profiles of microgrids with highly intermittent sources and their impacts on energy storage system. We propose an original method to consider the storage system lifetime in the microgrid design process. We present some criteria to quantify the batteries stresses generated by microgrids working operations. The first step of this work is to calculate the power exchanged with the storage system. Thus, we explain a new optimal sizing algorithm using a power/energy model based on datasheets parameters. In a second step, we focus our analysis on the potential damages on valves regulated lead acid batteries because it is the most used storage system in case of stationary applications for urban microgrids. The damages reviewed allow us to put forward five indexes calculated thanks to the power profiles. With this point of view, we optimize the batteries uses without lifetime model in both contexts: microgrid design and energy management. We observe the evolution of these indexes to different size configurations determined with our sizing method applied to the photovoltaic production and the lighting network consumption of the building laboratory. We choose to compare four configurations that all ensure autonomy: two determined with Pareto optimization method and two critical cases corresponding to the minimal and the maximal values of the size of the energy storage system into the entire possible configuration tested.