![]() ![]() 'I would say our crowning glory is 2045,' Rogers added. Hawaii Governor David Ige announced earlier this year that the state of Hawaii would become completely energy independent by 2045. 'This has got to be a message from the children because it's the children's world we are trying to save,' Rogers said. He made sure the books were valued at under $25, the maximum amount a lawmaker can receive as a gift, and delivered a copy to every lawmaker in Hawaii. Recently, the foundation created a book of children's drawings and letters pleading for state lawmakers to mandate Hawaii become energy independent. Rogers is the founder and chairman of the Blue Planet Foundation, an organization that promotes clean energy alternatives and lobbies politicians to change policy. 'We're going to end the use of carbon-based fuel, and that is my mission No. Rogers read about the possibility of losing all the coral reefs in the world because of ocean acidification, which has been linked to climate change and rising carbon in oceans. While recovering, he decided he would take advantage of the second chance. Rogers, who also owns a ranch on Hawaii's Big Island that is energy independent, said he had an epiphany after suffering a heart attack and near-death experience in 2006. ![]() 'These products will be capable of storing and putting out energy on a daily basis at a fairly reasonable price point,' Harris said. That could change in the next few months with several new systems besides Rogers' expected to hit the market. 'A lot of energy can be put into the grid right now, so it hasn't been a big incentive necessarily for a homeowner to invest in storage,' Harris said. Lobbying: Recently, Rogers' foundation made a book of children's drawings and letters pleading for state lawmakers to mandate Hawaii to become energy independent ![]() Harris, who is also the director of public policy at Sunrun, a solar equipment supplier in Honolulu, said homeowners with solar panels typically put energy into the grid and take it back as needed, something called net metering. Robert Harris, a spokesman for the Alliance for Solar Choice, an advocacy group, said consumers haven't had much call to invest in battery storage systems because of the cost and incentive programs that encourage people to stay linked to the grid. Rogers' company will sell and install the battery systems for commercial and residential use, supplying everything from the housing to the software to monitor and maintain the systems. The batteries store energy from solar panels, allowing people to use it at night without having to rely on expensive energy from the grid. Sony has been developing lithium ion batteries since 1991, and the units being used in Rogers' home are top of the line. Partnering with Sony, Rogers believes the batteries can be a solution to the long-standing problem of storing the sun's energy and helping lower energy costs in Hawaii. The Blue Ion system, which Rogers has been testing in his home for the last year, uses Sony lithium iron phosphate batteries, which can last for 20 years and do not require cooling, he says. Nature all around: Diamond Head, Honolulu and the Pacific Ocean are seen from the off-grid home of Henk Rogers on Tuesday He declined to say how much the systems would cost, but said there will be a five to seven year return on the investment for a typical project that his company will install. The new venture, which will sell and install battery systems for homes and businesses running on solar technology, plans to begin sales on August 1. Rogers will announce his new company, Blue Planet Energy Systems, on Monday. 'If you're going to clean up the world, first of all you have to clean your own room,' Rogers said, referring to Hawaii, which has some of the highest energy costs in the nation. He now manages the worldwide rights for the game along with his business partner, Alexey Pajitnov, who wrote the program. Rogers is famous for discovering the video game 'Tetris' more than 20 years ago. Homeowner Henk Rogers, 61, hopes the technology he is using in his home can help make other homes across Hawaii - and the world - energy independent as well. Claim to fame: Rogers is famous for creating the video game Tetris more than 20 years ago with his business partner Alexey Pajitnov, who wrote the program ![]()
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