solweig 0.1.0b51

High-performance SOLWEIG urban microclimate model (Rust + Python)

SOLWEIG

Map how hot it feels across a city — pixel by pixel.

SOLWEIG computes Mean Radiant Temperature (Tmrt) and thermal comfort indices (UTCI, PET) for urban environments. Give it a building height model and weather data, and it produces high-resolution maps showing where people experience heat stress — and where trees, shade, and cool surfaces make a difference.

Adapted from the UMEP (Urban Multi-scale Environmental Predictor) platform by Fredrik Lindberg, Sue Grimmond, and contributors — see Lindberg et al. (2008, 2018). Re-implemented in Rust for speed, with optional GPU acceleration.

DSM/DEM data: PNOA-LiDAR, Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN), Spain. CC BY 4.0.

Experimental: This package and QGIS plugin are released for testing and discussion purposes. The API is stabilising but may change. Feedback and bug reports welcome — open an issue.

Documentation · Installation · Quick Start · API Reference

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What can you do with it?

• Urban planning — Compare street canyon designs, tree planting scenarios, or cool-roof strategies by mapping thermal comfort before and after.
• Heat risk assessment — Identify the hottest spots in a neighbourhood during a heatwave, hour by hour.
• Research — Run controlled microclimate experiments at 1 m resolution with full radiation budgets.
• Climate services — Generate thermal comfort maps for public health warnings or outdoor event planning.

How it works

SOLWEIG models the complete radiation budget experienced by a person standing in an urban environment:

1. Shadows — Which pixels are shaded by buildings and trees at a given sun angle?
2. Sky View Factor (SVF) — How much sky can a person see from each point? (More sky = more incoming longwave and diffuse radiation.)
3. Surface temperatures — How hot are the ground and surrounding walls, accounting for thermal inertia across the diurnal cycle?
4. Radiation balance — Sum shortwave (sun) and longwave (heat) radiation from all directions, using either isotropic or Perez anisotropic sky models.
5. Tmrt — Convert total absorbed radiation into Mean Radiant Temperature.
6. Thermal comfort — Optionally derive UTCI or PET, which combine Tmrt with air temperature, humidity, and wind.

The computation pipeline is implemented in Rust and exposed to Python via PyO3. Shadow casting and anisotropic sky calculations can optionally run on the GPU via WebGPU. Large rasters are automatically tiled to fit GPU memory constraints.

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Install

pip install solweig

For all features (rasterio, geopandas, progress bars):

pip install solweig[full]

Requirements: Python 3.11–3.13. Pre-built wheels are available for Linux, macOS, and Windows.

From source

git clone https://github.com/UMEP-dev/solweig.git
cd solweig
pip install maturin
maturin develop --release

This compiles the Rust extension locally. A Rust toolchain is required.

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Quick start

Minimal example (numpy arrays)

import numpy as np
import solweig
from datetime import datetime

# A flat surface with one 15 m building
dsm = np.full((200, 200), 2.0, dtype=np.float32)
dsm[80:120, 80:120] = 15.0

surface = solweig.SurfaceData(dsm=dsm, pixel_size=1.0)
surface.compute_svf()  # Required before calculate()

location = solweig.Location(latitude=48.8, longitude=2.3, utc_offset=1)  # Paris
weather = solweig.Weather(
    datetime=datetime(2025, 7, 15, 14, 0),
    ta=32.0,          # Air temperature (°C)
    rh=40.0,          # Relative humidity (%)
    global_rad=850.0, # Solar radiation (W/m²)
)

result = solweig.calculate(surface, location, weather)

print(f"Sunlit Tmrt: {result.tmrt[result.shadow > 0.5].mean():.0f}°C")
print(f"Shaded Tmrt: {result.tmrt[result.shadow < 0.5].mean():.0f}°C")

Real-world workflow (GeoTIFFs + EPW weather)

import solweig

# 1. Load surface — prepare() computes and caches walls/SVF when missing
surface = solweig.SurfaceData.prepare(
    dsm="data/dsm.tif",
    cdsm="data/trees.tif",       # Optional: vegetation canopy heights
    working_dir="cache/",        # Expensive preprocessing cached here
)

# 2. Load weather from an EPW file (standard format from climate databases)
weather_list = solweig.Weather.from_epw(
    "data/weather.epw",
    start="2025-07-01",
    end="2025-07-03",
)
location = solweig.Location.from_epw("data/weather.epw")

# 3. Run — outputs saved as GeoTIFFs, thermal state carried between timesteps
summary = solweig.calculate(
    surface=surface,
    weather=weather_list,
    location=location,
    output_dir="output/",
    outputs=["tmrt", "shadow"],
)

# 4. Inspect results
print(summary.report())
summary.plot()

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API overview

Core classes

Class	Purpose
SurfaceData	Holds all spatial inputs (DSM, CDSM, DEM, land cover) and precomputed arrays (walls, SVF). Use .prepare() to load GeoTIFFs with automatic caching.
Location	Geographic coordinates (latitude, longitude, UTC offset). Create from coordinates, DSM CRS, or an EPW file.
Weather	Per-timestep meteorological data (air temperature, relative humidity, global radiation, optional wind speed). Load from EPW files or create manually.
SolweigResult	Output grids from a single timestep: Tmrt, shadow, UTCI, PET, radiation components.
TimeseriesSummary	Aggregated results from a multi-timestep run: mean/max/min grids, sun hours, UTCI threshold exceedance, per-timestep scalars.
HumanParams	Body parameters: posture (standing/sitting), absorption coefficients, PET body parameters (age, weight, height, etc.).
ModelConfig	Runtime settings: anisotropic sky, max shadow distance, tiling workers.

