As part of its Energy Efficiency Plan, Hydro-Québec encourages customers to initiate demonstration and experimentation projects that show the benefits, cost-effectiveness and relevance of new technologies or new applications of existing technologies. It also supports laboratory tests to determine the technical performance and energy efficiency of new technologies.

Over a million dollars in financial assistance

Since November 2004, Hydro-Québec has allocated $1.2 million in financial assistance for the implementation of 15 projects by 2010 in several regions of Québec, 9 of them experimentation projects and 11 of them technology demonstration projects.

Business and industrial sector – Various applications

• Air conditioning: water chiller with two Turbocor compressors - office building, Montréal area **(cEE)
• Energy management using power line communication technology in a science complex building, near the city of Québec **
• Fluidized-bed dryer for wood particles in small-scale sawmills, near the city of Québec **(cEE)
• High-efficiency turbo blower for a water treatment plant, Saint-Hyacinthe area **(c)
• Energy management using power line communication technology in a textile plant, Beauce region **
• LED lamps for stage lighting, Montréal area **(cEE)
• Geothermal heat pump, Outaouais region *
• More efficient sawing, Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region *
• Energy efficient skylights, Yamaska region *

Institutional sector – Air conditioning and energy management

• Remote management of a street lighting system, near the city of Québec **
• LED street lighting system, Rouyn-Noranda region **
• LED lighting system for streets, parks and parking lots, near the city of Québec **
• LED street lighting system, Montréal area *

Residential sector – Use of movable solar screens and solar collectors

• Exterior solar screens, Montréal area *(c)
• Exterior solar screens, near the city of Québec *(c)
• Solar thermal collectors, Montréal area *(c)

Agricultural sector – Heat pads and photosynthetic lighting

• Use of heat pads at the transplant stage in cooperation with the centre for information and development of greenhouse operation (CIDES), Saint-Hyacinthe area **(cEE)
• Improving the efficiency of photosynthetic lighting in greenhouses, Portneuf region **(c)
• Use of artificial light with light emitting diodes (LEDs) with the centre for information and development of greenhouse operations (CIDES), Saint-Hyacinthe area **(c)
• Use of heating/watering mats and geothermal energy, Saint-Hyacinthe area ** (cEE)

Legend
* : Experimentation projects
** : Technology demonstration projects
(t) : Projects that have been completed, but that have not demonstrated energy efficiency
(tEE) : Completed projects having demonstrated energy efficiency

Update - February 2009