(Montreal) Hydro-Québec’s “net metering” program is an obstacle to the self-production of renewable energy according to Bâtiment durable Québec, which recommends that the government encourage the production of solar energy by citizens and businesses.
Bâtiment durable Québec (BDQ), a group made up in particular of engineers, architects, property managers and entrepreneurs, participated Wednesday in the consultation carried out on Bill 41, which provides for a vast project to decarbonize buildings .
BDQ calls on the government to modernize the regulatory framework that governs the production of solar and wind energy for individuals and businesses.
Currently, Quebec citizens and businesses are reducing their electricity bills by producing their own wind or solar energy. Thus, Hydro-Québec customers who sign up to the “net metering” program exchange their surplus energy with the state-owned company.
However, there are significant “brakes” in the “net metering” program according to BDQ.
“The capacity is enormous on the roofs,” indicated BDQ engineer Martin Roy, “but what slows down self-production or the production of electricity on roofs is the rules, it is the pricing and net metering which are only available for buildings that will produce less than 50 kilowatts (kW) at either the residential rate or the small commercial rate.”
The eligibility limit for the Hydro-Québec program, which is set at a power of 50 kilowatts (kW), would therefore discourage many organizations that would like to produce large quantities of renewable energy.
Martin Roy gave the example of the Varennes library, which is equipped with 110 kW photovoltaic panels, and which is therefore not eligible for the Hydro-Québec program, because its power exceeds 50 kilowatts.
“The building produces more than it consumes for a good part of the summer […]but it is obliged to buy electricity from Hydro-Québec because Hydro-Québec does not credit the electricity produced.”
The province is therefore behind other jurisdictions according to the engineer, who gave the example of “Alberta which produces approximately 130 times more renewable energy production on buildings” than Quebec.
“Hydro-Québec has already mentioned that it will reach a production limit and that we will need to produce additional energy. However, according to several studies, we could easily meet more than 25% of this additional demand in the next ten years. This production is relatively inexpensive,” he explained, referring to the potential of self-production of photovoltaic energy.
Public consultations and hearings on Bill No. 41 continue until Thursday.
This bill provides that new buildings meet a certain number of criteria relating to energy efficiency, carbon footprint, reduction of peak demand and the integration of infrastructure to promote sustainable mobility.
Existing buildings that must be renovated will also be subject to certain criteria related to energy efficiency.
The law also provides for a public register of the environmental performance of buildings as well as an “obligation to display and disclose the rating obtained by a building in certain circumstances”.