Nelson Mechanical Design, Inc. Mechanical Systems Design & Contractor Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Cape Cod

Nelson Mechanical Design is Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket's "green" mechanical contractor. We are an innovative and experienced firm in environmental mechanical design and installation, and advanced technological systems and operations.
Want the best? You've found us: NMDGreen.

NMD Spotlight & Island Green NEWS

A new geothermal heat pump system, run by the stored solar energy found in the abundant ground water below the Mansion House, and a sophisticated energy control system makes the hotel one of the greenest hotels in Massachusetts. Mansion House’s cooling system now uses geothermal heat pumps to remove heat from the hotel and store it deep underground for use in heating the hotel during the winter. The new energy control system carefully controls where this green heating and cooling is used to maximize energy efficiency and maintain guest comfort. All of these advances result in a marked decrease in energy usage and pollution by the hotel; limit fossil fuel use, energy waste and carbon dioxide production. These cutting-edge systems combine to make Mansion House Inn the greenest hotel on Martha’s Vineyard and one of the leading green hotels in the state and nation.

Geothermal Heating and Cooling System: Up until recently roughly 16,000 gallons of groundwater a day ran under the Mansion House untapped, a nuisance to be pumped away instead of used as a valuable source of “stored solar energy”. The recently completed geothermal heat pump system uses this energy source for cooling the guest rooms and common spaces. The heat removed from the hotel by the heat pumps is sent to the groundwater running under the hotel. This heat energy and water is ultimately redistributed back into the water table where it is stored.

A proposed second phase to this geothermal project will expand the system to harvest this heat energy using the heat pumps. Year round, all of the hotel’s domestic hot water and pool heating will come from the “stored solar energy” in the groundwater. In addition, a planned roof top garden, irrigated by the groundwater before it returns to the water table, will supply fresh produce to Zephrus Restaurant.

A Brief History of the greening of the Mansion House
In the fall of 2007, Martha’s Vineyard-based green contractor Nelson Mechanical Design (NMD) met with Sherm Goldstein, owner of the Mansion House, to discuss energy efficiency possibilities at the hotel. Jay McMann, the hotel plant engineer, had attended a geothermal open house that NMD held. McMann, who also is the principal of a small company that delivers fuel to the hotel, saw that NMD could be of benefit to the Mansion House. Putting energy conservation first, Jay overlooked the personal economic results of reducing Mansion House’s fuel bill.

It's in the details...(PDFs)

MV Times Article 8-12-10

In 2007 Goldstein asked NMD to do a study of the Mansion House’s energy use and to create a roadmap of how to make the hotel greener. A careful study of the heating, cooling, and hot water systems led to the development of several key projects discussed in an Energy Proposal that would make the hotel the greenest in Massachusetts – including a geothermal heating and cooling system, a comprehensive control system (DDC or direct digital control), and the use of ground water to heat the pool and domestic hot water.

RISE, Cape Light Compact, and the Mansion House Green Vision Study
In 2009, Goldstein brought RISE (administering the Cape Light Compact rebate programs) to the Mansion House to work on lighting retrofits. It became apparent that a partnership between RISE and NMD could work to make the Mansion House green vision a reality. Several projects were proposed and ultimately two were formalized and funded for installation at the Mansion House in 2010: a DDC system installation to control and monitor all guest rooms and common spaces and a geothermal ground water system to retrofit the heating and cooling system. RISE and NMD provided engineering and technical data to support the project applications and the Cape Light Compact administered their rebate funding program to pay for a significant percentage of the work.

For more information please contact:
Susan Goldstein,
Proprietor, the Mansion House - 508 693 2200 x 102

VEP energy trial set for spring: Load balancing technology to be tested in 50 households.
Nelson Mechanical Design Inc., will do the installation and hook up of the HEM units.
Read the article here.

Daikin Altherma Heat Pump systems available soon on Martha's Vineyard

The Daikin Altherma heat pump uses the stored solar energy in the outside air to heat water up to 130°F – even during the middle of winter. This heated water can be used for radiant heating systems and domestic hot water. The Altherma heat pump is also designed to work with solar hot water panels to create a truly energy efficient heating system.

The Altherma is a revolutionary air to water heat pump that will make combustion obsolete! We are getting a demo unit for Living Local on Oct 3rd – first time this unit has been shown in US outside a brief appearance in Chicago in January. It will be released in October for sale.

Operating costs will typically be half the cost of operating a similarly sized fossil fuel boiler – for example, if a home currently used $4,000 in propane a year with a boiler or furnace, the Altherma operating cost would be $2,000 in electricity a year with no propane bill.

The efficiency of the Altherma meets or exceeds that of geothermal heat pumps. Because with the Altherma there is no need for a geothermal field, the installation price will be about half that of a geothermal system. This heat pump represents a truly revolutionary advance and will be an essential part of the effort to make our island energy efficient and all electric.

For more information, contact NMD at 508-696-3120.

ACHR NEWS - JUNE 20, 2007

ACHR NEWS - AUGUST 18, 2008

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