{"id":756,"date":"2026-04-02T14:27:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T19:27:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/?p=756"},"modified":"2026-04-02T14:27:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T19:27:09","slug":"solar-in-quebec-catching-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/solar-in-quebec-catching-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Solar in Qu\u00e9bec: Catching Up"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Picture1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"908\" height=\"516\" src=\"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Picture1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-755\" srcset=\"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Picture1.png 908w, https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Picture1-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Picture1-768x436.png 768w, https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Picture1-624x355.png 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 908px) 100vw, 908px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember579\">It is good to see Hydro?Qu\u00e9bec finally supporting the expansion of solar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember580\">Since March 31, 2026, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/hydro-quebec\/\">Hydro Qu\u00e9bec<\/a> has been offering a subsidy for solar panels, with a target of 125,000 prosumers. Today, there are roughly 1,000. This signal is critical to kick-start a market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember581\">But let\u2019s be clear: this is catch-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember582\">(LinkedIn: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/solar-qu%25C3%25A9bec-catching-up-benoit-marcoux-t6wse\/\">https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/solar-qu%25C3%25A9bec-catching-up-benoit-marcoux-t6wse\/<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ember583\">A debate already settled elsewhere<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember584\">Fifteen years ago, at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/hydro-one\/\">Hydro One<\/a>, I worked on business modelling for the smart grid transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember585\">At the time:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>More than 25,000 residential and commercial PV installations were already in place.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Utility-scale solar plants were connected directly to the distribution grid.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember587\">What Qu\u00e9bec is now beginning to consider was already being deployed elsewhere more than a decade ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ember588\">A Clear Global Trajectory<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember589\">Solar is now the fastest-growing source of electricity worldwide. Including in regions comparable to Qu\u00e9bec.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember590\">Take Sweden:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Similar population.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Further north.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lower level of final electrification.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember592\">By the end of 2025: ~5.4&nbsp;GW of solar generation installed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember593\">That is the same order of magnitude as what Qu\u00e9bec projects in its integrated energy system plan (PGIRE)\u2026 for 2050.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember594\">And Sweden is still accelerating by simplifying permitting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember595\">The message is clear: solar is not marginal. It is structural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ember596\">The Australian Example<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember597\">To understand the gap, look at a market that has already gone through this phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember598\">Australia shares several characteristics with Canada: large territory, abundant resources, a developed economy, and a historically centralized power system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember599\">Useful reference: GenCost&nbsp;2025\u201326 (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/csiro\/\">CSIRO<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember600\">Today, before subsidies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Utility scale: ~AUD\u00a01,600\/kW (~CAD\u00a01,500\/kW), going down to $\u00a01,000 by 2035.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rooftop: ~AUD\u00a01,200\/kW (~CAD\u00a01,100\/kW), approaching $\u00a01,000 by 2035.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember602\">Approaching $1\/W, before subsidies. Surprisingly, rooftop solar is cheaper to build per kW, although annual generation (kWh\/kW) is better for larger, better-optimized solar farms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember603\">Why these costs in Australia?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Global industrialization of modules.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Standardization.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Repetition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Installation ecosystem.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Volume.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember605\">Solar is modular: the more you build, the simpler and cheaper it gets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember606\">A large share of costs is local (installation, engineering, permitting). These decline with experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember607\">In Canada\/Qu\u00e9bec: ~1.6 to $3.0\/W, with rooftop more expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember608\">This is not structural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember609\">It is an ecosystem gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ember610\">A Misunderstood Difference<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember611\">The key factor is speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember612\">Solar is built in weeks or months for customer installations, or a couple of years for large-scale projects. Major hydro projects take 10\u201315 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember613\">With the same technology, installation is broadly comparable across geographies, even if slowed in winter. Sunshine and climate are often cited. They are not the main issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember614\">The real difference:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Australia has been building for 15 years.