Home » Efficient Solutions Program – Small Business Component | Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec Efficient Solutions · Small Business stream · Updated September 22, 2026

Small business on Rate G: Hydro-Québec can pay up to 90% of your new equipment

Heat pumps, air conditioning, lighting, windows, refrigeration: more than 200 measures qualify for financial support. Here is who qualifies, what real businesses received, and how not to lose it at the last step. The rules changed on March 31, 2026: this page is up to date.

Check my eligibilitySee real projects
90%of eligible costs, at most
You pay at least 10%
$500minimum support per project
Threshold lowered from $1,000 to $500
$5Mcap per project
Amount calculated by the OSE tool
Rate G or Flex Gshown on your electricity bill
200+ measurespredefined in Hydro-Québec’s OSE tool
After the workyou apply once the equipment is installed
≈ 45 daysfor payment after your compliant invoice
01 · Eligibility

Nine conditions. Answer and we’ll tell you where you stand.

Every “no” opens an explanation taken from the March 2026 participant’s guide. Nothing is sent: it all stays in your browser.

1The building is in Québec and used for commercial, institutional or industrial activities, or it is a residential building with 20 or more units.
2Your electricity bill shows Rate G or Flex G.
3The business is established in Québec and has a Québec enterprise number (NEQ).
4The equipment is new: bought and installed for this project.
5If there is a split heat pump, the model is ENERGY STAR certified.
6The work is done by a company holding the required RBQ licence.
7These measures have not already received Hydro-Québec support in the past five years.
8The same project is not submitted to another program (for example ÉcoPerformance – Dual energy).
9The support calculated in OSE is at least $500.
02 · Real projects

What small businesses received, line by line

Four examples published by Hydro-Québec. Pick a business: the heat pump is almost always the biggest line of the support.

Total financial support0
Heat pumpsOther measures
0 %

Source: Hydro-Québec, commercial market project examples, Small businesses. Rounded amounts. They were calculated with an earlier version of the OSE tool: since March 31, 2026, DLC Premium lighting pays less and the building envelope pays much more. Your actual amount comes out of OSE 6.0.

03 · The 90% in plain terms

What you pay, at minimum and for real

The support paid is the smallest of three amounts: what OSE calculates, 90% of your eligible costs, and $5M. Enter your pre-tax cost, then the OSE amount if you have it.

Eligible costs: purchase of new equipment (excluding financing charges), installation and start-up, before taxes. Hydro-Québec may refuse a cost it deems irrelevant or unreasonable.

04 · The process

Install first. Apply after.

In this stream there is no approval before the work: the application goes in once the equipment is installed and running. It’s simple, as long as everything is in order from the start.

Step 1Before you signThe date of the first contract or first purchase sets the rules that apply. Estimate the support in OSE before committing.
Step 2InstallationNew, certified equipment installed by an RBQ-licensed company. Ask for detailed invoices.
Step 3ApplicationEverything is installed and running: OSE files and copies of all invoices to bureau.eeaffaires@hydroquebec.com.
Step 4ReviewHydro-Québec may ask for more documents or visit after 48 hours’ notice. It approves or revises the amount.
Step 5Invoice and paymentYour invoice to Hydro-Québec, as a PDF, no later than 30 days after it asks. Payment about 45 days later.
Tool · OSE version

Your work start date decides the rules

OSE version to use—
Rules that apply—

Source: Hydro-Québec, Small Business stream transition rules. The OSE version must match the actual work start date.

Tool · Invoicing deadline

30 days to invoice Hydro-Québec

Your invoice must go out no later than—
Estimated payment if you invoice the same day—

After 30 days, Hydro-Québec may close the file after notifying you in writing. Payment follows about 45 days after a compliant invoice is received. Word or Excel invoices are refused: PDF only.

05 · The documents

Eight checks before you send

0 / 8

Tick as you go. Most files that drag on have an incomplete invoice.

06 · The pitfalls

Eight ways to lose the support

Rate MThe wrong rateOn Rate M, G9, L or LG it’s the other stream: 75% at most. Check the bill before building the project.
AHRIA split unit without ENERGY STARSince March 31, 2026, AHRI certification alone no longer qualifies a split heat pump.
RBQAn unlicensed installerThe March 2026 guide requires the work to be done by a company holding the required licences.
30 dThe forgotten invoiceHydro-Québec asks you to invoice. After 30 days, it may close the file.
PDFThe wrong formatAn invoice in Word or Excel is refused. Convert it to PDF before sending.
×2Two programsThe same project elsewhere, or heat pumps submitted to ÉcoPerformance – Dual energy: refusal or repayment.
5 yrsEquipment removedThe equipment must stay in good working order for five years. Otherwise, repayment pro rata by week.
VersionThe wrong OSE versionThe application must be made in the OSE version in force on the work start date.
07 · The measures

More than 200 measures. Here are the families.

The exact list and amounts are in the OSE tool. Families marked AirGreen are the ones we install.

