Hazardous Properties and Environmental Effects of Materials Used in Solar Heating and Cooling (SHAC) Technologies: Interim Handbook.

The use of solar energy for home heating and cooling is often considered to be environmentally benign and to present few or no health hazards. However, all technologies impact the environment, and all can introduce situations that lead to personal harm and property loss. Environmental impact and hazardous situations can be minimized if the needed information is identified and communicated to users and designers during the early development stages of a technology. The goal of this program is to provide a single reference source of hazardous properties and environmental effects of materials used in solar heating and cooling for heat transfer fluids, insulations, seals and sealant materials, glazing material, collector material, and storage material. Hazardous properties that are emphasized are those related to toxicity (using Durham and Gasselin rating schemes) and fires (using rating schemes for Health Hazard Identified for Firefighters, Flammability Hazard Identified for Firefighters, and Reactivity/Stability Hazard Identified for Firefighters). Chemical characterizations of some materials are presented and environmental effects are surveyed. This interim handbook is the first of several editions. Comments and suggestions for improvement are solicited from qualified spokespersons. New data and expanded treatments will follow in later editions. (AN)