Quzhou, Zhejiang: Racing the heat to keep 200,000 quails safe through summer

On July 15, at the Yougang Family Farm in Jiangshan, Quzhou, Zhejiang province, Mao Yougang, the owner, held the hand of Deng Jiangcai, a staff member of the State Grid Quzhou Power Supply Company, and thanked him. Days earlier, he had installed a transformer, solving the farm's long-standing power problem and guaranteeing the healthy production of 200,000 quails despite the scorching summer heat.

Quail eggs are prized for their nutrition and are always in short supply, prompting Mao to invest over 1.2 million yuan ($167,240) to build a large-scale farm in Changshanyuan village, Shimen town, Quzhou, Zhejiang province. Housing 200,000 quails, the base produces roughly 3,000 jin (1,500 kg) of eggs daily for markets in Hangzhou, Jinhua and surrounding counties. With an annual output exceeding six million yuan, the farm has become a pillar of the local specialty-farming sector.

Intensive summer heat, however, creates a lethal risk in the sheds. Without ample cooling, egg yield plummets and birds can die. Mao installed 13 high-capacity exhaust fans around the sheds, but the nearest distribution point—Changshanyuan Shizui—lies 1,200 meters away, far beyond the normal 500 m rural low-voltage radius. End-of-line voltage was so low that automatic feeders and extraction fans could not start. A makeshift stabilizer offered only temporary relief; as temperatures climbed, the power bottleneck became Mao's biggest headache.

He appealed to State Grid Quzhou Power Supply Company, which immediately surveyed the site and resolved to fast-track the installation of a new distribution point through a green channel in order to eradicate the low-voltage issue. Site selection, material preparation and construction planning were compressed into two weeks. The company installed a 200 kilovolt-ampere transformer, erected 14 poles and built 0.72 km of 10 kV line and 0.3 km of 0.4 kV line, all with stringent quality standards. On July 10, the transformer was energized, cutting the low-voltage radius to under 200 m and ending the farm's voltage woes.

"I'm truly grateful—you solved our power problem," Mao told field manager Deng Jiangcai during a follow-up visit. With secured electricity supply, he plans to expand capacity and further raise output and income.

High-quality power is fueling rural revitalization. State Grid Quzhou Power Supply Company will continue eliminating safety hazards and low-voltage issues, optimize the rural distribution network, and provide ever more reliable electricity for the construction of a beautiful countryside.