Link to WEAP

Menu Option: Advanced: Link to WEAP

The Link to WEAP screen is used to set up a live connection between a LEAP energy planning model and a WEAP water resource planning model.

The Water Evaluation and Planning System (WEAP) is SEI's software tool for integrated water resources planning. WEAP is distinguished by its integrated approach to simulating water systems and by its policy orientation. WEAP is comprehensive, straightforward and easy-to-use, and attempts to assist rather than substitute for the skilled planner. As a database, WEAP provides a system for maintaining water demand and supply information. As a forecasting tool, WEAP simulates water demand, supply, flows, and storage, and pollution generation, treatment and discharge. As a policy analysis tool, WEAP evaluates a full range of water development and management options, and takes account of multiple and competing uses of water systems.

LEAP and WEAP are sister tools that share the many of the same design features and approaches and which are created by software teams that closely collaborate with each other.   In particular LEAP and WEAP share the following features:

  • Software platform (Delphi)

  • Closely coordinated terminologies.

  • Closely integrated Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) based on the Windows Common Object Model (COM).

  • Coordinated user interfaces for data entry and reporting

  • Similar and coordinated data definition languages for entering data and creating models.

  • Similar and coordinated approaches for scenario management  

Use the Advanced: Link to WEAP screen in LEAP (or the parallel Link to LEAP screen in WEAP) to establish a connection between a LEAP area and a WEAP area.

Bear in mind that this option is only available if both LEAP and WEAP are installed on your PC.  

To set up a link between two areas, first check the Link to WEAP Model check box, then select a WEAP area from the selection box.  Once you have done this the configuration data describing the WEAP area will be read by LEAP and you will then be asked to specify how the various elements in the LEAP and WEAP areas are mapped to one another.  In particular, use the table that is displayed in the form to specify mappings between LEAP and WEAP scenarios, and between LEAP and WEAP time slices.

Any errors or missing mapping are displayed on screen in red.  You can also click the Error Check button to have LEAP and WEAP check for any problems in the LEAP-WEAP linkage.

Four major restrictions apply to the LEAP areas that can be linked to WEAP.

  1. Both areas must have the same base and end years.

  2. LEAP areas must have only a single year of data in their Current Accounts data (WEAP does not currently allow for multi-year Current Accounts).

  3. LEAP areas must have only a single region.

  4. LEAP and WEAP must have an exactly matching number of time slices (typically both should be monthly).