  Continuum solvation models enable electronic structure calculations of
systems in liquid environments, but because of the large number of empirical
parameters, they are limited to the class of systems in their fit set
(typically organic molecules). Here, we derive a solvation model with no
empirical parameters for the dielectric response by taking the linear response
limit of a classical density functional for molecular liquids. This model
directly incorporates the nonlocal dielectric response of the liquid using an
angular momentum expansion, and with a single fit parameter for dispersion
contributions it predicts solvation energies of neutral molecules with an RMS
error of 1.3 kcal/mol in water and 0.8 kcal/mol in chloroform and carbon
tetrachloride. We show that this model is more accurate for strongly polar and
charged systems than previous solvation models because of the parameter-free
electric response, and demonstrate its suitability for ab initio solvation,
including self-consistent solvation in quantum Monte Carlo calculations.
