Influence of Indoor Air Temperature on Battery Performance and Lifetime: A Review and Implications for Multi-Level Thermal Management of Battery Energy Storage Systems

Battery performance and lifetime are strongly affected by indoor air temperature. However, comparative studies of temperature sensitivity across different battery chemistries and its implications for multi-level thermal management remain limited. This study aims to compare the temperature sensitivity of major battery energy storage system (BESS) chemistries and to develop a battery-specific thermal management feasibility framework based on their thermal characteristics. A literature review was conducted to identify research trends and collect relevant data. From the final extracted data, five performance and lifetime indicators were selected, namely cycle life, internal resistance, discharge capacity, capacity retention, and operating voltage, because these parameters are most significantly affected by indoor air temperature and are the most frequently reported in the literature. These parameters were normalized into relative values to enable cross study comparison, and temperature sensitivity was evaluated under low-, optimum-, and high-temperature conditions. The results reveal that each battery chemistry exhibits distinct temperature-dependent behaviors, with sensitivity varying according to both indoor air temperature region and performance indicator. Overall, the indoor air temperature range 15–35 °C provides the most balanced combination of battery performance and lifetime, while sensitivity values range from approximately 0.1 to 4.6%/°C depending on BESS chemistry and environmental conditions. Thermal management strategies were further classified into room/container, rack, and cell-level management. Based on the integrated findings, a specific battery thermal management system (BTMS) feasibility framework is proposed to support the selection of suitable thermal management system for different BESS. The results provide practical insights into indoor air temperature management for improving battery performance and lifetime.