Status of Ka Hei rollout Click to view
Ka Hei overview: Capturing energy, absorbing knowledge
Ka Hei, a specific type of snare made with ropes, is what the Hawaiian god Maui used to capture the sun in the Hawaiian tradition. Ka Hei also means “to absorb as knowledge or skill.” Coupled with revamped facility upgrades, an important component of Ka Hei is the suite of educational opportunities that will help engage students and staff in energy awareness and STEM education. (Click logo or
here to meet the student designer of the Ka Hei logo, Tiffany Noda of Highlands Intermediate.)
The Department's
Hawaiian Language Immersion Program educational specialists selected the name for this ambitious program. Ka Hei conveys our opportunity to not only harness the power of the sun to power our schools, but our goal to empower our students and teachers to adapt new ideas about sustainability for the benefit of our greater community.
SUSTAINABILITY
The Department spends more than $62 million a year on electricity, gas, water and sewage fees — a 50 percent increase over the past 10 years. We are excited to improve our sustainability profile by lowering energy expenses, protecting the environment and reinvesting funds into the classroom.
Through a combination of energy efficiency measures, clean energy generation (including the Department's ongoing
photovoltaic project, small-scale wind turbines, and other viable systems) and a comprehensive sustainability program, Ka Hei will improve the learning environment so students and teachers can perform at their best. The Department is partnering with OpTerra Energy Services to ensure success of this multi-year program.
EDUCATION
This program will enhance the Department’s and individual schools’ existing initiatives to create an interactive learning platform that brings the worlds of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and sustainability to life. Ka Hei will leverage technology to bring real-world relevance to the learning experience that not only meets
Hawaii Common Core standards, but can be implemented alongside existing lesson plans.
Students and teachers will experience science lessons through on-campus Living Laboratories and curricula that are hands-on, island-based, and relevant for college and career preparedness. From opportunities to shadow engineers and subject matter experts in the field, to analyzing energy data from a live feed on site, students and teachers will have greater access to the tools and ideas needed to build a more diverse, sustainable energy future for Hawaii.
As part of Ka Hei, teachers will receive ongoing professional development sessions from several community partners. These workshops and their supplementary materials are designed to integrate the energy technologies being installed to modernize campuses and complement classroom learning.
KEY OBJECTIVES
- Reduce the cost and consumption of energy at all 256 DOE schools.
- Build a diverse portfolio of new, clean, on-site generation.
- Aggressively implement energy efficiency and conservation measures including demand response.
- Support the goals of the
Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative to achieve 100 percent clean energy use in the state by 2045, and Board of Education
Policy 6710: Sustainability.
- Leverage these transformational activities to create educational opportunities and stimulate the economy through local construction labor.
POTENTIAL IMPACTS
- More than $24 million in estimated savings in operating expenses over five years.
- 100 megawatts of on-site renewable energy generation potential.
- 25 percent reduction in energy consumption over five years.
- 30 percent reduction in water consumption over five years.
- Creation of standardized and controlled classroom environmental conditions.
- Integration of project-based curriculum focused on STEM and sustainability in every school.
- Creation of student career pathways in the energy and sustainability field.
- Long-term economic development through direct and indirect local job creation.
Status of Ka Hei rollout
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
- 110,000+ interior LED retrofits at 34 schools across Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaii Island have saved 909,702 kWh as of Sept. 21, 2017
- 9 high school stadiums with LED retrofits: 8 completed and 1 in development
- 320,580 kWh in energy savings from stadium LED retrofits as of Sept. 21, 2017
- 4 schools with a sustainable cooling model completed
- Honowai Elementary
- 30,000 kWh in projected annual energy efficiency savings
- 102,150 kWh in actual energy efficiency savings
RENEWABLE ENERGY
- 81 Net-Energy Metering (NEM) systems completed
- 74 Oahu schools with PV NEM systems (Note: Some schools have more than one PV system)
- 9.3 MWdc (total PV capacity)
- 156 roofs replaced/remediated in conjunction with PV installations
- 8,549,784 kWh produced in 2017 through Nov. 15
NET-ZERO MICROGRIDS
5 schools on Maui and Hawaii Island have completed microgrid audits that have identified energy savings from viable efficiency measures such as LED lighting, electronically-commutated fans, retro-commissioning, natural ventilation, high-efficiency air-conditioning retrofits, demand response and automated controls. Distributed generation sources such as PV systems and battery energy storage have been evaluated for their ability to meet each school's energy needs, and to reduce the cost of energy.
- 1,828 kW aggregated PV systems
- 2,000 kWh total storage system
STUDENT LEARNING
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248 schools are participating in the curriculum program aligned with Hawaii Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards
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68 professional development sessions conducted for educators
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4,260 educators have been involved with Ka Hei-related professional development training sessions or educational activities
- 44,316 students who have experienced hands-on STEAM learning opportunities through Ka Hei lessons
- 35%+ educators trained on Ka Hei's web-based Defined STEM curriculum
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326 students submitted designs for the
Ka Hei logo design contest; a Highlands Intermediate student was selected as the winner
