We now know the form that the new Hydro-Québec subsidy will take for the purchase of solar panels, a year after being announced. In total, it can represent up to 40 % of the total cost of the panels, a significant change for the consumer bill.
The Crown Company unveiled the details at the very end of a press release, released last Thursday.
“From 2026, [le] New financial support for the purchase of solar panels will be $ 1,000 for each kilowatt installed, subject to a maximum of 40 % of the total installation cost, ”explains Hydro-Québec.
This aid could represent $ 5,000 for a medium -sized house. In general, the latter includes a project of 10 to 15 solar panels, and the total bill amounts between $ 15,000 and $ 20,000, specifies Jean-Pierre Croteau, director, residential energy offers at Hydro-Québec.
“At first glance, it is better than what had been advanced, so it was very well received on our side,” reacted Frédéric Lavoie, managing director at Alt-Energie.
In August 2024, the crown corporation had suggested that the amount of the grant was to be assessed, but that it could potentially represent approximately 10 to 15 % of an installation.
But according to solar energy Quebec – an organization whose mandate is to promote the use of solar energy in Quebec -, this proportion was not interesting enough in the eyes of consumers in search of profitability1.
“Regardless of the type of grant, if we have a return of investment [pour l’installation de panneaux solaires] which is below 10 years, we are winnerthere, it will work, “explained the president of the organization, Patrick Goulet, during a meeting with Hydro-Québec at the end of May. “It was really necessary that the objective of the subsidy, that was that,” he reiterated, in an interview with The press.
Photo Patrick Sanfaçon, La Presse Archives
The president of solar energy Quebec, Patrick Goulet
Take this example: the Hydro-Québec website has a type of installation type, which includes 16 photovoltaic solar panels of 300 watts each. With a subsidy of only 15 %, the project would be profitable only after … about 23 years.
However, still according to the platform of the Crown Company, the lifespan of solar panels is 20 to 30 years, and that of the roof, of 20 years. Some users should therefore have to replace their panels, or even move before even recovering their investment.
By thus covering at most 40 % of the installation, the profitability threshold of photovoltaic panels would be reduced by almost half, around 10 to 12 years, said Hydro-Québec.
The number of years before obtaining a return on its investment, however, depends on several factors, such as panel technology, the manufacturer chosen or the space available on the roof.
Another element: the grant applies to individuals, but also to companies. For an average commercial building, the aid could represent a total aid of $ 40,500, notes Hydro-Québec in its press release.
And the batteries?
The unveiling of the form of subsidies was eagerly awaited within companies working in solar, Quebec. “The price is downright the number 1 issue, often, for customers, we always had questions about it,” said Lavoie, from Alt-Energie.
Sébastien Caron, president and founder of Volts Energies, who designs and manufactures solar energy systems for 23 years, has seen the grant. He even considers it interesting for someone who seeks to be profitable with a simple photovoltaic system.
“On the other hand, if we come to put batteries in there, there it is more expensive,” he underlines. The purchase of batteries is not essential to the proper functioning of solar panels, but their addition makes it possible to store the energy produced during large periods of sunshine, and ultimately, to avoid electricity failures and to reduce pressure on the electricity network.
For Hydro-Québec, the main objective is achieved, with this announcement. “We see that people are starting to demonstrate a certain interest [pour le stockage]but it is really in its beginnings, ”said Jean-Pierre Croteau.
Request to come in 2026
The objective of Hydro-Québec: 125,000 installations by 2035. For the moment, less than 1,000 residences already have solar panels.
“Our wish is that people are embarking on, but we don’t want to create a tidal wave either because we need the market to be structured,” says Croteau.
Last May, companies in installation of photovoltaic systems had expressed their concerns about this possibility2. A training is therefore prepared, behind the scenes, which will obtain accreditation to install solar panels, confirmed Mr. Caron.
“There will also be profiteers who will improvise solar installers overnight. This is what we want to avoid, says Sébastien Caron. It is possible that lots of products come out on the market, but that they do not have the certifications that Hydro-Québec requests. We will have to be vigilant and educate people well. »»
Energy Solar Québec is currently analyzing the impact of the grant announced, based on various costs of cost and increased electricity prices, before officially deciding on it.
1. Read our file “paid, solar panels?” »»
2. Read “Solar panels:” Is it fun, but who will make the installations? ” »»