The first step in using Makahiki is to install the software. In order to do this, you must make two decisions:
1. Will Makahiki be installed and run locally in your own IT environment, or do you want Makahiki to be hosted and run “in the cloud”, through the Heroku PaaS infrastructure?
2. Do you desire automated, near real-time monitoring of energy data? If so, you will need to also install WattDepot, a system for collection, storage, and analysis of energy data.
The installation process depends upon your answers to these questions. The following sections go into more detail on these issues.