Paragon Group is a Nashville-based home builder that specializes in energy-efficient, high-quality homes, including the Woodland Grove pocket neighborhood finished in November 2018.
In Woodland Grove, 16 Craftsman-style cottages sit close together in a U-shaped cul-de-sac to cultivate a sense of shared community and closeness among neighbors. But developers at Paragon Group had more than neighborhood friendliness in mind. The neighborhood also fosters a shared commitment to energy efficiency through use of mini-split heat pump systems from Mitsubishi Electric.
High-Performance in the Pocket
Adam Trapani, quality manager at Paragon Group, explains the decision to use Mitsubishi Electric products aligned with the vision for a high-performance neighborhood. “Energy efficiency is big for us and impacts our selection of mechanical systems, the kind of insulation we use and other design elements.”
When it came time to specify mechanical systems, Paragon Group’s mechanical contractor Mark Gray of South Nashville Heating & Cooling, recommended a combination of variable-capacity ducted and split-ductless systems.
“The way the framing worked out, along with the square footage and the loads on each floor, there was no way to make a conventional zoning system work and have an air handler in the attic that served both floors,” said Gray. “We recommended a Mitsubishi Electric system. A lot of Paragon’s houses are ideal for the mini-split option because they have an open main floor with a live-in kitchen. Upstairs, they might have two or three bedrooms and a couple of bathrooms. It’s a perfect application for a hybrid approach where you’ve got two ductless air handlers for the main floor and kitchen area, and a ducted system in the attic to condition the second level. Also, we get really good pricing on Mitsubishi Electric units for Paragon’s projects so the cost difference with a conventional system is only in the range of $700 to $800. When you consider the value of efficiency you get with a Mitsubishi Electric system, that difference isn’t much.”
Year-Round Comfort
Though Nashville isn’t known for freezing winters and brutal wind chills like its neighbors in the Midwest, winter temperatures can drop into the single digits at night. With this in mind, Gray selected outdoor units equipped with Hyper-Heating INVERTER® (H2i®) technology, which enables the heat pumps to perform year-round without auxiliary systems.
“As far as the homeowners are concerned, it’s been nothing but positive: comfort, ease of use and for these all-electric houses, low utility bills,” said Trapani, pleased with the experience Paragon Group is providing for the community at Woodland Grove.
“Everybody is happy. Here in the United States, people aren’t necessarily used to seeing Wall-Mounted Indoor Units. During our sales process, we have to help homebuyers understand that the ‘weird thing’ on the wall is a very good thing. Once you see the light bulb go off and they understand the benefits, they’re totally on board.”
To read the full Case Study, visit MitsubishiComfort.com.
