Phillip Rye                  Doug Rye
Licensed Engineer     Licensed Architect

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Here's What My Clients
Have To Say:

I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to design a custom home that they consult Phillip Rye. I was initially concerned that going through a home design process from several hundred miles away could be disastrous, but found it to be just the opposite. Any changes

needed or wanted were handled quickly and efficiently and to my satisfaction, and I am very happy with the resulting house plan. It is truly amazing to see a plan that has been in your head for a long time finally make it to paper, and Phillip made the process easy and enjoyable.

Kirk Dodson
Lascassas, TN

Phillip,

My wife and I found working with you a great pleasure. Thank you for your excellent advice and detailed drawings.  We were very pleased with your attention to detail and quick turn around with changes.

Al and Stacey Lewis
Anderson, MO

Going into this process, I was somewhat worried about designing our our house entirely over the internet.
After working with Phillip, I can only say that we are very pleased with the final outcome. He was very patient, worked through our revisions, and absolutely used technology to its full benefits.

At times, it was like we were in the same room discussing the design and changes. Bottom line - I highly recommend Phillip Rye and Associates to help you develop your house plans.

Eddie and Diane Gray,
San Antonio, TX

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(New)  Building A New Home?  (New)
Need House Plans?

You can have the home of your dreams AND have
guaranteed low utility bills.

"They all laughed at me...
When I told them I could heat and cool
their home for $40 per month!"

Home Energy Improvements Don't Cost You Money,
They MAKE You Money.

 

Discover how a Geothermal Heat Pump works

Geothermal Residential Heat Pumps

Dear Home Owner or Renter,

If you want to have a more comfortable, energy efficient home you MUST read this admittedly long letter.  We want you to understand all the information you will need in order to make an informed decision on turning your new home or existing home into the most energy efficient home in your neighborhood.

Backed by scientific research, over forty years of combined experience, and proven results by tens of thousands of home owners, our energy saving techniques will help you get the results you expect and deserve. 
We guarantee it!

Which of the following is important to you?

	How to save money by using a closed loop geo-thermal system
	Having a comfortable, energy efficient home.
	Having a safe home for you and your family.
	Helping save the environment.
	Having extra spending money.

If you chose more than one of the above, it only makes sense to keep reading this letter.

Why?  Because I am going to show you how you can have all five of these choices.

 

The most efficient and economical resource for heating and cooling your home is right in your own backyard.

Tap into the energy that’s just outside your backdoor.

Just a few feet under the ground surrounding your home, there’s an amazing energy source just waiting to be tapped. It’s free, clean, and endlessly renewable.

It can provide constant, consistent heating and cooling for your home, as well as heat much of the water your family uses. All with no compromise in comfort.

For years people have talked about the possibility of tapping the earth’s solar storage capacity for practical, low-cost residential energy management. Now the technology to achieve this is available to you.

Did you know that 46% of the sun’s energy is absorbed by the ground?

 

Geothermal Loop Types

4 typical geothermal ground loop installations

The geothermal system: A simple concept in
cost-effective year-round comfort.

1. The geothermal heat pump system works in harmony with the earth and the sun to provide for your home’s heating and cooling needs.
   
   The concept is simple. A high-strength pipe made of thermal plastic is buried in the ground in a loop configuration. A close loop is filled with an environmentally safe water/antifreeze solution that transfers heat to or from the earth as needed.
   
   The same principle applies for an open loop that taps into a well, and then discharges the water once it has been used. The closed loop circulation system is virtually maintenance free, with a life expectancy of over 50 years.
   
   Typical geothermal earth loop designs
   
   There are several ways to connect your home to the earth’s energy battery:

2. Horizontal Loops – Horizontal loops are sometimes used where adequate land is available for underground loops that range from 100 feet to 500 feet in length.

3.  

4. Vertical Loops – Vertical loops are ideal when land surface is limited.  Vertical holes (about 6 inches in diameter) are drilled to depths ranging from 100 feet to 300 feet.  Vertical loops are almost always used in a neighborhood setting.

