SAN ANTONIO — Mission Solar is looking to increase the amount of power harnessed at solar farms that produce electricity for CPS Energy with new technology being tested in conjunction with the University of Texas at San Antonio.

The solar-panel maker is working with researchers at UTSA to test a two-sided solar panel that would capture sunlight and produce energy on both sides.

“We're just really wanting to create an innovative product, and this is just a step towards that,” said Laura Waldrum, a spokeswoman for Mission Solar.

The tests are in the early stages, said Sam Martens, Mission Solar's manager for planning. The tests are designed to determine how much energy the panels can harvest and how well they function. The bottom side of the panels would capture sunlight reflecting off the ground.

The panels being produced by Mission Solar are already double-sided. However, their undersides are covered, Martens said. It's easier to build the panels that way now rather than having to change them when the double-sided tests are complete.

The company hasn't set timeline for when the testing will be complete or when it will begin producing the double-sided panels, Martens said.

Because of a nondisclosure agreement with Mission Solar, UTSA officials declined to comment on their role in the testing.

While this is not a brand-new product, it is not widely used or known on the market, Martens said.

The Mission Solar panels are used on solar farms around the metropolitan area. The installations are a partnership between CPS Energy and OCI Solar Power and are owned by OCI. CPS purchases all of the energy from the farms. The latest edition to the farm system, Alamo 4 in Brackettville, generates 39 megawatts of energy from 150,000 panels.Mission Solar is part of the OCI Solar Power agreement made with CPS to sell the utility 400 megawatts of clean energy and create 800 jobs.