Quebec cannot deprive itself of the great potential of the roofs of available buildings which, once equipped with solar panels, could supply up to 25% of Hydro-Québec’s future electricity needs, according to a group of companies supported by energy experts.
In a brief submitted as part of the consultation on Quebec’s energy future, the group proposes measures to increase the province’s solar potential, which is currently very underused, explain Mike Perreault and Marco Deblois, respectively president and general manager of Rematek Energy.
The leaders of the company that specializes in solar installations are not disinterested, but they say they believe that it is above all Quebec that would benefit from exploiting the solar sector.
“We are not saying that we need solar energy rather than wind energy, they specify. They say we need both. »
“We count on the roof”
The plan submitted to the government suggests that it is realistic to obtain 2,000 megawatts of solar energy with tenders reserved for this type of energy and an additional 2,000 megawatts by encouraging the installation of solar panels on the roofs of residential, commercial and institutional buildings that can accommodate them. The cautious version of this plan called “On compte sur roof” could meet 12% of the needs identified by Hydro-Québec by 2032, a share that could reach 25% in a more muscular scenario.
tax credits
By adding a 20% tax credit to that offered by the federal government in its last budget, Quebec could encourage building owners to invest in solar panels and storage facilities. With the 30% federal tax credit, the owner of a commercial building can expect a return on his investment in 12.2 years. A provincial tax credit would reduce this period to less than 10 years and encourage building owners to invest in solar energy, say the leaders of Rematek Énergie, which built the solar roof of Maison Simons, in Quebec, and that of the architectural firm Lemay in Montreal.
From 13 to 16 cents per kilowatt hour
Another way to encourage Quebecers to invest in solar energy would be to buy this energy at an attractive rate, estimated at 16 cents per kilowatt hour for a residence and 13 cents per kilowatt hour for a commercial building. This rate, at least twice as high as the cost currently paid by Hydro-Quebec to private wind energy producers (6 cents per kilowatt hour), may seem too high, acknowledges Mike Perreault. “It needs to be explained: a residence or business equipped with solar panels provides energy where it is consumed and does not require costly investments in a transmission and distribution network. It is because we do not consider these costs that wind energy seems cheaper. »
Solar panels coupled with storage can also help reduce pressure on the Hydro-Quebec network during peak periods, he adds.
Pitfalls and little encouragement
Hydro-Québec limits to 50 kilowatts the volume of electricity that can be injected into its network by self-producers of energy. This is a major obstacle for building owners who would like to invest in high-capacity solar installations because they cannot resell their surpluses to Hydro-Québec.
The Government of Quebec, for its part, could do more to accelerate the development of the solar industry by requiring, for example, that future battery factories that will be set up in Quebec have solar roofs.
A dedicated call for tenders
A call for tenders from Hydro-Québec dedicated to solar energy would be another way to encourage the development of the sector, suggest stakeholders in the sector. The Minister for the Economy and Energy, Pierre Fitzgibbon, showed himself open to this possibility, which would make it possible to highlight the advantages of solar energy: its speed of production, better social acceptability and a contribution to peak demand.
During Hydro-Québec’s recent call for tenders for renewable energy, only one bid for a 32.4 megawatt solar park in Matane was received, and was not selected.