5. 

6. Geothermal loop pond applications – Pond loops, referred to by some as pond source heat pumps, are a very economical alternative when a body of water is nearby.  The pipes are placed along the bottom of the lake.
    
7. Open "loop" applications - Open loop applications do not use a closed loop of pipe containing a water/antifreeze solution.  An open loop system utilizes a near-by water source such as an existing well to circulate water.  Because of filtering problems, we do not recommend using an open loop system.  However, if you have a near-by well or pond,  this type of application could be an alternative.

 

What is geothermal heat and how does it work?

In the winter, the geothermal system taps the earth’s warmth. As the liquid in the pipe circulates in the “loop”, it carries warmth (from the ground outside) to a geothermal unit inside your home. That unit literally takes the heat from the circulating liquid in the pipe and intensifies it using compression principles to the higher temperatures required to heat your home. Unlike fuel-burning heat systems that blow drafty air, a geothermal system provides a constant warm temperature throughout your home regardless of how cold the outside air may be.

 

In the summer, the geothermal system cools comfortable.

How does geothermal cooling work?

One flip of a switch turns your geothermal heating system into a geothermal cooling system. The geothermal unit draws heat from your home and carries it, by way of the “loop” back into the earth. In fact, the geothermal unit operates on the same principle as your refrigerator but instead of putting the heat into your home, it puts it in the ground. A small compressor on the back of your refrigerator constantly removes heat from the refrigerator.

 

All year round, the geothermal system heats your water.

During both the summer and winter months, some of the heat being moved is diverted and put to good use in your hot water tank. This allows the earth’s energy from your back yard to heat about 35% of your hot water….FREE! Many homeowners realize well over a hundred dollars each year in savings from this extra geothermal system benefit.

 

With a geothermal system, the source of your heating and cooling is free.

The only energy required is the electricity needed to operate the geothermal unit.

That’s why the geothermal system is 300%-400% energy efficient, returning $3 to $4 worth of heating or cooling for every $1 of electricity you put into it.

Compare that to the 98% efficiency of the most modern gas furnace, or even the 250% efficiency of electric air-to-air heat pumps.
 

Geothermal Energy

If you could reduce electric bills and, at the same time, contribute to a cleaner, greener environment, wouldn't you want to know more? 

With energy costs on the rise, you might be looking for new ways to reduce electric bills. Fossil fuels are not the answer anymore. A barrel of crude oil costs more now than ever before, and there are limits as to how long that particular resource will last. 

Geothermal energy is a renewable resource with an ample, if not inexhaustible, existing supply. With the ever-increasing cost and apparently decreasing reserves of fossil fuels, finding alternative energy resources has become a top-level worldwide issue. Research and development in geothermal energy just might provide a viable solution while there is still time. 

A great way to save both energy and money is by installing a geothermal heat pump system.  This can work for both residential and commercial buildings.  Unlike the typical heating system - which uses fuel and converts it to heat - a geothermal heat pump system is specifically designed for capturing and concentrating heat from one place, and moving it to another place.   

This means that even with outdoor temperatures that are relatively cold, a geothermal heat pump is still able to extract heat from the ground outside of the building, and bring it inside. 

Conversely, when the building needs to be cooled, the direction of heat movement is reversed, taking it out of the building.   
 

How you can have a heating and cooling
system that is 400% energy efficient

 

Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems

How is geothermal energy used?  Geothermal energy is used for heating and cooling buildings at super high efficiencies. 

How does the technology for geothermal energy work for us?  Geothermal energy is not  "technology".  It has been around since God created the earth.  Geothermal energy is solar energy that has been stored in the earth for thousands of years.  The cost of geothermal energy is essentially nothing since it is stored solar energy.

Geothermal operates efficiently because the energy source, the sun, has already created the energy and stored it in the earth. Geothermal heat pumps may be referred to as geothermal energy pumps,  ground-coupled heat pumps, and ground-source cooling geothermal.  

