Montréal, August 29, 2017

Hydro-Québec to sponsor TeamMTL’s entry in Solar Decathlon China

Hydro-Québec announced today that it will sponsor TeamMTL’s entry in the Solar Decathlon China 2018, which takes place in Dezhou, Shandong Province, in northeastern China. Hydro-Québec, with the support of Québec’s Ministère de l’Énergie et des Ressources naturelles, will provide the team with $250,000 in funding, as well as in-kind support, to help complete the construction of its green residential design concept. The house was recently opened to the public and will later be disassembled and rebuilt in China.

TeamMTL is a joint project of McGill University and Concordia University. A student-led team, the group is composed of roughly 40 members from both institutions. Their entry, known as the Deep Performance Dwelling (DPD), combines Montréal row-house design with elements of traditional Chinese siheyuan courtyard architecture.

“By supporting TeamMTL’s innovative project, Hydro-Québec demonstrates its ongoing commitment as a central player in technologies that will make our houses even smarter and help us meet our customers’ needs into the future,” said Éric Filion, Vice President - Customer, Hydro-Québec Distribution. “We want to lead the energy transition and help our customers choose the right technology.”

 “We are extremely grateful and excited that Hydro-Québec is willing to support us throughout this significant research endeavor,” said Sophie Jemtrud, Communications Lead for TeamMTL. “The opportunity to work with industry partners in the design and construction of a home that is a model of sustainability and affordability is rare for students, and it is an invaluable learning experience for our team. The support of a prestigious company like Hydro-Québec will go a long way to ensuring our success in the Solar Decathlon China 2018 competition.”

“Our government’s energy policy is clear: the success of our energy transition hinges on innovation,” added Pierre Arcand, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. “Projects like those of TeamMTL will enable us to reach our GHG reduction targets and use the energy we do consume more efficiently.”

“Working with Hydro-Québec is a huge boost to the validity of our concept,” said Yves Beauchamp, Vice-Principal, Administration and Finance, McGill University. “We’re continuing to bring together numerous public and private sector partners who have a shared concern for building a sustainable world while simultaneously educating the best and brightest young thinkers and doers from our community.”

“This project demonstrates the key role universities play in shaping smart, sustainable and resilient cities,” said Alan Shepard, President of Concordia University. “With the support from Hydro-Québec and the Government of Quebec, TeamMTL now has even more momentum going into the Solar Decathlon competition. These young urban leaders are making a difference in proposing solutions to create sustainable cities.”

The competition requires each team to design and build a two-storey, Net Zero Energy capable, solar-powered house with a floor area of 120 to 200 m² (1290 to 2150 ft²) that is equipped with all necessary household appliances and capable of charging an electric vehicle. Each entry will be evaluated for cost feasibility, power efficiency, environment adaptability, power generation capacity and architectural quality. 

About Hydro-Québec

Hydro-Québec generates, transmits and distributes electricity. Its sole shareholder is the Québec government. While using mainly hydroelectric generation, it supports the development of other technologies—such as wind energy and biomass—through purchases from independent power producers. It also conducts R&D in energy-related fields, including energy efficiency. The company has four divisions: Hydro-Québec Production, Hydro-Québec TransÉnergie, Hydro-Québec Distribution and Hydro-Québec Innovation, équipement et services partagés. For more information, please visit our Web site and follow us on Twitter (@hydroquebec).

About TeamMTL

TeamMTL is a collaboration between McGill University and Concordia University comprised of faculty and students from several different and diverse departments including architecture, design and computation arts, engineering, business, management, dance and theatre. The design, construction, and operation of the Deep-Performance Dwelling is an active partnership with inter-disciplinary and cross-institutional teams working side-by-side in an integrative design process. This dynamic collaboration capitalizes on the expertise, strengths, and resources of two preeminent Québec universities. The student team is comprised of undergraduate and graduate students at all stages in their career from a wide array of disciplines. For more information on the house, visit http://teammtl.ca

Media enquiries

For Hydro-Québec:
Louis-Olivier Batty
Press Officer
Public Affairs and Media
Tel.: 514 289-4214

For TeamMTL:
Sophie Jemtrud
Communications Lead
Tel.: 514 895-4244

For McGill University:
Junji Nishihata
Communications Officer
Faculty of Engineering
McGill University
Tel.: 514 398-2454

For Concordia University:
Fiona Downey
Media Relations Advisor
Concordia University
Tel.: 514 848-2424 ext. 2518