Assessing the sustainable development potential of rooftop agrivoltaics: A case study of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration

Rooftop agrivoltaics (RAV) integrate clean energy and food production, addressing "zero food miles" while contributing to urban sustainability. This study proposes a multidisciplinary framework to quantify RAV's sustainable development potential and assess its contributions to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the Yangtze River Delta, RAV spans 10,720 km2, generating 9.307 x 1010 kWh of electricity annually (6.3 % of the region's demand), producing 4.358 x 107 tons of lettuce (meeting the nutritional needs of 871,567 people), creating 23.36 million jobs, and reducing 1.268 x 108 t CO2 emissions (offsetting 7.47 % of annual emissions). The associated environmental benefits amount to 874.6 billion CNY per year. By 2030, under urban expansion and energy transition scenarios, electricity output could rise to 1.04 x 1011 kWh, carbon reduction to 2.8 x 108 t CO2, and crop yields to 4.844 x 107 tons. These findings demonstrate RAV's transformative potential for economic, environmental, and urban planning benefits, advancing sustainable urban development.