Heat pumpsAirGreen
ENERGY STAR air-source split units, variable refrigerant flow (VRF), geothermal, water-loop, decentralized.Up to 3 times more efficient than baseboard heaters in winter, according to Hydro-Québec.
Air conditioningAirGreen
ENERGY STAR certified or variable-speed-compressor air conditioners. High-efficiency chillers or chillers with VFD.
Heat recovery
Heat from exhaust air, grey water or a refrigeration system, reused in the building.Counts toward the multi-measure bonus.
HVAC controls
Building automation, controls and thermostats to manage heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
Building envelope
Windows and garage doors, roof and wall insulation, thermal bridges and junctions.Support raised up to 20 times compared with OSE 5.1, depending on the measure.
Certifications and commissioning
Thermal assessment, airtightness test, LEED v4 and v5, Passive House and BCZ-Design certifications.
Lighting
DLC Premium certified LED fixtures and lighting controls.Since March 31, 2026: DLC Standard removed, DLC Premium support reduced.
Refrigeration and kitchen
ENERGY STAR commercial refrigerators and freezers, commercial induction cooktops.
Variable frequency drives
VFDs on pump, fan or compressor motors, and kitchen hoods.
Solar energy
Solar collectors for hot water, solar walls for fresh air, and new: photovoltaic panels.Photovoltaic: up to $1,000/kW and 40% of costs, with Hydro-Québec’s connection approval first.
Demand response
Thermal storage, hot-water storage tanks, automation of peak strategies.Automation requires a demand-response rate option for five years.
Industrial equipment
Efficient air compressors (up to 200 HP), pumping VFDs (up to 500 HP), refrigeration compressors (up to 100 T).
+10 %bonus when you combine measures from two categories: heat recovery, geothermal heat pump, building envelope.
+15 %when all three categories are in the same building. OSE applies it automatically.
08 · The right stream

Small or medium and large business: your rate decides

Rate G is the most common business rate: it applies when no demand is billed or the minimum billing demand is under 65 kW. The surest way is to read the rate printed on your bill.

Small businessesMedium and large
WhoBuildings on Rate G or Flex GOther business rates: G9, M, L, LG
Maximum support90% of eligible costs75% of eligible costs
Minimum$500 of support$1,000 of support (simplified offer)
Your minimum share10%25%
When to applyAfter the work, in OSEAfter the work (simplified offer); before, for the custom offer
Cap$5M per project$5M per project
Is it for a house, a condo or a plex? This stream does not cover an owner’s dwelling: that’s the residential LogisVert program.Calculate my LogisVert grant
09 · What has changed

The program keeps moving. Here are the dates that matter.

May 9, 2022Floor dateA project started before this date is no longer eligible.
June 15, 2023Support increasedHydro-Québec raises support, including for heat pumps, up to 90%.
Oct. 7, 2024OSE 5.1New tool version. The minimum threshold drops from $1,000 to $500.
Mar. 31, 2026OSE 6.0ENERGY STAR required for split units, RBQ licence, multi-measure bonus, photovoltaic, higher envelope support.
June 30, 2026PartnersMandatory training for partners and aggregators who submit projects.
Sept. 22, 2026Page checkedEvery rule on this page was checked against the official documents.
10 · Frequently asked questions

The questions business owners ask us

Do I need approval before the work?

No. In this stream you apply once the equipment is installed and running. The OSE tool does let you estimate the support at any time, before you sign.

I rent my space. Am I eligible?

Yes, if the building is on Rate G or Flex G. The project can target a building the participant owns, operates, occupies or builds. Hydro-Québec may ask you to show your link to the building, for example the lease.

My building is residential. Is it covered?

Buildings with 20 or more units are eligible. Work done by the owner of a single unit is not covered here, but may be under LogisVert.

I saw a $1,000 threshold elsewhere. Which one is right?

Both existed. $1,000 comes from the April 2024 guide, which still applies to projects started between May 9, 2022 and October 6, 2024. For a project started since October 7, 2024, the threshold is $500.

Can I combine it with another program?

Not for the same project. Hydro-Québec may refuse or claw back the support if the same project is submitted to another program, its own or another organization’s. Heat pumps submitted to ÉcoPerformance – Dual energy are excluded in black and white.

Is the support taxable?

Hydro-Québec issues an RL-27 slip for the support paid, and the support is generally subject to GST and QST. Depending on the case, it reduces the cost of an asset, reduces an expense or is income. Talk to your accountant.

It’s a new building. What changes?

The meter must be permanent and at least one electricity bill must have been issued. While on a temporary connection, only the Medium and Large Business stream applies.

Who fills in OSE?

You, or a partner you appoint. Either way, your business remains responsible for the data submitted. OSE is a PC application provided by Hydro-Québec.

Will Hydro-Québec come on site?

It may, during normal working hours and after 48 hours’ notice, up to five years after the work ends. If the equipment doesn’t match the documents, the support can be revised or clawed back.

What about the old unit?

Recycle or dispose of it responsibly: it is a program commitment.

11 · With AirGreen

We build the project so the support holds all the way to payment.

Book my free estimate514 316-2973
Free on-site estimateWe visit the premises, check the rate on your bill and propose the measures that earn the most.
Quote within 24 hoursThe detailed quote leaves our office within 24 hours of the visit.
RBQ licence 5645-9605-01Subcategories 15.8 Ventilation, 15.10 Refrigeration and 16 Electricity.
Invoices ready for the fileModel, quantity, price, installation address and tax numbers on every invoice, in French.
Warranties registered for youWe register the manufacturer’s warranty in your business’s name, at no charge.
Over 15 years in the fieldMontréal, Laval, Longueuil, North Shore and South Shore.

AirGreen is not mandated by Hydro-Québec, and Hydro-Québec does not recommend any supplier. Only Hydro-Québec approves and pays the support. Hydro-Québec customer support: 1 800 ENERGIE (1 800 363-7443) · bureau.eeaffaires@hydroquebec.com · official program page.

Sources checked on September 22, 2026. Hydro-Québec, Efficient Solutions Program — Small Business stream, Participant’s Guide, March 2026 (code 2025G427-1); Terms and commitments, March 2026; pages Efficient equipment for businesses, OSE calculation tool, FAQ, Small Business stream transition rules, Efficient heat pumps for businesses and Project examples; article on what’s new in the Efficient Solutions program (March 31, 2026); Hydro-Québec business rates (Rate G, Rate M, Rate Flex G). Example amounts come from Hydro-Québec pages and were calculated with an earlier OSE version. Estimates on this page are indicative; only Hydro-Québec confirms the support awarded.