As used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, unless otherwise indicated, the terms “we,” “us,” “our” and “the Company” refer to Akeena Solar, Inc. d/b/a/ Westinghouse Solar (“Westinghouse Solar”) and its subsidiaries.
Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2010, and information we provide in our Annual Report to Stockholders, press releases, telephonic reports and other investor communications, including those on our website, may contain forward-looking statements with respect to anticipated future events and our projected financial performance, operations and competitive position.
Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “expects,” “plans,” “will,” “may,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “should,” “intends,” “estimates” and other words of similar meaning. These statements constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements and our expectations. These forward-looking statements reflect our then current beliefs, projections and estimates with respect to future events and our projected financial performance, operations and competitive position.
Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, our ability to raise capital to finance our operations, the effectiveness, profitability and marketability of our products, our ability to protect our proprietary information, general economic and business conditions, the impact of technological developments and competition, adverse results of any legal proceedings, the impact of current, pending or future legislation and regulation of the solar power industry, our ability to enter into acceptable relationships with one or more manufacturers for solar panel components and the ability of such contract manufacturers to manufacture products or components of an acceptable quality on a cost-effective basis, our ability to attract or retain qualified senior management personnel, including sales and marketing and technical personnel and other risks detailed from time to time in our filings with the SEC, including those described in Item 1A below. We do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
Overview
We are a designer and manufacturer of solar power systems and solar panels with integrated microinverters (which we call AC solar panels). Our products are designed for use in solar power systems for residential and commercial rooftop customers. We design, market and sell these solar power systems to solar installers, trade workers and do-it-yourself customers in the United States and Canada through distribution partnerships, our dealer network and retail home improvement outlets. We source our components (such as solar panels and inverters) from manufacturers such as Suntech and Enphase. Prior to September 2010, we were also in the solar power system installation business and we had completed over 4,300 solar power installations for customers in California, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Connecticut since the commencement of our operations in 2001. According to data compiled by the California Energy Commission, the Solar Electric Power Association and the New Jersey Clean Energy Program, we had been one of the largest national integrators of residential and commercial solar electric power systems in the United States over the past four years. As a result of our extensive installation experience, our team of engineers developed the AC solar panels that have the racking, wiring, grounding and inverter built-in. We have received three U.S. patents and four international patents for our technology and we have 23 more U.S. and foreign patents pending. Customer response to the AC solar panels was very favorable; they preferred the aesthetics, reliability, safety and performance of our integrated solar panels over ordinary solar panels. In early 2009, we closed our non-California offices on the east coast and in Colorado and began distributing our solar power systems to customers outside of California. By mid-2010, it became clear to us that the business and profit potential of the design and manufacturing business was better than that of being an installer. Thus, in September 2010, we made the strategic decision to exit our California solar panel installation business and expand our sales of solar power systems to dealers and other solar installers in California, by far the largest solar market in the United States. Our business is now focused solely on design and manufacturing activities, and sales of our solar power systems to solar installers, trade workers and retailers through distribution partnerships, our dealer network and retail home improvement outlets.
We were formed as a Nevada corporation on July 29, 2005, under the name Fairview Energy Corporation, Inc., and on August 4, 2006, were reincorporated in the State of Delaware. On August 11, 2006, we consummated a reverse merger (the “Merger”) with a privately-held company called Akeena Solar, Inc. (“Akeena-Private”), pursuant to which the privately-held company, renamed Akeena Corp., became a wholly-owned subsidiary of ours and we renamed our company Akeena Solar, Inc. We had been in the development stage since our inception and had not commenced business operations prior to the Merger. Akeena-Private was incorporated in the State of California on February 23, 2001 under the name Akeena, Inc., and on June 2, 2006, was reincorporated in the State of Delaware under the name Akeena Solar, Inc. As a result of the Merger, we succeeded to Akeena-Private’s line of business as our sole line of business.
On May 17, 2010, we entered into an exclusive worldwide agreement that permits us to manufacture, distribute and market our solar panels under the Westinghouse name.
