JAIN CENTER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA SUCCESSFULLY COMMISSIONS ITS NEW SOLAR SYSTEM!

Milpitas, CA, May 31, 2015 (Newswire.com) - ​​The use of solar energy is all about preserving our environment and promoting ecology.  Jainism is fundamentally a religion of ecology and has turned ecology into a religion.  According to Jainism, countless single-sense organisms take subtlest possible units of material elements – earth, water, fire and air – as their bodies; hence protecting these in addition to mobile living beings is at the core of our philosophy of non-violence. 

It is true that Jainism has not stopped the environmental problems in the world. But following Jainism helps people live ecologically and not contribute to these global problems. We are part of the solution. Jainism is about safeguarding nature and our roots by acting responsibly, something that we strive to do every day.  That is why we have implemented a solar panel system in our temple, Jain Center of Northern California (JCNC). 

This system was inaugurated yesterday amid much celebration, including a ribbon-cutting ceremony, conducted by The Honorable Jose Esteves, Mayor of Milpitas.   The ceremonies started at 11am with opening remarks from Bipin Shah, Chairman of JCNC, who welcomed all to the event. 

“This is a historic day as we take another step in going green.  Going solar, at the core of it, is showing compassion to Mother Earth.  We had been thinking about getting this project done for quite some time and it gives me great pleasure to see our dream realized.  Thank you everyone, for coming and celebrating this milestone with us.  It has taken good vision, leadership, hard work and persistence to make it a reality,” said Mr. Shah

The new solar system, which was designed and installed by Staten Solar of San Jose, is a 54-kilowatt DC, carport mounted system and utilizes the best in breed components: high efficiency SunPower solar panels and SMA inverters. The system will produce enough electricity to offset the entire consumption of JCNC. The system was installed on top of carports constructed as part of this project, which provide covered parking for the community and a covered space for holding certain outdoor events.

Lord Mahavira put it best when he said, “The elements of nature were described as living beings and under the fundamental principle of AHIMSA (Non-Violence) these were to be protected in all ways - no waste, no overuse, no abuse, no polluting. If we follow these principles, then we would stop destroying our environment as well as preserve the resources that are available for all to share.” 

“Being fiscally conservative, we wanted to install a solar system with zero money down. At the same time, there could have been no compromise on quality and the system had to have superior aesthetics to blend in with the beautiful premises of our Jain Bhawan. In addition, our monthly payment had to be less than our existing electric bill,” explained Kamlesh Mehta, President of JCNC, while speaking at the event. “We are glad to have partnered with Staten Solar who achieved all of the above objectives, while demonstrating a silicon-valley style of professional management for the project.”

The event was also supported by the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council (SiVIC).

“SiVIC is proud to have joined hands with Compassion Games International in their Solar Initiative to help “Sun-Up our Sanctuaries,” said Girish Shah, Treasurer of SiVIC.  “Going Solar will not only save financial resources of the sanctuary but also be a compassionate act toward Mother Earth. The Jain Center solar project will be a shining example of such an effort for all sanctuaries in Silicon Valley”.

Several representatives of Staten Solar Corporation also attended the event and answered questions on various aspects of the project.

“We feel very fortunate and grateful for the opportunity to serve the JCNC community by constructing and financing this project. The system uses the best that the world has to offer and should serve JCNC for many decades to come. Solar power is now cheaper than the grid power and we invite everyone to give us a chance to show them the details,” remarked Sandipan Bhanot, Chairman and Managing Director of Staten Solar. 

After the prepared remarks and ribbon cutting ceremony, attendees enjoyed a sumptuous Jain lunch and had an opportunity to network. The event was attended by approximately 500 people.

About the Jain Center of Northern California

The Jain Center of Northern California is a nonprofit organization devoted to the practice and teachings of the Jain religion and organizes religious and cultural activities with the objective to promote Jain Way of Life. Over the past thirty five years, JCNC has held a series of trend-setting events and conventions hosting over three thousand attendees from all over the world and Jain youth conventions for over six hundred attendees. JCNC inaugurated its Jain Bhawan, a Temple and Community Center, in August 2000 with a very memorable ceremony attended by over two thousand Jains from all over the U.S.

For more information, visit www.jcnc.org

About Jainism

Originating in ancient India, Jainism is one of the oldest religions in the world and promotes tolerance, peace and compassion. Its fundamental beliefs are Ahimsa (non-violence), Aparigraha (non-possessiveness), Anekantvada (respect for a multiplicity of opinions), Asteya (non-stealing) and Satya (truth).

For more information, visit:​ www.jaina.org/?page=JainFundamentals  

About Silicon Valley Interreligious Council

Silicon Valley Interreligious Council (SiVIC) builds interreligious harmony and understanding to promote a just and compassionate society in Silicon Valley. SiVIC was founded in 2011 to bring together people from the diverse communities to enable mutual understanding, to share acts of cooperative service and to be an interreligious voice for Silicon Valley. SiVIC emerged from discussions among a group of religious communities, non-profit agencies, educational institutions and governmental offices in Santa Clara County and continues a more than forty year legacy of co-operative interreligious efforts.

For more information, visit www.sivicouncil.org

About Staten Solar Corporation

Staten Solar, with offices in the Silicon Valley, California and India, is an experienced EPC contractor and financier for solar PV projects. The company has designed/engineered over 50MW of power plants worldwide; developed a 1.1GW project pipeline and evaluated/invested in over 60MW of solar projects. Staten Solar’s main focus in the US is Distributed Generation project construction and financing. Staten Solar serves commercial, non-profit, agricultural and residential opportunities. In addition to a stellar execution team, the company has relied on several innovations to successfully compete in the hypercompetitive California market.

For more information, visit www.statensolar.com