萬佛聖城無量光太陽能電場於2016年8月27日正式舉行剪綵典禮，萬佛聖城所在的曼都仙諾縣執行長卡梅爾．安吉羅與本縣第一區縣議員凱莉．布朗均前來參加剪綵。萬佛聖城附近的鄰居也應邀參加，合計近40人出席這項剪綵典禮。

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Infinite Light Solar Farm of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas took place on August 27, 2016.  Mendocino County Chief Executive Officer Carmel J. Angelo and Mendocino County Supervisor of the 1st District Carre Brown both came for the ceremony as well as neighbors of CTTB.  A total close to 40 people attended the ceremony.

剪綵典禮以大眾恭誦觀世音菩薩聖號展開，曼都仙諾縣執行長卡梅爾．安吉羅首先應邀致詞表示，她代表曼都仙諾縣政府與縣議會來致賀。她並強調：「萬佛城是好鄰居、好夥伴，讓曼都仙諾縣成為更好的縣。」

The ribbon-cutting ceremony started with the chanting of Guan Shr Yin Bodhisattva’s name.  Carmel Angelo was invited to speak first.  She said, “On behalf of Mendocino County and the Board of Supervisors, we wish to congratulate the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas on the completion of the solar array.”  She continued, “The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is a good partner and good neighbor making this a better county.”

曼都仙諾縣議員凱莉．布朗認為，諸如無量光太陽能電場這樣的項目，改變並改善了整個美國的能源基礎建設，所有地球居民均蒙其利。她說：「今天的剪綵儀式對地方上而言，也是非常重要，並引領你們社區走向比較永續的能源系統…這是你們對能源使用的長期承諾，但這項投資對你們的未來很有價值，可節省很多用電成本。」

Supervisor Carre Brown pointed out that projects such as this are changing and improving our Country’s energy infrastructure for the good of all who live on this earth.  She also said, “Today’s dedication of your solar farm is very important locally leading toward a more sustainable energy system for your community…It is a long term commitment to make for your energy use but this investment will provide a valuable benefit for your future—a great cost savings for your electrical use.”

比丘近巖法師代表如來寺發言，他回憶在中國沿海的故鄉，1980年代還能終年享有蔚藍的天空、清新的空氣、清澈的水質，但30年後的今天，早已不復見。他希望瑜伽市永遠享有美好的藍天與空氣，這就要活得環保、節用資源、使用再生能源包括太陽能，正是維護環境品質的方式。他並表示：「不僅外在環境要清潔，我們的內心也要清潔，因為人心正是世上所有問題的源頭。人心淨則不僅可目睹淨土成真，也能見證佛的無量光，以及來自我們身上的無量光。」

Dharma Master Jin Yan represented Tathagata Monastery to give a talk.  He came from a small coastal city in China and used to see in 1980s in his hometown clear blue skies, clean air and water.  Just three decades later, he can no longer see the clean environment in his hometown.  He wished that Ukiah can always have a beautiful blue sky and clean air.  The way to achieve this goal is to live green, be frugal with resources, and switch to renewable energy, such as solar energy.  He said, “As we are cleaning up the external environment, we also want to do the internal cleanup which is the ultimate source of all the troubles we have seen in the world.  Then, not only shall we truly see the Pure Land, but also testify to the infinite light of the Buddha, and the infinite light from our own bodies.”

恒持法師是法界佛教總會最資深的比丘尼，她代表喜捨院致詞。恒持法師朗誦楞嚴咒第371句「什佛囉什佛囉」，並邀請現場大眾同誦，該句的功用是「光焰遍照」。持法師引用宣公上人針對此句咒文所作的偈誦：「佛寶普放無量光，照遍法界虛空藏；開示悟入正知見，無上菩提大覺王。」相信這句咒文的力量，能帶給無量光太陽能電場更好的發電效能。

Dharma Master Heng Chih, the most senior Bhikshuni in Dharma Realm Buddhist Association, represented Joyous Giving House.  She chanted the 371th line of Shurangama Mantra shi fo la shi fo la a few times and invited all people on site to join her.  She explained that the function of the mantra syllables shi fo la shi fo la is to emit light.  She quoted the verse written by Venerable Master Hua for this line of the mantra:

The Buddha Jewel emits limitless all-encompassing light.

That light shines on the treasury of empty space in the Dharma Realm.

Truth can be opened up, be revealed, be awakened, and be entered by us, using proper knowledge and views.

Each of us can reach the unsurpassed Bodhi of those ultimately awakened.

She trusted that the power of these syllables will contribute to the efficiency and efficacy of this solar process.

萬佛聖城無量光太陽能光伏電場的發電量為50萬瓦，目前在曼都仙諾縣排名第二，僅次於曼都仙諾社區學院的太陽能系統。無量光太陽能電場的廠商保固期為25年，在此期間，估計可減少的碳排放量將高達1萬4000噸。由於萬佛聖城住眾不斷增加，而過去10年間，平均每年電費漲幅高達6%，因此能源支出成為萬佛聖城能源小組日益關切的問題。如今在太陽能電場的使用年限內，將可省下數百萬美元的電費。

This project is a 500kW solar photovoltaic system, currently ranking number two in Mendocino County, after the one at Mendocino College.  It is expected to eliminate 14,000 tons of carbon emissions from the environment during the 25 years of the manufacturer’s warranty.  The growth in population and electricity rates increasing 6% every year over the last decade made the increasing costs of energy a growing concern for the CTTB utilities group.  Now that CTTB is using solar energy, it will also save several million US dollars in the cost of electricity over the lifetime of the solar farm.

三家參與這項太陽能計劃的廠商，都派代表來到剪綵儀式現場。其中一位廠商代表很自豪地宣佈：這套太陽能系統從太陽能板到支架，「全是美國製造」。

Three companies involving in this solar project all had their representatives on-site for this ceremony.  One of the company representatives took pride in the fact that materials used in this system, from solar panels to frames, are all “made in USA.”

在近巖法師、近梵法師、恒持法師、恒良法師、貴賓卡梅爾．安吉羅與凱莉．布朗合力剪開綵帶後，大眾合唱英語迴向偈。在優美和諧的唱誦聲中，圓滿了這項剪綵儀式。

Dharma Master Jin Yan, Jin Fan, Heng Chih, Heng Liang, honored guests Carmel Angelo, and Carre Brown cut the ribbon together.  And then, all people on site chanted in harmony and beautifully the English version of the Transference of Merit and Virtue Verse to conclude the ceremony.

萬佛聖城太陽能計劃協調人張簡嘉乃指出，傳統的太陽能系統採用中央逆變器，將直流電轉換成交流電。一旦逆變器故障，整套太陽能系統或其中一整排就得停工維修。萬佛聖城採用的是新系統，每一片太陽能板都有附有一個微型逆變器。當其中任一微型逆變器故障，只要換掉這個受損的微型逆變器即可，整座電場可繼續正常運轉，無須停工。將使這套太陽能系統的維修容易得多，也更具成本效益。

Amy Chang-chien, coordinator of this solar project, pointed out that traditional solar system has a centralized inverter to change direct current to alternating current. When the inverter is broken, the whole system will stop working until it is fixed.  Each solar panel of the Infinite Light Solar Farm at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas has its microinverter.  If a microinverter is broken,  one can just replace the damaged microinverter.  The whole system will keep working without interruption.  This will make the maintenance of the solar array easier and more cost efficient.