On July 22, 2010, we announced that we will operate under the name “Westinghouse Solar” and, effective July 23, 2010 at the opening of the market, our stock began trading under the stock symbol “WEST” on the NASDAQ Capital Market, and we are listed as Akeena Solar, Inc. (d/b/a Westinghouse Solar). Subject to shareholder approval, we plan in the future to formally change our corporate name to Westinghouse Solar, Inc.
Our Corporate headquarters is located at 1475 S. Bascom Ave., Campbell, CA 95008. Our telephone number is (408) 402-9400. Additional information about Westinghouse Solar is available on our website at
http://www.westinghousesolar.com
. The information on our web site is not incorporated herein by reference.
Strategy
Our philosophy is simple: “we believe that producing clean electricity directly from the sun is the right thing to do for our environment and economy.” Since our founding, we have concentrated on serving the solar power needs of residential and commercial customers tied to the electric power grid.
The solar power industry is still at an early stage of its growth and is highly fragmented. The prospects for long-term worldwide demand for solar power have attracted many new solar panel manufacturers, as well as a multitude of design/integration companies. We expect the commodity manufacturing segment of the industry to consolidate as more solar panel manufacturing capacity comes online.
Accordingly, our growth strategy primarily includes:
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Developing and commercializing our solar panel technology optimized for the residential and commercial markets.
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Offering differentiated proprietary solar power products that reduce installation costs and improving the aesthetics and performance of solar systems compared to ordinary, commercially available solar equipment.
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Promoting and enhancing our company's brand name and reputation.
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Based on our experience as a solar power system designer and integrator, we believe we understand certain areas in which costs for installations can be significantly reduced. In 2007, we introduced a new “plug and play” solar panel technology (“Andalay”) which we believe significantly reduces the installation time, complexity and costs, as well as provides superior reliability and aesthetics for customers, when compared to other solar panel mounting products and technology.
In February 2009, we announced a strategic partnership with Enphase, a leading manufacturer of microinverters, to develop and market Andalay solar panel systems with ordinary AC house current output instead of high voltage DC output. We introduced Andalay AC panel products and began offering them to our customers in the second quarter of 2009. Andalay AC panels cost less to install, are safer, and generally provide higher energy output than ordinary DC panels.
On September 10, 2010, we announced that we were expanding our distribution business to include sales of our Westinghouse Solar Power Systems directly to dealers in California, and that we were exiting the solar panel installation business. We had already transitioned over the last year to a design and manufacturing business model with a distribution network in other parts of the United States and in Canada, and we believe we can improve our business results and significantly reduce our expenses by focusing exclusively on our lower overhead design and manufacturing business. As a result, beginning with the third quarter of 2010, our installation business has been reclassified in our financial statements as discontinued operations. The exit from the installation business was essentially completed at the end of the fourth quarter of 2010. Since May 2010, we have been marketing our AC solar panels under the Westinghouse Solar brand, for which we have licensed exclusive rights from Westinghouse Electric Corporation.
Industry
Electric power is used to operate businesses, industries, homes and offices and provides the power for our communications, entertainment, transportation and medical needs. As our energy supply and distribution mix changes, electricity is likely to be used more for local transportation (electric vehicles) and space/water heating needs. According to the Edison Electric Institute, the electric power industry in the U.S. is over $218 billion in size, and will continue to grow with our economy.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), electricity is generated from the following: coal - 51%, nuclear -21%, gas - 16%, hydro - 6%, and oil - 3%, with renewable energy contributing 3%. “Renewable Energy” typically refers to non-traditional energy sources, including hydroelectric, wind and solar energy. Due to continuously increasing energy demands, we believe the electric power industry faces the following challenges:
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Limited Energy Supplies.
The primary fuels that have supplied this industry, fossil fuels in the form of oil, coal and natural gas, are limited. Worldwide demand is increasing at a time that industry experts have concluded that supply is limited. Therefore, the increased demand will probably result in increased prices, making it more likely that long-term average costs for electricity will continue to increase.
