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Québec does not lack electricity. It lacks it… for a few hours each year.
A grid designed for 10 to 20 critical hours annually
Québec’s electrical grid is not built for average consumption, but for the winter peak.
During a handful of very cold evenings, nearly all electric heating systems run simultaneously, in addition to normal usage (cooking, hot water, lighting and appliances). Even though this situation lasts only about 10 to 20 hours per year, the grid must be able to handle it — otherwise equipment would overload and outages would occur.
Transmission lines, substations and transformers are therefore built for this extreme scenario. The rest of the time, demand is much lower and a significant portion of capacity remains unused.
On average, the grid operates at roughly 50% of its capacity.
The real issue: power capacity
The challenge is not producing enough electricity over the year, but delivering very high power for a few winter hours.
During peak demand, equipment operates close to its limits: transformers run hotter and even a minor disturbance (wind, ice or a tree branch) can trigger an outage.
The grid therefore becomes most vulnerable precisely when we depend on it the most.
What is a smart grid?
A smart grid allows electricity to flow in both directions.
Before: Power plant ➝ Home
Traditionally, energy flowed from generating stations to households.
Now: Power plant ⇄ Home
Today, homes can also produce, store and send electricity back to the grid — for example using solar panels and home batteries. A house is no longer only a consumption point. It becomes an active component of the electrical system.
In practical terms, this means you can sell electricity back to the grid.
What is islanding?
Islanding is a home’s ability to temporarily disconnect from the electrical grid and operate independently.
You essentially become a small energy “island.”
Concretely: if the grid goes down, your home continues running using its battery.
Your car = a massive battery
An electric vehicle typically stores 50 to 100 kWh of energy, while a home uses about 30 kWh per day. In other words, a vehicle can power a residence for several days for essential needs: refrigeration, lighting, internet and minimal heating.
With some bidirectional charging systems, that energy can even be sent back to the home…
or to the grid.
Why this matters
When homes produce, store and redistribute electricity, the citizen’s role changes. You are no longer only consuming energy — you help stabilize the system.
Distributed micro-sources have direct effects:
- peak demand pressure decreases
- major infrastructure investments are reduced
- local resilience increases
- outages have less impact
A smart grid no longer relies only on a few large generating stations, but on thousands of distributed sources.
It relies on thousands of small, distributed energy producers.
This may be the key to a more stable — and above all, more resilient — grid.
This model already exists elsewhere
In California, the transition is already underway. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) actively subsidizes residential battery installations through the Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP).
Support is substantial: hundreds of millions of dollars are dedicated to residential storage, with incentives reaching approximately $1,100 per kWh. The objective is not only environmental — it is electrical: reducing stress on the grid during peak demand hours.
Solar-plus-battery systems allow homes to continue operating during outages, lower electricity bills and, most importantly, support the grid during peak consumption periods.
Germany, Australia and Japan follow the same approach: integrating homes into the balance of the electrical system.
The citizen will no longer be only a consumer. They will become a participant in the grid.
The question is no longer whether this model will arrive here.
