Patent ID: 8204628

Claim:
A method for operating an HVAC system, the HVAC system having one or more HVAC units for conditioning inside air of a building, and an HVAC controller for controlling the one or more HVAC units, the HVAC controller having a programmable schedule, wherein the programmable schedule includes an energy efficient setpoint that is effective for a first period of time followed by a less energy efficient setpoint effective for a second period of time, the method comprising: storing in a memory of the HVAC controller a utility pricing schedule that includes one or more enhanced pricing time periods; activating one or more of the HVAC units at an actual recovery start time that is before the beginning of the second period of time such that a temperature of the inside air begins moving from a current inside air temperature toward the less energy efficient setpoint before the beginning of the second period of time; and wherein the actual recovery start time is dependent upon one or more enhanced pricing time periods that are scheduled between a nominal recovery start time and the beginning of the second time period, wherein the nominal recovery start time is defined as the time at which the one or more HVAC units would be activated to move the temperature of the inside air to achieve the less energy efficient setpoint at about the beginning of the second period of time.