The results reveal that approximately 37,000 acres of farmland within a 5-mile buffer of the Richmond metropolitan area could potentially produce 209,851,792 pounds of food annually, satisfying about 30% of the area's grain and vegetable requirements. Additionally, allocating 10% of this farmland for bifacial solar panels could fulfill the entire metropolitan area's energy needs solely with solar power. However, limitations such as data scarcity on local food consumption and detailed crop yields were encountered, necessitating the use of estimates and secondary data sources.
Future directions of this research include identifying optimal locations for solar panel installation on farmlands, evaluating the agricultural productivity impacts of agrivoltaics, and selecting suitable solar technologies for specific locations. This study underscores the potential of agrivoltaics in contributing to environmental sustainability and food security in urban-fringe areas.