HVAC system using model predictive control with distributed low-level airside optimization and airside power consumption model

A method for operating a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system for a building, method comprising:

• generating a plurality of airside subsystem energy targets at a high-level controller using a plurality of heat transfer models, each airside subsystem energy target corresponding to one of a plurality of airside subsystems and generated based on a thermal capacitance of one or more building spaces to which heating or cooling is provided by HVAC equipment of the corresponding airside subsystem, each heat transfer model corresponding to one of the plurality of airside subsystems and defining a relationship between:
• the airside subsystem energy target for the corresponding airside subsystem;
• a temperature of the one or more building spaces predicted to result from the airside subsystem energy target for the corresponding airside subsystem;
• and
• the thermal capacitance of the one or more building spaces to which heating or cooling is provided by the corresponding airside subsystem;
• distributing the plurality of airside subsystem energy targets to a plurality of low-level airside controllers, each low-level airside controller corresponding to one of the airside subsystems;
• and
• controlling, by each of the plurality of low-level airside controllers, the airside HVAC equipment of the corresponding airside subsystem in accordance with the airside subsystem energy target for the corresponding airside subsystem.

A heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system for a building, the HVAC system comprising:

• an airside system having a plurality of airside subsystems, each airside subsystem comprising airside HVAC equipment configured to provide heating or cooling to one or more building spaces;
• a high-level controller configured to determine an amount of heating or cooling to be provided by each of the plurality of airside subsystems using a plurality of heat transfer models, each heat transfer model corresponding to one of the plurality of airside subsystems and defining a relationship between:
• the amount of heating or cooling provided to the one or more building spaces of the corresponding airside subsystem;
• and
• a temperature of the one or more building spaces predicted to result from the amount of heating or cooling provided by the corresponding airside subsystem;
• wherein the relationship is defined as a function of a thermal capacitance of the one or more building spaces to which heating or cooling is provided;
• and
• a plurality of low-level airside controllers, each low-level airside controller corresponding to one of the airside subsystems and configured to control the airside HVAC equipment of the corresponding airside subsystem to provide the amount of heating or cooling determined by the high-level controller.