Analysis of precooling optimization for residential buildings

•An optimal precooling strategy capable of adapting to changing conditions is developed.•The impact of a variety of factors on the optimal precooling performance is extensively analyzed.•A sufficiently low wall surface temperature during precooling is critical for avoiding costly on-peak operation.•Weather has the most dominant impact on the precooling performance.•This is followed by the home thermal condition, rated cooling capacity, and utility rate structure.