Current interest in optimum surfaces for solar collectors has focussed on rough surfaces. We consider surface texture on a scale less than the wavelength of incident light. We utilize effective medium theories to relate a spatial variation in mass density to a spatial variation in dielectric constant. An iterative solution to Maxwell’s equations for the above configuration is stated in terms of reflectivity, transmission and absorption for the surface grade as a function of angle of incidence, polarization and wavelength. Comparison is made to an exact analytic solution. Experimental data are presented for some examples of microscopic texturing. Finally we consider within the framework of the effective medium theory the contribution of polarization phenomena.