Power upgrades boost reliability in Xi’an communities

The Xi'an Yanliang district power supply branch of State Grid Shaanxi Electric Power Company has recently completed the commissioning of brand-new 10-kilovolt ring main units and box-type substations for Renmin community and the local tax bureau community in Yanliang district, Xi'an.

"In the past, we didn't dare to turn on several air conditioners at the same time in summer, and the lights would even flicker at night. Now, with the new box-type substation, not only is the electricity safer, but the noise is also gone, making our lives safer and more comfortable," said a resident of Renmin community.

Following the replacement of the aging equipment, the per-household capacity has been increased from 2.03 kilovolt-amperes to 6.8 kVA. This has completely resolved long-standing issues such as the aging of power supply facilities, insufficient load capacity, and unstable power supply during peak hours, building a solid defense for safe electricity use for residents during the summer peak period.

"The Renmin community and local tax bureau community were built a long time ago, and the original box-type substation equipment had exceeded its service life. This had led to safety hazards such as aging lines, small capacity, loud operational noise, and overheating due to overload," said a staff member at the branch.

With the improvement of residents' living standards, high-power appliances such as air conditioners, electric heaters, and electric vehicle charging piles have become widespread. The original power supply capacity could no longer meet daily electricity needs, which had affected the comfort of residents' lives, the staff member added.

To address these issues, the branch designated the power renovation of the two communities as a key public welfare project. It conducted advance surveys of the current electricity usage, accurately calculated load demands, and formulated a scientific renovation plan focusing on replacing aging box-type substations, expanding power supply capacity, standardizing line layout, and strengthening safety protections.

During the construction period, the workers overcame challenges such as narrow site spaces, complex underground pipelines, and inconvenience to residents' travel. They optimized the construction schedule to avoid peak electricity usage times for residents, completing the full process of demolishing the old box-type substations, hoisting and positioning the new equipment, laying cables, and debugging and testing the equipment. This upgrade and renovation involved replacing the old stations with energy-saving, high-capacity box-type substations for the two communities, optimizing the structure of the community power supply grid, increasing the per-household power supply capacity, and enhancing the reliability and stability of the power supply.

According to the branch, the upgraded equipment in the two communities boasts advantages such as lower energy consumption, higher protection ratings, quieter operation and faster fault response. This meets the current and future medium-to-long-term electricity needs of residents, eliminating issues such as overloaded operation, low voltage and frequent tripping.