Staff members from State Grid Shaoxing Power Supply Company in Zhejiang province visited the Agricultural Innovation Valley demonstration park in the Yunan mountainous area along the Xiaxi River on March 10 to conduct a special electrical inspection for the spring planting and seedling season, aiming to support the development of new quality productive forces in the agricultural industry.

As the first unmanned farm in Shaoxing city, the Agricultural Innovation Valley covers an area of more than 6.7 hectares with a total investment of 10.24 million yuan ($1.4 million). Currently, it has completed the construction of one glass greenhouse and 15 connected steel-frame greenhouses. The park is home to a digital plant factory and an intelligent equipment exhibition area.

At the beginning of the project's construction, State Grid Shaoxing Power Supply Company took the initiative to provide on-site services, and opened a green channel for electricity application, which has significantly reduced the electricity application process from nearly 15 working days to seven days. Based on the power demand of the park, the company extended the power supply lines, saving the park more than 300,000 yuan in investment and laying a solid foundation for the smooth progress of the project.

The time for spring planting has arrived, and strawberries, melons and tomatoes have entered a critical period of seedling cultivation and fruiting, which requires a higher demand for a stable power supply.

"Currently, during the strawberry ripening period, a constant temperature of 25 to 28 degree Celsius is needed. And with the precise supplementary lighting system, its sweetness has increased by 20 percent," said Zheng Jinfeng, the head of the park. "In the seedling factory, melon and tomato seedlings have just been planted, and equipment such as supplemental lighting, constant temperature systems and drip irrigation systems need to run continuously for 24 hours".

On that day, to ensure the power supply for the park, the staff members carefully inspected the electrical equipment. They moved between various greenhouses, conducting comprehensive inspections of distribution boxes, line switches, and other electrical equipment, to make sure every safety hazard was thoroughly checked.

Relying on the data collection monitoring system, they carefully analyzed the power usage. Through the data feedback from the system, they gained a clear understanding of the park's equipment power load, operating duration and other information. Since the project was launched, they have conducted a total of 10 special inspections and assisted in optimizing 12 electric usage plans, including integrated water and fertilizer systems and smart temperature control devices.

"Based on the current data, during the daytime peak power consumption period, we suggest adjusting the operating time of some equipment while ensuring the growth needs of crops," said staff member Zhu Chaoguang, who analyzed the information collected by the power system to provide guidance to park staff. "For example, during the noon sun, it is advisable to reduce the power of supplemental lighting to meet the strawberry's light requirements while reducing unnecessary energy consumption".

In the future, the company said it will continue to implement lean management, ensure power supply, plan the overall work arrangement for spring planting and irrigation and predict the load based on the characteristics of agricultural irrigation electricity consumption. Additionally, the staff members will help arrange the operation of the power grid to guarantee power demand. Such efforts are aimed at boosting the driving force for the development of smart agriculture.