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Qu\u00e9bec is just starting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember616\">Solar is not cheap where there is more sun. It is cheap where it is actually deployed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ember617\">Underestimated Advantages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember618\">Solar complements hydro: distributed production, predictable costs, and contribution during cold. Coupled with batteries, it reduces pressure on turbines and peak demand, especially as the coldest days are usually sunny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember619\">Hydro: multi-year hydrological risk. Solar\/wind: short-term variability, but relatively stable year-to-year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember620\">The key difference is the risk profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember621\">A large project:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Locks in capital and land for decades.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Often faces opposition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is difficult to adjust.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember623\">Solar:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Is deployed incrementally.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can be adjusted quickly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Coexists with other uses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember625\">Result: better social acceptability and, more importantly, much greater flexibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember626\">In mid-transition, this creates optionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember627\">With small, fast projects, you can slow down, stop, or resize without major sunk costs. Mistakes are cheaper. Large projects concentrate risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember628\">In an uncertain environment, this becomes a strategic advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ember629\">What This Implies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember630\">Solar is also an industrial project: installation, engineering, grid integration, partial manufacturing. Deployment builds capabilities and companies locally, creating value here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember631\">Three takeaways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Solar is not experimental. It is already deployed at scale.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Costs depend on volume and on the ecosystem built through experience.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The constraint is institutional and organizational, not technological.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ember633\">What Next?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember634\">Qu\u00e9bec can catch up quickly, provided we do what worked elsewhere:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Move from pilots to sustained, predictable programs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Simplify and standardize.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Learn by deploying.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Treat solar as a normal component of the system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember636\">The tipping point is simple: When treated as an industry, solar becomes competitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember637\">That is what Australia did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember638\">That is what Qu\u00e9bec now needs to do.<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-top:2em;\">\r\n      Shortlink:\r\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/solar-in-quebec-catching-up\/\">https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/solar-in-quebec-catching-up\/<\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n<div id=\"eebsocial\" style=\"margin-top:1em;\">\r\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2F\" target=\"_blank\">\r\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-url-shorten\/\/icons\/twitter-32.png\" title=\"Tweet this link\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2F\" target=\"_blank\">\r\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-url-shorten\/\/icons\/facebook-32.png\" title=\"Share on Facebook\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=https%3A%2F%2F&title=Solar in Qu\u00e9bec: Catching Up\" target=\"_blank\">\r\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-url-shorten\/\/icons\/linkedin-32.png\" title=\"Share on LinkedIn\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?text=https%3A%2F%2F\" target=\"_blank\">\r\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-url-shorten\/\/icons\/whatsapp-32.png\" title=\"Share on WhatsApp\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2F&media=&description=Solar in Qu\u00e9bec: Catching Up\" target=\"_blank\">\r\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-url-shorten\/\/icons\/pinterest-32.png\" title=\"Share on Pinterest\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2F&title=Solar in Qu\u00e9bec: Catching Up\" target=\"_blank\">\r\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-url-shorten\/\/icons\/reddit-32.png\" title=\"Share on Reddit\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/share\/url?url=https%3A%2F%2F&text=Solar in Qu\u00e9bec: Catching Up\" target=\"_blank\">\r\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-url-shorten\/\/icons\/telegram-32.png\" title=\"Share on Telegram\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2F\" target=\"_blank\">\r\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-url-shorten\/\/icons\/tiktok-32.png\" title=\"Share on TikTok\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2F\" target=\"_blank\">\r\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-url-shorten\/\/icons\/instagram-32.png\" title=\"Share on Instagram\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\n    \r\n   \r\n  <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It is good to see Hydro?Qu\u00e9bec finally supporting the expansion of solar. Since March 31, 2026, Hydro Qu\u00e9bec has been offering a subsidy for solar panels, with a target of 125,000 prosumers. Today, there are roughly 1,000. This signal is critical to kick-start a market. But let\u2019s be clear: this is catch-up. (LinkedIn: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/solar-qu%25C3%25A9bec-catching-up-benoit-marcoux-t6wse\/) A [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,39,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-canada","category-quebec-canada","category-solar-energy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=756"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/756\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":758,"href":"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/756\/revisions\/758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benoit.marcoux.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}