Main functions

# Single timestep
result = solweig.calculate(surface, location, weather)

# Multi-timestep with thermal inertia (auto-tiles large rasters)
summary = solweig.calculate(surface, location, weather=weather_list)

# Include UTCI and/or PET in outputs
summary = solweig.calculate(
    surface, location, weather=weather_list,
    outputs=["tmrt", "utci", "shadow"],       # saved to disk
    timestep_outputs=["tmrt", "utci"],         # retained in memory
)

# Input validation
warnings = solweig.validate_inputs(surface, location, weather)

Convenience I/O

# Load/save GeoTIFFs
data, transform, crs, nodata = solweig.io.load_raster("dsm.tif")
solweig.io.save_raster("output.tif", data, transform, crs)

# Rasterise vector data (e.g., tree polygons → height grid)
raster, transform = solweig.io.rasterise_gdf(gdf, "geometry", "height", bbox=bbox, pixel_size=1.0)

# Download EPW weather data (no API key needed)
epw_path = solweig.download_epw(latitude=37.98, longitude=23.73, output_path="athens.epw")

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Inputs and outputs

What you need

Input	Required?	What it is
DSM	Yes	Digital Surface Model — a height grid (metres) including buildings. GeoTIFF or numpy array.
Location	Yes	Latitude, longitude, and UTC offset. Can be extracted from the DSM's CRS or an EPW file.
Weather	Yes	Air temperature, relative humidity, and global solar radiation. Load from an EPW file or create manually.
CDSM	No	Canopy heights (trees). Adds vegetation shading.
DEM	No	Ground elevation. Separates terrain from buildings.
Land cover	No	Surface type grid (paved, grass, water, etc.). Affects surface temperatures.

What you get

Output	Unit	Description
Tmrt	°C	Mean Radiant Temperature — how much radiation a person absorbs.
Shadow	0–1	Shadow fraction (1 = sunlit, 0 = fully shaded).
UTCI	°C	Universal Thermal Climate Index — "feels like" temperature.
PET	°C	Physiological Equivalent Temperature — similar to UTCI with customisable body parameters.
Kdown / Kup	W/m²	Shortwave radiation (down and reflected up).
Ldown / Lup	W/m²	Longwave radiation (thermal, down and emitted up).

Timeseries summary grids

When running calculate() with a list of weather timesteps, the returned TimeseriesSummary provides aggregated grids across all timesteps:

Grid	Description
tmrt_mean, tmrt_max, tmrt_min	Overall Tmrt statistics
tmrt_day_mean, tmrt_night_mean	Day/night Tmrt averages
utci_mean, utci_max, utci_min	Overall UTCI statistics
utci_day_mean, utci_night_mean	Day/night UTCI averages
sun_hours, shade_hours	Hours of direct sun / shade per pixel
utci_hours_above	Dict of threshold → grid of hours exceeding that UTCI value

Plus a Timeseries object with per-timestep spatial means (Tmrt, UTCI, sun fraction, air temperature, radiation, etc.) for plotting.

Don't have an EPW file? Download one

epw_path = solweig.download_epw(latitude=37.98, longitude=23.73, output_path="athens.epw")
weather_list = solweig.Weather.from_epw(epw_path)

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Configuration

Human body parameters

human = solweig.HumanParams(
    posture="standing",  # or "sitting"
    abs_k=0.7,           # Shortwave absorption coefficient
    abs_l=0.97,          # Longwave absorption coefficient
    # PET-specific:
    age=35, weight=75, height=1.75, sex=1, activity=80, clothing=0.9,
)
result = solweig.calculate(surface, location, weather, human=human)

Model options

Key parameters accepted by calculate():

Parameter	Default	Description
use_anisotropic_sky	True	Use Perez anisotropic sky model for more accurate diffuse radiation.
conifer	False	Treat trees as evergreen (skip seasonal leaf-off).
max_shadow_distance_m	1000	Maximum shadow reach in metres. Increase for mountainous terrain.
outputs	["tmrt"]	Which grids to save to disk: "tmrt", "utci", "pet", "shadow", "kdown", "kup", "ldown", "lup".
timestep_outputs	None	Per-timestep grids to retain in memory (e.g., ["tmrt", "utci"]).
output_dir	None	Directory for GeoTIFF output files.

