Homeowner spends $10,000 on solar panels in the Oaks, NSW – only to learn it may be worthless

A homeowner has been left devastated after spending $10,000 on solar panels and learning a two-storey house will be built next door blocking sunlight to her house.

Sharon Robertson, who lives in The Oaks in Sydney’s south-west, said the project next door has been approved by local council.

She claims her pleas to council has fallen on deaf ears and left her at her wit’s end. 

‘I think it’s ridiculous,’ Ms Robertson told 7NEWS.

‘Even the mayor and four other councillors have gone in to bat for me and said, you know, ‘What the hell?’.’

Ms Robertson said she feels the Council have told her ‘Oh well, bad luck’ adding the development (pictured, a plan of the property next to her home) would block the sun coming onto her panels during the crucial winter months

Ms Robertson said the development would block the sun coming onto her panels during the crucial winter months. 

Wollondilly Shire Council CEO Ben Taylor said the pending construction complies with ‘the suite of development controls applicable to the site and that the environmental impacts are not unreasonable’.

Councilor Suzy Brandstater said she was gutted by the decision saying ‘it was unfair’ for someone to construct a house that will block out the panels’ energy source.

Wollondilly MP Judy Hannan said the state’s planning rules need to change and Planning NSW needs to have a vision on how to manage them in the future.

It comes after one of Australia’s most high-profile radio hosts reignited debate about solar panels last year claiming the ‘clean, green energy source’ has environmental issues. 

Sydney Radio 2GB host Ben Fordham raised questions over the ‘fragile’ and ‘flawed’ business case for panels after he was inundated with complaints from listeners at the time doubting a push to make the switch.

Fordham said authorities can’t hide the fact that a lot of question marks remain about the panels, even though half a million NSW households alone have them installed, including himself.

It costs Australians an average of $10,000 for the panels on top of up to $16,000 for the battery to make the most out of the system, the host claimed.

It costs Australians an average of $10,000 for the panels on top of up to $16,000 for the battery to make the most out of the system, the 2GB Radio Host Ben Fordham claimed last year

‘People have installed solar panels in the hope of saving money in the long run,’ he said.

‘But more experts are pointing out that the ‘savings day’ is being pushed back further and further.’

‘We’ve had listeners point out to us that after making the switch- they’re not actually saving money.

‘It sounds like people are starting to have buyer’s remorse.’

One woman told Fordham her household is now paying $80 more a quarter than before going solar two years ago as they repay the cost of the panels.

The NSW Department of Planning and Environment was contacted for comment by Daily Mail Australia.