Solar guru Finn Peacock answers your energy questions
Can solar panels work when neighbours’ trees or buildings leave you in the shade, and what rights do you have? Solar guru Finn Peacock answered this and more in today’s Q&A.
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Is solar still viable if you’ve got a neighbour throwing shade? And do South Australians have a right to sunshine on their property?
This is just one of the questions answered by solarquotes.com.au solar power guru Finn Peacock during his live Q&A today on www.Advertiser.com.au.
Eric asked:
“We haven’t got solar because our neighbor’s trees are shading the whole roof. We will install solar panels and batteries if the trees get taken down, but what happens if a developer buys the property and decides to build two or three story units on the land? Are we protected by over shadowing laws?”
The answer?
“You have no enshrined rights under the law to sunlight on your panels. But... people have successfully appealed development plans due to an adverse effect on their existing solar system. So you could lodge an appeal and the developer could be forced to modify the design around your solar panels. It has happened before in Australia so there is hope,” Finn responded.
Solar energy is surging in popularity but for newcomers the tech and terminology can still sound like something out of Star Trek.
So to help those scratching their heads over the sums or legalities before adding solar panels or batteries, we hosted SolarQuotes.com.au founder Finn Peacock right here on Advertiser.com.au today.
Finn was here live 11.30am until 12.30pm fielding questions on everything from inverters to batteries, the importance (or not) of cleaning and what you can do if your neighbour’s trees and stealing your sunshine.
The Q&A has now ended but you can read the conversation below.
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