Calculates how much solar energy each surface of your model receives over any time period. Output is a colour-coded heatmap useful for shading design, PV placement, and overheating risk.
Solar Radiation
Runs in the browser — nothing to install.
| Input | .3dm + .epw |
| Output | Radiation heatmap |
| Unit | kWh/m² |
Using it
Load a weather file
Radiation values come from the EPW's hourly direct + diffuse data.
Import your model
Include analysis surfaces and context geometry (context acts as shading).
Mark analysis layers
Tell the tool which layers are the surfaces to evaluate.
Pick a period
Annual, summer, winter, custom range, or a single day.
Set the grid
Finer grid = more detail, slower compute. Start coarse.
Run
First run on a model is 30–90s; subsequent runs reuse the geometry.
Tips
- Do — Use Annual for PV / overheating; use Summer for shading studies; use Winter to find dark facades.
- Avoid — Forgetting to include context — without it, your facade looks brighter than reality.
Solar Radiation
Runs in the browser — nothing to install.