HVAC control system with cost target optimization

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

• providing an optimization function for operating the HVAC equipment over a future time period comprising a plurality of time steps;
• using the optimization function to generate a time series of temperature setpoints for the plurality of time steps in the future time period predicted to cause achievement of a numerical target for a total value of the optimization function over the future time period;
• operating the HVAC equipment to drive indoor air temperature toward a first temperature setpoint of the time series of temperature setpoints for a first time step of the plurality of time steps;
• augmenting the optimization function to include a penalty term that increases an output of the optimization function when the indoor air temperature violates a temperature bound;
• and
• generating the temperature bound by:
• determining a current state of the building by applying a dataset comprising a plurality of data points relating to the building as an input to a neural network;
• and selecting a temperature bound associated with the current state of the building as the temperature bound.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media containing program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

• providing an optimization function for operating HVAC equipment over a future time period comprising a plurality of time steps, wherein the optimization function comprises a penalty term that increases an output of the optimization function by a first amount when indoor air temperature violates a first temperature bound and by a second amount when the indoor air temperature violates a second temperature bound, the second amount greater than the first amount;
• using the optimization function to generate a time series of temperature setpoints for the plurality of time steps in the future time period;
• and
• operating the HVAC equipment to drive indoor air temperature toward a first temperature setpoint of the time series of temperature setpoints for a first time step of the plurality of time steps.