Geothermal heat pumps can cost more to install than the conventional heating and cooling system, however the added efficiency results in greater savings.  Geothermal heat pumps can reduce heating costs by up to 70% and reduce cooling cost up to 40%.  Just think, if you currently pay $200 per month in the winter for heating, you could save $140 per month!  

Geothermal Energy - Renewable, Safe, and Clean

One great advantage of a geothermal heating and cooling system is that geothermal energy is a renewable source?  Geothermal is nothing more than absorbed solar energy, which is a renewable energy source.  The earth absorbs about 50% of the sun's energy that reaches the earth's surface.

In physics, there are two types of energy: potential and kinetic.  Let's think of a loaded spring.  When the spring is stretched, it has potential energy (no movement).  When the spring is released, it has kinetic (moving) energy.  Solar energy in the earth is potential energy waiting to be used.

Efficient and Reliable Energy

A geothermal heat pump system is four to five times more efficient in fuel conversion than a gas furnace.  One benefit of the super efficiency is a longer lifespan of the equipment.  The lifespan of geothermal units is estimated to be 22 years by the U.S. Department of Energy.  I have had geothermal in my own home for 17 years.  The most energy-efficient central heat and air and the highest-rated HVAC units are by far geothermal heating and cooling systems. 

For both residential and commercial buildings, there are three ways to put geothermal energy sources to use:

The success of a geothermal heat pump or geothermal energy pump is directly related to the quality of the geothermal heating and cooling installation.  DO NOT let any company install your geothermal system that does not have adequate experience.  Always ask for references. 

When it comes to open loop vs. closed loop geothermal systems, our experience has been that a closed loop system operates more efficiently and has less maintenance.

If you have trouble finding an installer in your area, please give me a call at 501-653-7931, and I will be happy to help you.  Carrier, Trane, and Water Furnace are major manufacturers of geothermal equipment.  Manufacturers use software programs that give you accurate geothermal operation costs; however, the software I use when sizing your system calculates both accurate geothermal operational costs and geothermal residence savings. 

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Geothermal Heat Pumps As An investment

How much does it cost to install geothermal heating and cooling?  As a general rule, installing geothermal will cost about $3,000 more per ton than an air-to-air heat pump.  Don't say, “Yikes, $3,000 per ton!”  Think about this:  Let's say your house requires a two-ton air-to-air heat pump.  It will cost roughly $6,000 more to install geothermal than to install a less efficient system.  If you add the $6,000 to your thirty-year mortgage, your payment increases around $40 month.  

Geothermal heating and cooling, could save you $60 a month and much more in some cases, for the rest of your life, not to mention almost zero maintenance, an average 22-year life span, and a percentage of FREE hot water.  You actually make money every month. Take a moment and calculate how much you can save at $60 a month for 22 years: almost $16,000, on your $6,000 investment, and you’ll probably save even more.  The additional cost of geothermal heat pump is greatly offset by the monthly savings that you will enjoy.

IMPORTANT:  If you build your house according to my teachings and let me properly size your system, you may be able to downsize your unit by 25% or more.  If your house initially requires a five-ton system and I am able to lower that to a three-ton system, you can save $3,000 to $4,000, without sacrificing comfort at all.  In fact, because your house is built correctly and you have a super high efficient geothermal energy pump, you and your family will be extremely comfortable.  Because of the benefits you receive for the cost that you pay, geothermal reflects a great investment on your part.

You can have the best and pay less!

A geothermal heat pump that utilizes a closed loop system has many benefits and NO risk or environmental downside.  In a closed loop system, the heat pump compressor is inside your home or crawlspace, and water is circulated through the pipes connected to the compressor.  You have NO outdoor equipment.  Not only can an energy efficient home save you a lot of money, but it can also save the environment. 

