
Hawaii Department of Education
HEAT ABATEMENT PROGRAM
Data-driven cooling solutions for tropical island classrooms
MKThink, in partnership with the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI), is leading the Heat Abatement Program - a program aimed at improving thermal comfort conditions district-wide. Weather stations at 37 sites and indoor sensors at 62 schools collect data on environmental conditions. MKThink is applying the data to design cooling strategies specific to buildings and microclimates and to identify priority sites. The data is available on a public portal that offers transparency into district decision-making as well as a resource to drive sustainable design statewide. The program mitigates the $1.7 billion cost of installing air conditioning, contains the $50 million annual cost of electricity, and expands the impact of the $100 million state appropriation for heat abatement.