Are Mirrors Good for Reflecting Light?

[SmokeyMacPot]

Mirrors waste energy by reflecting only a small fraction of the light that falls on them.

When light, which, like radio waves, is a form of electromagnetic radiation, strikes a metallic mirror the electrons in the metal move just as they do when a radio signal strikes an antenna. Pushing electrons around takes energy, which dims the reflected image.

Metallic mirrors reflect infrared light (heat) and if your mirror has imperfections this will cause hot spots, which can burn plants. Please note hot spots also apply to Mylar and Foil and IMO are not applicable to growers using small amounts of fluorescent lighting.

By using a mirror to reflect your light on a wall, you can test for imperfections, if you see an uneven image, with focused beams (normally located at the edge of the reflected pattern) these are known as hot spots and depending on the wattage of your bulb, may burn your foliage.

Metallic mirrors should not be used as a reflector for your grow room as minimizing light loss is important.

Author: MedMan