Sydney Solar Cells To Be Left in the Dark

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting on a local government planning decision that will leave solar electricity panels overshadowed by neighbouring building.

Hunters Hill Council has approved a residential development that will add a storey to an existing building and may leave solar panels next door in the shade. Sandra and Simon Rowell paid $40,000 last year to fit their home in Hunters Hill with photovoltaic panels that may soon be useless leaving them to return to coal fired electricity. The 20 panels cover half their roof, and generate about 4.2 kilowatts of electricity when in full sun.

"The whole idea was to reduce our carbon footprint - we knew it would never pay for itself - but that will now be pretty much worthless," Mrs Rowell said. "We weren't going to make any money out of doing this. We were basically just trying to do the right thing.".