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Capacity at -8 °C is how much heat a heat pump still delivers, in BTU per hour, when it is -8 °C outside. It is lower than the size in the model name. You find it on the spec sheet or Hydro-Québec’s eligible list, and LogisVert pays a rate for every 1,000 BTU/h of it.
Key facts
| What to know | |
|---|---|
| BTU/h | British thermal units per hour: the rate at which a unit delivers heat |
| Tons | 1 ton = 12,000 BTU/h. A 3-ton unit is rated at 36,000 BTU/h |
| Capacity at -8 °C | The heat the unit still delivers at -8 °C outdoors. Usually lower than its nominal size |
| Where to find it | The manufacturer’s spec sheet, or Hydro-Québec’s eligible equipment list |
| LogisVert formula | Capacity at -8 °C ÷ 1,000 × the rate: $50 for ENERGY STAR, $120 for ENERGY STAR Cold Climate (LogisVert) |
| Per-ton programs | Home Renovation Savings pays per ton of rated heating capacity, up to a cap set by your heating fuel |
| Who sets the size | Your installer, from a heat load calculation for your home |
Heat pump capacity terms, as of October 2026
Why capacity at -8 °C is lower than the size on the box
An air-source heat pump moves heat from outdoor air into your home. The colder the air, the less heat it can pull out, so output falls as the temperature drops. The nominal size, often built into the model name, is rated in milder conditions.
That is why a unit sold as “24,000 BTU” may deliver less at -8 °C. Don’t use the number in the model name to estimate a grant. Use the capacity at -8 °C on the spec sheet or on Hydro-Québec’s eligible list.
Other programs use a different rating. Ontario’s Home Renovation Savings bases its per-ton rebate on rated heating capacity at 8.3 °C, not at -8 °C.
How much capacity does your home need?
There is no single answer. It depends on your home’s size, insulation, air leakage, windows and local climate. An installer works it out with a heat load calculation, and that sets the capacity to buy.
Some programs make the calculation a condition. B.C.’s Home Renovation Rebate requires one for its whole-home heat pump rebate, and the unit must meet the home’s full heating load at -5 °C or the local design temperature. FortisBC’s income-qualified rebate asks for a CSA F280-12 calculation.
How capacity turns into a rebate
LogisVert divides capacity at -8 °C by 1,000 and multiplies by the rate. Here is the same unit as an ENERGY STAR model and as an ENERGY STAR Cold Climate model.
| Certification | Calculation | Grant |
|---|---|---|
| ENERGY STAR | 24 × $50 | $1,200 |
| ENERGY STAR Cold Climate | 24 × $120 | $2,880 |
LogisVert arithmetic for 24,000 BTU/h of capacity at -8 °C, before any cap
Hydro-Québec advertises up to $6,700 for a heat pump but doesn’t explain how that figure is reached. The outdoor unit must be at least 12,000 BTU/h. Try your own numbers in the estimator in our LogisVert heat pump guide.
Per-ton programs work the same way with a different unit. In Ontario, a 3-ton cold-climate unit earns $1,500 at $500 per ton in a home heated by Enbridge gas. In a home heated by electricity, oil, propane or wood, it earns $3,750 at $1,250 per ton, up to $7,500.
See which programs apply to your home
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Sources
Last updated . Amounts and rules come from the official program pages below. If something has changed, please tell us.
- 1LogisVert Efficient Homes Program · Hydro-Québechydroquebec.com
- 2Home Renovation Savings Program · Save on Energyhomerenovationsavings.ca
- 3Home Renovation Rebate Program · BC Hydro and FortisBC, with funding from the Province of B.C.bchydro.com
- 4FortisBC Heat Pump Rebate for Income-Qualified Customers · FortisBCfortisbc.com
Related terms
- Cold-climate air-source heat pump
An air-source heat pump that is listed as able to keep heating a home in cold winter weather, on the product list a rebate program uses, such as NRCan’s list or ENERGY STAR Cold Climate.
- LogisVert vs Rénoclimat
A side-by-side of Québec’s two main home renovation programs: Hydro-Québec’s LogisVert, which pays for heat pumps and electric heating, and the Québec government’s Rénoclimat, which pays for insulation, windows and resilience work.
- Rebate stacking
Claiming more than one program for the same home upgrade, such as a provincial rebate and a city loan for one heat pump, within each program’s rules on combining.
Keep reading
Rebate programs · Québec · 8 min read
LogisVert heat pump calculator (2026): estimate your grant
Estimate your LogisVert heat pump grant from its capacity at -8 °C, see why two similar units get different amounts, and avoid the claim mistakes.
Heat pumps · Ontario · 9 min read
HRSP heat pump rebate by heating fuel: $7,500 vs $2,000
Why gas-heated Ontario homes get up to $2,000 for a heat pump and other homes up to $7,500, and when the HRSP assessment track pays more.
Heat pumps · Federal · 7 min read
Should you install now or wait for the National Heat Pump Rebate?
The federal rebate isn't open and has no launch date. When waiting is worth it, whether early installs count, and how to be ready on day one.