NOVELTY - The converter plate, which is made from glass or glass-ceramic, has a refractive index of at least 1.49 and is doped with at least one non-ferrous heavy metal and/or at least one rare earth metal. The non-ferrous heavy metal dopant comprises MnO2, CrO3, NiO and/or a combination of these. The rare earth dopant comprises a bi- or tri-valent oxide or fluoride of samarium, europium, thulium, terbium, yttrium, ytterbium and/or a combination of them. Suitable glass types are presented, together with their quantified composition ranges.    USE - A photovoltaic module for solar energy collection, with an electrode layer, thin layer of silicon and a converter plate of doped glass or glass ceramic.    ADVANTAGE - Sunlight damages conventional photovoltaic cells over the long term. The plastic used is subject to solar heating, which degrades it. In the new photovoltaic module with converter plate, surface reflection losses are minimized. The disclosure relates conversion characteristics to glass composition. UV blocking further increases weather- and solarization resistance. Energy transfer is spectrally optimized. Low water content improves optical properties, especially transmission in the near infra red. Reduced photon excitation, reduces the fluorescence quantum yield. Absorption and diffusion-scattering by nanocrystals, is avoided by minimizing their size during processing. Dopants, their concentrations and benefits, are discussed in further detail.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The photovoltaic module has an additional cover glass. This is UV-blocking. It contains 0.05-0.5 wt% TiO2, based on the total quantity of cover glass. Water content is less than 40 mmol/l. Nanocrystals are included. Their size is less than 200, 50 or 30 nm, and especially less than 10 nm.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The drawing shows an example graph of energy transfer against wavelength, from UV to NIR, for a specific glass composition doped with manganese.(Drawing includes non-English language text)