PowerBox: Green and Intelligent Substation Technology of China Southern Power Grid

With the rapid expansion of urban construction and economic scale, the population density in the city center has become increasingly concentrated, and the growth rate of electricity consumption has surged. The number of substations being built is also on the rise. However, it is difficult to effectively ensure the land demand for urban substations. Meanwhile, the traditional land occupation model of substations has led to these facilities being in a long-term "island" state. They occupy valuable land resources in the city center, and their closed functions and noise have intensified public opposition, forming a vicious cycle of "inefficient supply—surging demand—escalating contradictions." To address these problems, China Southern Power Grid (CSG) have applied several green and intelligent technologies on 110kV Lieqiao Substation, also known as the "PowerBox". Arranged as one underground plus two above-ground floors, it integrates rooftop PV, light-pipe daylighting and multi-stage noise control, offering a measurable reference for compact substation design in high-load urban areas.