What financial support does the Offre sur mesure provide?

The support is the lesser of several caps: an amount per eligible kWh saved; a percentage of the total eligible costs (higher for an existing building than for a new building, line addition or efficient electrification); the amount needed to bring the payback period to one year; and a per-project cap. The exact rates, conditions and terms are confirmed by Hydro-Québec upon acceptance of the project — Onyx M3 does not guarantee any subsidy.

Which costs are eligible under the Offre sur mesure?

Before taxes and subject to approval: the purchase of new equipment (including measurement equipment), its installation and commissioning, measurement costs, engineering work, hazardous-material handling, plan and specification fees, and internal labour assigned to the work (including project management). Financing charges and administrative fees are excluded.

What minimum savings are required for the Offre sur mesure?

The project must generate annual electricity savings of at least 25,000 kWh across all buildings, and the payback period (support included) must be one year or more. Savings are determined by before/after measurement or by a theoretical calculation approved by Hydro-Québec.

Should work start before or after Hydro-Québec approval?

After. Under the Offre sur mesure, the project must be approved beforehand: a work start date earlier than acceptance of the Project Proposal makes the project ineligible. You first confirm eligibility, submit the proposal, then carry out the work (with before/after measurement if required).

Hydro-Québec Offre sur mesure: eligible costs and financial support

The Offre sur mesure (custom offer) of the Solutions efficaces program targets complex, innovative or customized projects not covered by the Offre simplifiée (OSE) — for example a compressor over 200 HP, process optimization or heat recovery. In return for measurement and prior approval, the financial support can cover a significant share of eligible costs.

No subsidy guarantee. Financial-support rates, conditions and terms are confirmed for each project: only Hydro-Québec’s acceptance of the application confirms project eligibility and the subsidy’s terms. Onyx M3 does not guarantee any financial support.

Custom support = the LESSER of several caps:
  amount per kWh saved  ·  % of eligible costs  ·  amount bringing payback to 1 year
  (per-project cap — rates and caps confirmed by Hydro-Québec for each application)

Criterion	Requirement
Minimum savings	≥ 25,000 kWh/yr (all buildings)
Payback	1 year or more (support included)
Equipment	New, efficient, certified or approved
Approval	Mandatory beforehand (work after acceptance)
Measurement	Before/after where possible
Support	Hydro-Québec technical resource at every step

This assumes the measure is not eligible for the Offre simplifiée. Combining OSE + custom measures within one project is possible with prior approval.

Calculating the financial support

The support paid is the lesser of the following amounts:

Cap	Value
Per kWh saved	Amount per eligible kWh — confirmed per application
Existing building	Percentage of total eligible costs — confirmed per application
New building / line addition / efficient electrification	Reduced percentage of total eligible costs (or a percentage of eligible additional costs, on approval) — confirmed per application
Profitability	Amount bringing the payback to 1 year
Absolute cap	Per-project cap — confirmed per application

The applicable rates and caps are set by Hydro-Québec at the time of submission; Hydro-Québec also revises the support based on the project’s actual results (updating the value granted per kWh).

Eligible costs (before taxes, on approval)

This is the key advantage of the Offre sur mesure: the cost base is broad.

	Eligible cost
a)	Purchase of new equipment, including measurement equipment (excluding financing charges)
b)	Installation and commissioning of new equipment
c)	Measurement
d)	Engineering work required to implement the measures
e)	Handling, storage, transport and disposal of hazardous materials from the work
f)	Fees for preparing plans and specifications
g)	Internal labour assigned to the work, including project management (hours × rate, excluding financing and administrative fees)
h)	Any other cost Hydro-Québec deems justified and approves

Eligible savings

Savings are established over one year, as the difference between two consumption figures:

Existing building: consumption of the in-place equipment (baseline scenario) − consumption of the efficient scenario (the new equipment).
New building / line addition / efficient electrification: consumption of the regulatory or standard equipment (baseline scenario, on approval) − consumption of the efficient scenario.

Eligible methods, on approval: a theoretical calculation provided by the participant, or measurement before/after (prior measurements and production data may be used).

Eligible compressed-air measures (custom)

The Offre sur mesure has no closed list: eligible is any equipment in a system that generates ≥ 25,000 kWh/yr in savings, for example:

A compressor > 200 HP with a variable-speed drive, replacing existing equipment;
An unoptimized network (several scattered compressors) reconfigured with storage and efficient drying;
Heat recovery from compression;
Process optimization that reduces air demand.

The process, step by step

Confirm eligibility with Hydro-Québec (after ensuring the project is not eligible for OSE).
Submit the Project Proposal (quotes, datasheets, drawings) — preliminary analysis by Hydro-Québec.
Present the savings calculations or the Measurement Plan.
Before measurement prior to the work (if required).
Carry out the project, then after measurement (if required).
On-site visit by Hydro-Québec (if needed) → acceptance.
Invoice the support and taxes.
Payment to the participant.

⚠️ The work start date must be after acceptance of the Project Proposal — otherwise the project is ineligible. The submission date of the form sets the terms.

The order of magnitude of the support

Hydro-Québec publishes case simulations in its partner documentation (network modernization, compressor with a drive, process optimization). The actual support amount follows from submitting the proposal and is only confirmed upon acceptance of the project by Hydro-Québec — at the rates, conditions and terms then in force.

With Onyx M3 tools

Compressed-air audit — the before/after measurement required by the Offre sur mesure (Onyx M3 is a Solutions efficaces program partner). →
Compressed-air assessment — establishes the baseline scenario and quantifies savings (≥ 25,000 kWh/yr). →
Offre simplifiée (OSE) — for predefined measures ≤ 200 HP. →
Energy efficiency projects: OSE or custom? — overview and the real cost of air. →

References

Hydro-Québec — Programme Solutions efficaces — Volet Moyennes et grandes entreprises (participation guide, October 2024) — section 3 (Offre sur mesure), eligible costs (3.3), calculation rules (3.5.2), appendix A.
Hydro-Québec — Offer presentation to partners (2025) — support structure, process, case simulations.
Hydro-Québec — Solutions efficaces — Participant guide (2020G255) — earlier version; same eligible-cost categories. Rates and caps change from one program version to the next — only the version in force at submission applies.

Why it matters. On large projects (> 200 HP, process), the Offre sur mesure can cover a much larger share of costs — including engineering, measurement and internal labour. A compressed-air audit provides the required before/after measurement and secures the support calculation.