Hydro-Québec makes a first foray into solar
posted on Nov 22, 2017 06:44 PM
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Hydro-Québec makes a first foray into solar
The Crown Corporation installed 80 photovoltaic panels in northern Quebec
November 22, 2017
 

The Crown corporation has just finalized the installation of these solar panels in Quaqtaq, a small village of 400 inhabitants located in the extreme north of Quebec. The 21 kW of energy that can be produced and delivered from the beginning of next year should reduce the use of the power station that is currently supplying the community.

These are the very first solar panels installed by Hydro-Québec to supply energy consumers. They represent only 2% of the installed capacity of the Quaqtaq thermal power plant, but they will save 5000 liters of fuel per year, says the state-owned company.
"It will reduce fuel consumption, but it is also a laboratory for testing solar panels in northern conditions," explains Hydro-Québec spokesman Marc-Antoine Pouliot.

Upcoming conversion

Quaqtaq is one of 22 remote Quebec communities that are powered by an independent power grid. Twenty-one of them receive energy from a thermal power station. Hydro-Québec has set itself the goal of launching calls for proposals to convert all autonomous networks to green energy by 2020, for both environmental and financial reasons.

At present, the electricity produced to power off-grid systems costs between 30 and 50 ¢ per kWh, compared to less than 3 ¢ in southern Quebec. But since electricity rates are uniform throughout the province, Hydro-Québec has to absorb nearly $ 190 million in losses each year from the stand-alone grids.

By using renewable energy sources, whose production costs have been dropping in recent years, the Crown corporation wants to reduce this shortfall.

Several options

Calls for proposals for conversion to renewable energies are being launched or are about to be launched in the Magdalen Islands, Obedjiwan and Tasiujaq. Solar could become the preferred solution to convert all of the autonomous networks, but Hydro-Québec specifies that biomass, wind power or energy storage could also be considered.

"It is possible that solutions allow us to completely avoid the use of thermal power plants. That's what we will see, says Pouliot. Bidders are given as much latitude as possible. "

The spokesperson added that the various indigenous communities will be able to make known the source of energy they prefer. They will be accommodated if the technical and economic conditions allow it.

Next "revolution"

This first concrete incursion by Hydro-Québec into the solar energy sector with the Quaqtaq project comes in the wake of the positions of its president and CEO, Éric Martel. In June, he said, for example, that the Crown corporation will have to review its practices to adapt to the emergence of solar autoproducers. Prime Minister Philippe Couillard added in September, arguing that solar is the next "big revolution" in which Quebec will participate.