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Generation, Transmission and Distribution Infrastructure Costs.
Historically, electricity has been generated in centralized power plants transmitted over high voltage lines, and distributed locally through lower voltage transmission lines and transformer equipment. As electricity needs increase, these systems will need to be expanded. Without further investments in this infrastructure, the likelihood of power shortages (“brownouts” and “blackouts”) may increase.
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Stability of Suppliers.
Since many of the major countries who supply fossil fuel are located in unstable regions of the world, purchasing oil and natural gas from these countries may increase the risk of supply shortages and cost increases.
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Environmental Concerns and Climate Change
. Concerns about global warming and greenhouse gas emissions has resulted in the Kyoto Protocol, various states enacting stricter emissions control laws and utilities being required to comply with Renewable Portfolio Standards, which require the purchase of a certain amount of power from renewable sources. Currently, within the U.S., there are approximately 30 states with established RPS standards. Additionally, the onset of Cap and Trade legislation, an environmental policy tool intended to deliver carbon reduction with a mandatory cap on emissions while providing sources flexibility in how they comply, is expected to drive solar demand.
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Solar energy is the underlying energy source for renewable fuel sources, including biomass fuels and hydroelectric energy. By extracting energy directly from the sun and converting it into an immediately usable form, either as heat or electricity, intermediate steps are eliminated. We believe, in this sense, solar energy is one of the most direct and unlimited energy sources.
Solar energy can be converted into usable forms of energy either through the photovoltaic effect (generating electricity from photons) or by generating heat (solar thermal energy). Solar thermal systems include traditional domestic hot water collectors (DHW), swimming pool collectors, and high temperature thermal collectors (used to generate electricity in central generating systems). DHW thermal systems are typically distributed on rooftops so that they generate heat for the building on which they are situated. High temperature thermal collectors typically use concentrating mirror systems and are typically located in remote sites.
According to Navigant, a research and consulting firm, approximately 15,000 megawatts of solar capacity were installed in 2010, of which 763 megawatts were installed in the United States. Conservative estimates by Navigant of worldwide solar industry growth by 2014 are 23,300 megawatts, and their accelerated growth estimate is 37,000 magawatts in 2014.
Anatomy of a Solar Power System
Solar power systems convert the energy in sunlight directly into electrical energy within solar cells based on the photovoltaic effect. Multiple solar cells, which produce DC power, are electrically interconnected into solar panels. A typical 180 watt solar panel may have 72 individual solar cells. Multiple solar panels are electrically wired together. The number of solar panels installed on a building are generally selected to meet that building’s annual electrical usage, or selected to fill available un-shaded roof or ground space.
Ordinary solar power systems have solar panels that are electrically wired to a central inverter, which converts the power from DC to AC and interconnects with the utility grid. The following diagram schematically shows an ordinary DC solar power system:
Andalay DC solar panels have integrated racking, wiring and grounding, and Andalay AC panels have integrated microinverters that produce AC power, eliminating the need for a central inverter. The following diagram schematically shows a typical Andalay AC solar power system.
Solar Electric Cells.
Solar electric cells convert light energy into electricity at the atomic level. The conversion efficiency of a solar electric cell is defined as the ratio of the sunlight energy that hits the cell divided by the electrical energy that is produced by the cell. By improving this efficiency, we believe solar electric energy becomes competitive with fossil fuel sources. The earliest solar electric devices converted about 1%-2% of sunlight energy into electric energy. Current solar electric devices convert 5%-25% of light energy into electric energy (the overall efficiency for solar panels is lower than solar cells because of the panel frame and gaps between solar cells), and current mass produced panel systems are substantially less expensive than earlier systems. Effort in the industry is currently being directed towards the development of new solar cell technology to reduce per watt costs and increase area efficiencies.
Solar Panels.