About Us

Doug Rye is a nationally recognized energy consultant helping people from New York to L.A. lower their utility bills by as much as 50%.  He is commonly referred to as the “King of Caulk and Talk” and the “Roy Rogers of Energy” because he’s an expert in the home energy conservation field. 

Doug’s humorous, but straight to the point, fashion cuts to the core and leaves “no stone unturned” when talking about energy efficiency like no other ‘guru’ does. 

Doug’s advice can be applied to any home, new or existing, anywhere in America.  And probably anywhere in the world!  He is a leading consultant in all aspects of energy efficiency including: home insulation practices, energy efficient heating and air, water heaters, caulking, air infiltration, and attic insulation. 

Doug’s clients include many Electric Cooperatives such as:

• Arkansas Electric Cooperatives
• Delta Montrose Electric, Intermountain Energy (CO)
• Lorain-Medina, North Central, Washington and Butler Rural Electric (OH)
• Mt. Vernon, Shelby, Eastern Illini and Adams Electric (IL)
• Whitewater Valley Electric Cooperative (Liberty, IN)
• Mountain Electric (TN)
• Paducah Power and Owen Electric (KY)
• Howell-Oregon (MO)
• Tideland EMC (NC)

In addition, Doug Rye is featured in newsletters and magazines across the country and is well known for hosting his radio call-in show, “Home Remedies”.  His live radio show has been broadcast for more than 17 years and is carried by satellite to 15 states.

    

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GREEN BUILDING/
HOME ENERGY ANALYSIS

   Heating and Air Systems
Bigger Isn’t Better

Does your house have cold and hot spots? Is a basement bedroom always cold or damp feeling? Is an upstairs bedroom always hotter than the rest of your home? According to recent studies, 95% of new air-conditioning installations fail in regard to operating efficiency, with more than 70% of systems improperly sized or installed.

Heat Flows Downhill

Just like water, you can say that heat ALWAYS flows downhill, or from high energy (warm) to lower energy (cool). You see, heat will build up until it can find a cooler place to go. When you open your front door in the summer, heat rushes in. The cold air doesn’t rush out. Open your door in the winter, the heated air rushes out. Heat builds up in your home due to sunlight, people, appliances, etc. In the summer we want to get this heat out and replace it with nice conditioned air.

Residential air-conditioning systems are made up of indoor and outdoor systems connected by pipes that circulate a refrigerant such as Freon or Puron. Without getting into technical details, the compressor in the system compresses the liquid refrigerant. By manipulating pressure and temperature, the indoor unit can absorb heat out of the house or extract heat into the house depending on the season.

In addition to conditioning the air, air conditioners serve another important function. They dehumidify the air. In the same way moisture condenses on the side of a cold glass of water sitting outside on a hot day, air conditioners extract moisture from warm, humid air and deliver it outside the house through a evaporator coil.
 

Oversize units waste money and will not
dehumidify your home.

Oversized systems satisfy the temperature at the thermostat so quickly that very little moisture is removed from your home. This is known as short cycling. Short cycling is more of a problem in the southern US in humid climates. Short cycling also causes large peak demands on electrical supply systems.

Air conditioning units are least efficient when they first start up. It takes 15-20 minutes for a system to reach peak operating efficiency. Oversized units run shorter cycles so more time is spent running in the least efficient part of the cycle.

Shorter cycling and high humidity in your home equals an uncomfortable home and HIGH electric bills! At a cost of around $2000 per ton, oversized units cost considerably more. Why pay for a 5 ton system when 3 tons will do? That’s at least a $4000 savings!
 

Rye Home Energy Consultants Wants To Save
You Money! Lots Of It!!

So how do we determine the correct and guaranteed size of heating and cooling system you need? On new construction we take your home plans and run them through our computer using ACCA’s (Air Conditioning Contractors Of America) Manual J Residential Load Calculations. This is how we arrive at room-by-room totals for heating and cooling needs for your home. Manual J calculations are VERY IMPORTANT because you cannot design a duct system properly without these calculations. Duct systems installed without Manual J calculations are what we call “the Bubba method”. Bubba the contractor looks at your 3000 sq. ft. home and says, “Yep, you need 6 tons”. Some of you are smiling right now and thinking, that’s exactly what he said.

