US 2025/0137673 A1 · SMART THERMOSTAT WITH MODEL PREDICTIVE CONTROL

Abstract

A thermostat for a building zone includes at least one of a model predictive controller and an equipment controller. The model predictive controller is configured to obtain a cost function that accounts for a cost of operating HVAC equipment during each of a plurality of time steps, use a predictive model to predict a temperature of the building zone during each of the plurality of time steps, and generate temperature setpoints for the building zone for each of the plurality of time steps by optimizing the cost function subject to a constraint on the predicted temperature. The equipment controller is configured to receive the temperature setpoints generated by the model predictive controller and drive the temperature of the building zone toward the temperature setpoints during each of the plurality of time steps by operating the HVAC equipment to provide heating or cooling to the building zone.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A thermostat system for monitoring and controlling temperature of an environment, the system comprising:

a model prediction system executed on a server remote from a thermostat and configured to:
predict a temperature of the environment for a plurality of time steps as a function of temperature setpoints for the thermostat;
generate the temperature setpoints for the thermostat by performing an optimization using a model receiving occupancy, temperature Tia, humidity Hia, or heat load {dot over (Q)}other;
and
provide at least a first temperature setpoint of the temperature setpoints to the thermostat via a communications network;
wherein the thermostat is configured to drive the temperature of the environment toward the first temperature setpoint during a corresponding time step of the plurality of time steps by operating HVAC equipment to provide heating or cooling to the environment.

3 more elements

A thermostat system for monitoring and controlling temperature of a building zone, the thermostat comprising:

a model prediction system configured to:
use time-varying energy prices to identify a low cost period during which a cost of energy consumed by HVAC equipment to provide heating or cooling to the building zone is relatively lower and a high cost period during which the cost of energy consumed by the HVAC equipment to provide heating or cooling to the building zone is relatively higher;
generate a first temperature setpoint that causes the HVAC equipment to consume relatively more energy when operated at the first temperature setpoint and a second temperature setpoint that causes the HVAC equipment to consume relatively less energy when operated at the second temperature setpoint;
operate the HVAC equipment to provide heating or cooling to the building zone using the first temperature setpoint during the low cost period;
and
operate the HVAC equipment to provide heating or cooling to the building zone using the second temperature setpoint during the high cost period.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Smart thermostat with model predictive control

Life of this patent

Smart thermostat with model predictive control

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20