Display omitted •SEM, EDS and FIB are employed to study corrosion in Ag-glass solar reflectors.•Polluting gases (SO2, H2S and NOx) have a great influence on reflector degradation.•For all gas atmospheres, the Cu-layer is the critical component. It is corroded first and protects silver.•Corrosion products and mechanisms depend on gas type, humidity and temperature•Heavy metals of the rear protective paints (Zn, Fe) also play a significant role. Silvered-glass solar reflectors consist of a reflective layer (RL), composed of silver and copper thin-films, back-protected by paint layers on a glass plate. The RL is prone to corrosion, especially in industrial atmospheres with polluting gases. After applying accelerated aging tests with gaseous pollutants (SO2, H2S, NO2), SG-R samples are studied by SEM and EDS, including FIB preparation. As expected the copper thin-film is firstly corroded, followed by the silver corrosion. Deposits of different corrosion products were found on the reflector’s surface, depending on the polluting gas used. The rear protective paint layers also play an active role.