Now you tell me. How does he know this? HE DOESN’T! You may need 9 tons, or 6 tons, or even 3 tons. Do not let someone guess at the size system you need.

Manual J calculations takes into account solar-heat gains, direction the house is facing and orientation to the sun and shading, which can greatly affect the loads needed. We also take into account window sizes, ceiling heights, wall insulation, floor insulation, foundation type, ceiling insulation, and everything else that can affect the heat generated in your home.
 

Why do electric cooperatives all over the
country love what we teach?

Here is one reason why electric cooperatives all across the country love what we teach. Build your house energy efficient, let us size the heating and cooling system for your home, and you will enjoy a comfortable home with low utility bills.

So how does this help electric companies you may ask? See, when an electric company builds a power generating plant it must be designed for the maximum peak loads even if it only happens once a year. Right from the start they are already spending hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars more than they should have to.

Ever wonder why places like California have brown-outs during a hot summer? It’s because the power generating plants cannot keep up with the demand for electricity. Almost every single building in the state is calling for maximum cooling at the same time. Now remember, this may only happen once a year, BUT they have to build the plant large enough to handle this one peak.

When you build your home like we teach those peak demands are kept to a minimum, and when there is a peak it’s much lower because the amount of electricity needed is less. Which takes more electricity? 500,000 homes with 5 ton systems or 3 ton systems? You get the point?

Oh, and one other thing! Now we don’t have to import nearly as much coal from other countries to power the plants and now we can reduce the amount of emissions coming from the power plants.
 

While the home energy analysis is an optional service when I draw your plans, you can't afford NOT to do it. 

Each day thousands of homeowners live the American dream and start to build their new home.  However, they overlook one of the most important steps in the home building process.  They allow their contractor, who usually knows nothing about energy efficiency, to guess at the size of heating and cooling system they need for their home.

An incorrectly sized heating and cooling system results in

WHAT DO I GET WITH THE

ENERGY ANALYSIS?

Everything you need to know about the energy
 efficiency of your home.

When we run the energy calculations on your home we enter in all the important information that affects the heating and cooling loads on your home.  We look at the direction the house faces, window sizes, foundation types, ceiling heights, room sizes, exposed exterior wall, room sizes, and other design aspects.

We will return your set of plans along with a detailed energy specification list and a written guarantee on your average heating and cooling costs. 

Our specifications include requirements for:

• Floor insulation

• Wall insulation

• Caulking

• Ceiling Insulation

• Lighting

• Windows

• Ductwork / return air sizing

• Water heaters

• Roof decking

• Energy efficient framing techniques

We normally charge 15 cents per sq. ft. (heated and cooled) to size your heating and cooling system and give you a written guarantee on your average heating and cooling costs.

However, if I draw your plans that is discounted to 10 cents per sq. ft. 
That's over 30% savings!

We have done this hundreds of times all across America and never had one come back.

Already have your house plans?

It is important to note that even if you already have your completed house plans we will run the Manual J calculations, size the heating and cooling system for your home, and give you a written guarantee on your average monthly heating and cooling costs.  This cost is 15 cents per sq. ft. living area.

CONTACT ME TO DISCOVER THE ADVANTAGES OF CHOOSING RYE HOME DESIGN AND ENERGY CONSULTING

Here's what I want you to do.

To speak to me personally about your house plans, call me at  501-317-9883. 
This number is reserved for house plan inquires only.     
- OR -
Complete the following form and I will contact you with more details about my services and how I can help you.  I will send you an email with complete details about what I offer, pricing, and scheduling.

Complete this form and I will contact you by method of your choice to discuss your plans.

Note:  This form is used for both house plan design and home energy analysis.  If you did not fill out the form at the top of this page with directions on how to contact you, please do so here.  Thanks.