removed; projects with a start date prior to May 9, 2022, are no longer eligible
4. Projects with a start date between May 9, 2022, and October 6, 2024, must be submitted under OSE 4.1

Yes. You can view the list by consulting the interactive database on the Energy Star® website.

Yes. For projects with a start date between October 7, 2024, and March 30, 2025, Hydro‑Québec allows participants to choose the version of the OSE tool (5.1 or 4.1) that offers them the most advantages, depending on the measures to be implemented.

Please refer to the Solar webpage.

A number of factors influence the financial support available under the Efficient Solutions Program. Fluctuations in equipment costs and adoption rates are two key reasons why amounts might be adjusted.

When a given type of efficient equipment becomes standard or commonplace—for example, LED lighting—the incentive is gradually reduced, and then withdrawn.

Conversely, to encourage the adoption of more efficient technologies that have not yet become market standards—for example, geothermal energy—Hydro‑Québec increases the financial assistance available for these technologies to lower purchase barriers and increase uptake.

The Energy Analysis component was last updated on March 31, 2025; for this reason, it will remain unaffected by the March 31, 2026 program update.

Note that the Participant's Guide has been updated to harmonize certain elements and ensure consistency with the program's other components.

The eligibility criteria were modified, financial support was increased, and demand response measures were added. Note that aggregators are no longer eligible for this component. Please refer to the Energy Analysis page for information about the applicable requirements.

An energy analysis provides you with a clear picture of your energy use, identifies the best ways for you to save and prioritizes measures that are technically and financially feasible. Under the Energy Analysis component, you can first receive financial support to carry out the analysis, and then further financial support to implement the selected measures. Personalized support from Hydro‑Québec experts is also offered at each stage of the process.

We recommend that you start by consulting the available documentation on the Energy Analysis page to find out about the requirements and the steps to take. You can also call on engineering consulting services or an industry professional for support, or contact us for more information.

The Energy Analysis component is intended for Québec-based companies with one or more buildings used for commercial, institutional or industrial activities, and whose electricity is supplied from either the Hydro‑Québec grid or an eligible off-grid, municipal or cooperative system. Please refer to the Energy Analysis page for information about the applicable requirements.

No. The analysis must also cover energy efficiency measures.

You can contact us for further details or assistance. You can also call on an industry professional, who will be able to guide you through the process.

As a small business, you could benefit from financial support covering up to 90% of your eligible costs, as well as a lowered eligibility threshold of $500 for implementing energy efficiency measures that have been tailored to your operations. By improving your energy performance, these measures could lower your electricity bill and enhance your competitiveness.

Under the Small Businesses component, there's only one offering, and it's for the measures in the OSE tool.

In contrast, the Medium and Large Businesses component has two offerings:

• The Simplified Option for the measures in the OSE tool
• The Customized Option for measures that aren't in the OSE tool

Enhanced financial support is available to companies that participate in the Small Businesses component, and the minimum threshold for obtaining financial support is lower than in the Medium and Large Businesses component.

This component is intended for Québec-based companies subject to Rate G or Flex Rate G that operate one or more commercial, institutional or industrial buildings, and whose electricity is supplied from either the Hydro‑Québec grid or an eligible off-grid, municipal or cooperative system. Please refer to the Documents section of the Energy-efficient Equipment for Businesses page for information on program requirements.

We recommend that you start by consulting the available documentation on the Energy-efficient Equipment for Businesses page to find out about the requirements and the steps to take. You can also call on an engineering consulting firm or industry professional, as well as contact our customer and partner support services at 1 800 ENERGIE (1 800 363‑7443).

Hydro‑Québec helped develop an energy efficiency guide for small businesses. The guide and other information on the recommended measures can be found on the Ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP) website.

Yes. The requested financial support, calculated using the OSE tool, must be at least $500. An aggregator can group several projects together to reach the required amount. Please refer to the Energy-efficient Equipment for Businesses page for more information on the requirements.

Yes. Any one company can submit an application that covers multiple buildings.

Yes. The OSE tool will base the calculation on these criteria.

Projects must be submitted to Hydro‑Québec only after the work has been completed. However, the OSE tool will estimate the amount of financial support to which you may be entitled for the measures implemented.

Hydro‑Québec will acknowledge receipt of your project and assess its compliance. You may be asked to provide additional information. Please refer to the Energy-efficient Equipment for Businesses page for more information.

Yes. If you are submitting a project in the Small Businesses component, you must include copies of all equipment purchase and installation receipts related to each energy efficiency measure, in addition to all other required documents.

As a medium or large business, you could receive financial support covering up to 75% of your eligible costs for implementing energy efficiency and/or demand response measures. By improving your energy performance, these measures could lower your electricity bill and directly enhance your competitiveness.

This component is intended for Québec-based companies subject to a rate other than Rate G or Flex Rate G that operate one or more commercial, institutional or industrial buildings, and whose electricity is supplied from either the Hydro‑Québec grid or an eligible off-grid, municipal or cooperative system. Please refer to the Documents section of the Energy-efficient Equipment for Businesses page for information on program requirements.

We recommend that you start by consulting the available documentation on the Energy-efficient Equipment for Businesses page to find out about the requirements and the steps to take. You can also call on an engineering consulting firm or industry professional, as well as contact our customer and partner support services at 1 800 463‑9900 or your account representative.

Yes. If you are submitting a project in the Medium and Large Businesses component, you must include copies of all equipment purchase and installation receipts related to each energy efficiency measure, in addition to all other required documents.

Under the Simplified Option, the requested financial support must come to at least $1,000. An aggregator can group several projects together to reach the required amount. The Customized Option has different terms and conditions. Please refer to the Energy-efficient Equipment for Businesses page for more information.

Under the Simplified Option, projects must be submitted to Hydro‑Québec only after the work has been completed. However, the OSE tool will estimate the amount of financial support to which you may be entitled for the measures implemented.

Under the Customized Option, you must contact Hydro‑Québec to check your project's eligibility.

Hydro‑Québec will acknowledge receipt of your project and assess its compliance. You may be asked to provide additional information.

Please refer to the Energy-efficient Equipment for Businesses page for more information.

Experts in the field are encouraged to inform their clients about the program and to propose energy efficiency or demand response projects.

Visit the Partners web page, which provides useful information and documentation to support your clients.