Before a group of town officials, Bert Sutcliffe (above), head of Ecolectric LLC of Plymouth, describes the operation of one of five heat pump “air handlers” recently installed in the Andover Town Offices and Library. Each may be controlled independently via a remote like the one in Sutcliffe’s hand.

The air handlers are connected to heat pumps mounted outside the building. As Sutcliffe explained, “Heat pumps are much more efficient than conventional heating and air conditioning units because they don’t generate heat by burning fuel or using electricity against resistance. Instead, they extract it mechanically and move it inside or outside as needed.

“Even in frigid outside air in mid-winter, heat energy is present,” Sutcliffe said. “When it’s cold outside, a heat pump extracts this outside heat and transfers it inside. When it’s warm outside, it reverses direction and acts as an air conditioner, removing heat and humidity from the interior space. “

Both the air handlers and the heat pumps are remarkably quiet, Sutcliffe pointed out. The system is expected to save money for the town, improve the working environment, and reduce emissions.

The heat pump project, along with a plan to install a rooftop solar electric system to serve the Town Offices and Library, was initiated by the Andover Energy Group and approved by vote at the March Town Meeting.