Solar panels and Hydro-Québec: the process

Hydro-Québec lists solar panels among its examples of self-generation installations, under “Production”. Before it is connected to the grid, the project goes through a request, two approvals and testing. Most of that paperwork falls to the electrical contractor, not to you. Here is the order of the steps, what each one involves, and what happens on your bill afterwards.

Who does what: you, the master electrician, Hydro-Québec

Three parties share the file, and the municipality sometimes steps in for the permit. The table follows the actual order of the project.

Hydro-Québec also advises checking that the electrical contractor is a member of the CMEQ, the Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec.

Step 1: the self-generation equipment installation request

The electrical contractor assesses and plans the project with you, then files the self-generation equipment installation request with Hydro-Québec. This form is used to officially file a new connection project on a client’s behalf, and it is reserved for the electrical contractor. So you don’t fill out this form yourself.

The technical file follows Hydro-Québec’s E.12-07 standard, which covers certified inverters connected to the grid. Among other things, it requires:

• a single-line diagram of the installation, signed by a member of the CMEQ or of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec;
• the inverter’s certificate of compliance with UL1741-SB;
• the inverter’s IEEE 2030.5 certificate.

To use net metering, the equipment must meet Hydro-Québec’s E.12-01 and E.12-07 standards. Since the file includes the inverter’s certificates, the inverter is chosen at the request stage.

Step 2: conditional approval, before you buy

Hydro-Québec recommends waiting for its conditional approval before buying your self-generation equipment. The reason is simple: if your area already has a high concentration of self-generation, your request could be put on hold until capacity is freed up on the grid.

Step 3: the work, the permit and the RBQ declaration

The installation must comply with the Québec Construction Code, Chapter V (Electricity), and with the CSA C22.3 No. 9 standard. According to the same Hydro-Québec standard, a building permit may be required by the municipality to install solar panels. If the city requires a municipal permit, it is part of our job.

The electrical contractor must declare the work they performed to the Régie du bâtiment du Québec. Under the same regulation, the declaration is due no later than the twentieth day of the month after the work begins. The regulation provides a few exemptions, for example work of no more than 10 kW that requires no wiring to be replaced or added.

If you are aiming for the solar rebate, the installer’s licence also matters: more on that below.

Step 4: testing, verification report and final approval

Once the installation is in place, the electrical contractor carries out the compliance tests and sends a signed verification report to Hydro-Québec. The form used is the verification report for low-power inverters covered by the E.12-07 standard, also reserved for the contractor.

Final approval from Hydro-Québec is mandatory before your self-generation equipment is connected to the grid. Keep a copy: it is a required document for the solar rebate.

Net metering, explained simply

Hydro-Québec’s net metering option, also called Option I, lets you send the electricity you don’t use to Hydro-Québec’s grid and receive credits in kilowatt-hours (kWh) in return.

• Credits, not a monthly cheque: what your panels produce beyond your needs is credited in kWh.
• A bank reset every 24 months: at that point, a positive balance is applied as a credit on your bill, based on the average cost of supply set out in Hydro-Québec’s Electricity Rates.
• A size capped by your needs: the installation matches the capacity estimated to cover part or all of your energy needs, and does not exceed 1,000 kW.
• Compliant equipment: Hydro-Québec’s E.12-01 and E.12-07 standards apply.

In other words, the system size is capped: no more than the capacity your estimated needs call for, and never more than 1,000 kW.

Hydro-Québec’s solar rebate (LogisVert)

Hydro-Québec offers a rebate of $1,000 per kilowatt installed, up to 40% of the total cost of buying and installing the solar panels. The program guide sets no dollar cap for this measure: the limit is the 40%.

Eligible homes: single-family, semi-detached, row, mobile or cottage-type house, multiplex, and residential building with 19 units or fewer.

The panels must:

• be new and certified to CSA 22.2 No. 61730 and CSA 61215, or to their UL or IEC equivalents;
• have been bought in a store in Québec, or online from a business with an address in Québec.

The work must cover the complete installation of the panels and the inverter, including the cables and the racking, with a connection approved by Hydro-Québec. The final connection request must have been made by a master electrician.

The installer’s licences: for installing the panels, an RBQ licence that includes subcategory 11.2 (special equipment and products) or 13.5 (special or prefabricated installations); for the electrical work, subcategory 16, Electricity. A contractor offering a turnkey service must hold all of these licences, unless they hold a general contractor licence. Hydro-Québec also recommends, without requiring it, a certification such as NABCEP’s.

What is not eligible: replacing a complete or partial photovoltaic system, repairing or replacing the roof, and energy storage equipment.

The application, in order:

1. Wait for Hydro-Québec’s official approval: rebate applications are filed once it has been received.
2. Apply online at logisvert.ca: an application sent by email or by mail is not processed.
3. Attach the required documents: proof of ownership, either the municipal tax bill or the first page of the deed of sale; a copy of the final connection approval; the invoices for buying and installing the panels and the inverter; the panels’ certificates of compliance with CSA 22.2 No. 61730 and CSA 61215 (or their UL or IEC equivalents) and their technical data sheets; one or more clear photos showing the number of panels installed.
4. Check the invoice: it must show its number and date, your name, the installation date and address, the name of the company that did the work, its RBQ licence number, its GST and QST numbers, a description of the panels and of the work, the manufacturer and model of the panels, and the cost of purchase and of the work.
5. Meet the program’s deadline: no later than nine months after the measure is put in place.

According to the program guide, Hydro-Québec processes the application in 10 to 12 weeks from receipt of a complete application. If your application is accepted, you agree not to submit another rebate application for the same equipment or the same work.

What about a battery?

Hydro-Québec’s solar rebate does not pay for a battery: energy storage equipment is not eligible under LogisVert. Yet, to Hydro-Québec, a battery that stores energy is one of the self-generation installations, and the E.12-07 standard also covers inverters connected to an energy storage system.

Does a battery on its own, connected in parallel with the grid, need the same process as panels? Yes. Hydro-Québec’s application guide for the E.12-07 standard also covers battery storage systems, and any generating equipment connected in parallel with the grid requires its authorization: the master electrician files the connection request, preferably before the equipment is bought, and it is best to wait for the conditional approval before buying.

On the Québec government side, Rénoclimat pays up to $4,000 for adding a fixed battery, under its own conditions, including: a battery connected to the panel and to the grid, with an inverter that meets the E.12-07 standard. Nothing confirms that the same project can receive both Hydro-Québec’s solar rebate and Rénoclimat’s assistance: each of the two programs limits combining. Our guide on Rénoclimat for a battery and a generator covers the measure in detail.

What STM does for you

Hydro-Québec leaves the connection request to the electrician. At STM-Électrique, we file the request and follow it through to final approval.

• A master electrician in charge: the company is run by Adam Chirola, master electrician.
• The licences the rebate requires: our RBQ licence 5815-0137-01 is valid and includes subcategories 11.2, 13.5 and 16.
• Members of the CMEQ, as Hydro-Québec recommends.
• The municipal permit: if the city requires one, it is part of our job.
• Panels installed by us: we install them ourselves.
• Certified equipment only: we don’t install uncertified equipment.

Every solar project is different, and the exact price is in the quote. The quote is written and free of charge.

The full service, from installing the panels to connecting the battery: see our page on solar panel and battery installation.

Connecting a new electrical service entrance works the same way: the approvals, the coordination and the follow-up with Hydro-Québec are our job. See our page on replacing an electrical service entrance (in French).

Frequently asked questions