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EnergyPlus has an Air Loop Availability Manager for Optimum Start, so if that fits your needs then you at least won't have to use Energy Management System (EMS) objects to write custom controls. This EnergyPlus feature is available in the OpenStudio GUI (at least in v2.9.1 that I'm using) which you can apply with the following steps:

1. Click on the HVAC Systems tab on the left.
2. Select your air and/or plant loops where you want to apply the optimum start in your drop-down at the top.
3. Click on the Control button at the top.
4. Drag-and-drop the Availability Manager Optimum Start item from your HVAC Library on the right into the Availability Managers section on the left. The order that you assign availability managers sets their priority from top to bottom (see below for example).

You can also refer to this post for more information, although it's a little dated (gives instructions for making this change via OpenStudio SDK before it was implemented in OpenStudio GUI).