Grid & off-grid

Net metering calculator, Quebec

Model your solar bill under Hydro-Québec's Rate D, where net metering credits are banked in kWh and reset every 24 months rather than paid out as cash.

Your numbers

1 Project details Optional
Shown on your exported report. Leave blank to skip.
2 Your usage and system
Find this on a recent utility bill, usually labeled kWh used.
Use your quoted or planned system size. Panel count times panel wattage divided by 1,000 gives a rough figure.
Solar production swings seasonally; pick a specific month type to see how your bill shifts.
Most utilities charge a flat customer or connection fee regardless of usage.
3 Your location and rate
Defaulted to Quebec's average peak sun hours. Adjust if you know your local figure.
Defaulted to Quebec's current average residential rate. Your utility's actual rate may differ.
Quebec typically credits exports around 100% of retail. Hydro-Quebec net metering credits exports 1:1 with a 24 month carryover, though low base rates limit dollar savings.
Some utilities charge progressively higher per-kWh rates as monthly usage climbs into higher tiers.
Accounts for inverter loss, wiring loss, dust, and temperature derate combined.
Informational only. A monthly cycle means unused export credit does not carry to the next bill; annual and rolling cycles do.

How it works

Three steps to your Quebec solar bill estimate

Step 1

Enter your usage, system size, and season

Pull your monthly kWh from a recent bill and enter your planned or quoted system size in kW. Since Rate D bills the first 40 kWh used per day at a lower rate, higher-usage months push more of your bill into the second, pricier tier. Select a season to model a specific month rather than only an annual average.

Step 2

Confirm your rate, tier, and export credit

The current Hydro-Québec Rate D tier-one rate and daily access charge, both effective April 2026, are filled in by default. Swap in your own tariff numbers, tier bracket, and fixed monthly fee if you have a recent bill or interconnection agreement showing them.

Step 3

Compare the result to a full retail scenario

Since Hydro-Québec already credits exports at full retail value, the net billing vs net metering comparison tool is most useful here for seeing what you'd give up under a lower-credit structure elsewhere.

How net metering works in Quebec

A major capacity expansion took effect in early 2026

Hydro-Québec, the province's sole electricity distributor, expanded its Net Metering Rate Option in early 2026, raising the maximum eligible system capacity from 50 kW to 1 MW. That expansion makes larger rooftop systems, including many commercial-scale installations, viable in Quebec for the first time under standard net metering rather than a separate commercial arrangement, and the commercial solar payback calculator is a better fit than this residential-focused tool for sizing one of those larger projects.

Credits apply to both parts of your bill, not just usage

Hydro-Québec's standard residential rate, Rate D, combines a daily system access charge of about 46.15 cents with a two-tier energy rate, 7.065 cents/kWh for the first 40 kWh used per day and 11.142 cents/kWh beyond that, as of the April 2026 rate schedule. Both portions are credited for your solar exports under net metering, a more complete offset than programs that only credit the variable usage-based portion of a bill.

Unused credits reset every 24 months at a lower rate

Credits are banked in kWh, not dollars, and roll forward month to month, but the balance resets every 24 months. Hydro-Québec compensates any credit remaining at reset at the average cost of electricity supply, about 4.730 cents/kWh as of the 2026 rate chart, well below the 7.065 to 11.142 cents/kWh full Rate D value those exports would otherwise offset. Using credits before that reset is worth more than letting them sit. The commercial solar payback calculator turns this result into a concrete next step.

A large residential subsidy is stacking with net metering through 2026

Hydro-Québec is also offering a $1,000 per kW grant, covering up to 40% of eligible costs, for residential and business customers who install solar after March 31, 2026. Typical residential costs run $5,000 to $6,000 before the grant, and the tax credit and rebate estimator for Quebec can total that with any other incentives you qualify for. Combined with the province's already-low electricity rates, this narrows Hydro-Québec's own estimated payback period from 25 to 30 years down to roughly 10 to 12 years. The net billing vs net metering comparison tool can help you see how much of that advantage comes from the subsidy versus the net metering terms themselves.

Interconnection and the off-grid comparison

Applying for Hydro-Québec's net metering program typically takes 8 to 12 weeks from submission to system activation; the grid interconnection cost estimator covers what to budget for that process. With full 1:1 crediting already available at retail value, staying grid-tied remains far cheaper than going fully off-grid in Quebec, and the grid tie vs off grid comparison tool shows how much cheaper.

Questions If your utility credits exports at less than the retail rate, storing power can beat exporting it. The battery charge time from solar calculator in our Battery & Storage section can help you size a battery for that.

Frequently asked

Hydro-Québec credits solar exports 1-for-1 at the full Rate D, covering both the fixed and variable portions of your bill. Unused credits roll forward monthly and reset every 24 months at the average supply cost, well below full retail value.

Quebec has among the lowest electricity rates in North America under Hydro-Québec's Rate D, which charges 7.065 cents/kWh for the first 40 kWh used per day and 11.142 cents/kWh beyond that, plus a daily system access charge of about 46.15 cents, as of the April 2026 rate schedule.

Hydro-Québec expanded its Net Metering Rate Option in early 2026, raising the maximum eligible system capacity from 50 kW to 1 MW. This makes larger rooftop and many commercial-scale systems viable under standard net metering in Quebec for the first time.

Yes. Hydro-Québec is offering a $1,000 per kW grant, covering up to 40% of eligible costs, for residential and business customers who install solar after March 31, 2026. This stacks with the province's net metering program and its already low electricity rates.

Related tools

Compare Quebec's policy to other structures

Grid tie vs off grid comparison Net billing vs net metering Buy all sell all vs net metering Avoided cost rate calculator Grid export cap calculator Grid interconnection cost estimator Grid tie with battery backup comparison All grid and off-grid tools