Physics and materials

# Custom vegetation transmissivity, posture geometry, etc.
physics = solweig.load_physics("custom_physics.json")

# Custom surface materials (albedo, emissivity per land cover class)
materials = solweig.load_materials("site_materials.json")

summary = solweig.calculate(
    surface=surface,
    weather=weather_list,
    location=location,
    physics=physics,
    materials=materials,
)

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GPU acceleration

SOLWEIG uses WebGPU (via wgpu/Rust) for shadow casting and anisotropic sky computations. GPU is enabled by default when available.

import solweig

# Check GPU status
print(solweig.is_gpu_available())     # True/False
print(solweig.get_compute_backend())  # "gpu" or "cpu"
print(solweig.get_gpu_limits())       # {"max_buffer_size": ..., "backend": "Metal"}

# Disable GPU (fall back to CPU)
solweig.disable_gpu()

Large rasters are automatically tiled to fit within GPU buffer limits. Tile size, worker count, and prefetch depth are configurable via ModelConfig or keyword arguments.

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Run metadata and reproducibility

Every timeseries run records a run_metadata.json in the output directory capturing the full parameter set:

metadata = solweig.load_run_metadata("output/run_metadata.json")
print(metadata["solweig_version"])
print(metadata["location"])
print(metadata["parameters"]["use_anisotropic_sky"])
print(metadata["timeseries"]["start"], "to", metadata["timeseries"]["end"])

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QGIS plugin

SOLWEIG is also available as a QGIS Processing plugin for point-and-click spatial analysis — no Python scripting required.

Installation

1. Plugins → Manage and Install Plugins
2. Settings tab → Check "Show also experimental plugins"
3. Search for "SOLWEIG" → Install Plugin

The plugin requires QGIS 4.0+ (Qt6, Python 3.11+). On first use it will offer to install the solweig Python library automatically.

Processing algorithms

Once installed, SOLWEIG algorithms appear in the Processing Toolbox under the SOLWEIG group:

Algorithm	Description
Download / Preview Weather File	Download a TMY EPW file from PVGIS, or preview an existing EPW file.
Prepare Surface Data	Align rasters, compute wall heights, wall aspects, and SVF. Results are cached and reused.
SOLWEIG Calculation	Single-timestep or timeseries Tmrt with optional inline UTCI/PET. Supports EPW and UMEP met files.

QGIS-specific features

• All inputs and outputs are standard QGIS raster layers (GeoTIFF)
• Automatic tiling for large rasters with GPU support
• QGIS progress bar integration with cancellation support
• Configurable vegetation parameters (transmissivity, seasonal leaf dates, conifer/deciduous)
• Configurable land cover materials table
• UTCI heat stress thresholds for day and night
• Run metadata saved alongside outputs for reproducibility

Typical QGIS workflow

1. Surface Preparation — Load your DSM (and optionally CDSM, DEM, land cover). The algorithm computes walls, SVF, and caches everything to a working directory.
2. Tmrt Timeseries — Point to the prepared surface directory and an EPW file. Select your date range, outputs, and run. Results are saved as GeoTIFFs and loaded into the QGIS canvas.
3. Inspect results — Use standard QGIS tools to style, compare, and export the output layers.

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Demos

Complete working scripts:

• demos/athens-demo.py — Full workflow: rasterise tree vectors, load GeoTIFFs, run a multi-day timeseries, visualise summary grids.
• demos/solweig_gbg_test.py — Gothenburg: surface preparation with SVF caching, timeseries calculation.

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Citation

Adapted from UMEP by Fredrik Lindberg, Sue Grimmond, and contributors.

If you use SOLWEIG in your research, please cite the original model paper and the UMEP platform:

1. Lindberg F, Holmer B, Thorsson S (2008) SOLWEIG 1.0 – Modelling spatial variations of 3D radiant fluxes and mean radiant temperature in complex urban settings. International Journal of Biometeorology 52, 697–713 doi:10.1007/s00484-008-0162-7

2. Lindberg F, Grimmond CSB, Gabey A, Huang B, Kent CW, Sun T, Theeuwes N, Järvi L, Ward H, Capel-Timms I, Chang YY, Jonsson P, Krave N, Liu D, Meyer D, Olofson F, Tan JG, Wästberg D, Xue L, Zhang Z (2018) Urban Multi-scale Environmental Predictor (UMEP) – An integrated tool for city-based climate services. Environmental Modelling and Software 99, 70-87 doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2017.09.020

Demo data

The Athens demo dataset (demos/data/athens/) uses the following sources:

• DSM/DEM — Derived from LiDAR data available via the Hellenic Cadastre geoportal
• Tree vectors (trees.gpkg) — Derived from the Athens Urban Atlas and municipal open data at geodata.gov.gr
• EPW weather (athens_2023.epw) — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information [2025] via PVGIS. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information; neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the Copernicus information or data it contains.

License

GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 — see LICENSE.