Solar electric panels are composed of multiple solar cells, along with the necessary internal wiring, aluminum and glass framework, and external electrical connections. Although panels are usually installed on top of a roof or on an external structure, certain designs include the solar electric cells as part of traditional building materials, such as shingles and rolled out roofing. Solar electric cells integrated with traditional shingles is usually most compatible with masonry roofs and, while it may offset costs for other building materials and be aesthetically appealing, it is generally more expensive than traditional panels. Westinghouse Solar’s Andalay design integrates racking wiring and grounding components directly into the panel resulting in an integrated solution that reduces by 70%, the amount of rooftop solar components resulting in a solar power system that reduces the amount of field assembly, thereby increasing reliability and performance, while providing a better looking design.
Inverters.
Inverters convert the DC power from solar panels to the AC power used in buildings. Grid-tie inverters synchronize to utility voltage and frequency and only operate when utility power is stable (in the case of a power failure these grid-tie inverters shut down to safeguard utility personnel from possible harm during repairs). Inverters also operate to maximize the power extracted from the solar panels, regulating the voltage and current output of the solar array based on sun intensity. Westinghouse Solar’s Andalay AC solution incorporates an integrated microinverter on each panel which improves system performance, is more reliable, safer for installers and homeowners, and reduces the amount of installation labor.
Monitoring.
There are two basic approaches to access information on the performance of a solar power system. DC systems with central inverters collect the solar power performance data from the central inverter and then transmit that data to a digital hardware display. AC systems utilizing microinverters collect the solar power performance data of each panel and transmit panel-level and combined system data via the internet to a centralized database. AC system data on the performance of each panel and total system can then be accessed from any device with a web browser, including personal computers and cell phones.
Net Metering.
The owner of a grid-connected solar electric system may not only buy, but may also sell, electricity each month. This is because electricity generated by the solar electric system can be used on-site or fed through a meter into the utility grid. Utilities are required to buy power from owners of solar electric systems (and other independent producers of electricity) under the Public Utilities Regulatory Policy Act of 1978 (PURPA). When a home or business requires more electricity than the solar power array is generating (for example, in the evening), the need is automatically met by power from the utility grid. When a home or business requires less electricity than the solar electric system is generating, the excess is fed (or sold) back to the utility and the electric meter actually spins backwards. Used this way, the utility serves as a backup to the solar system similar to the way in which batteries serve as a backup in stand-alone systems.
Solar Power Benefits
The direct conversion of light into energy offers the following benefits compared to conventional energy sources:
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Economic
— Once a solar power system is installed, the cost of generating electricity is fixed over the lifespan of the system. There are no risks that fuel prices will escalate or fuel shortages will develop. In addition, cash paybacks for systems range from 5 to 25 years, depending on the level of state and federal incentives, electric rates, annualized sun intensity and installation costs. Solar power systems at customer sites generally qualify for net metering to offset a customer’s highest electric rate tiers, at the retail, as opposed to the wholesale, electric rate.
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Convenience
— Solar power systems can be installed on a wide range of sites, including small residential roofs, the ground, covered parking structures and large industrial buildings. Solar power systems also have few, if any, moving parts and are generally guaranteed to operate for 20-25 years resulting, we believe, in low maintenance and operating costs and reliability compared to other forms of power generation.
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Environmental
— We believe solar power systems are one of the most environmentally friendly way of generating electricity. There are no harmful greenhouse gas emissions, no wasted water, no noise, no waste generation and no particulates. Such benefits continue for the life of the system.
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Security
— Producing solar power improves energy security both on an international level (by reducing fossil energy purchases from hostile countries) and a local level (by reducing power strains on local electrical transmission and distribution systems).
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Infrastructure
— Solar power systems can be installed at the site where the power is to be used, thereby reducing electrical transmission and distribution costs. Solar power systems installed and operating at customer sites may also save the cost of construction of additional energy infrastructure including power plants, transmission lines, distribution systems and operating costs.
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We believe escalating fuel costs, environmental concerns and energy security make it likely that the demand for solar power systems will continue to grow. The federal government, and several states, have put a variety of incentive programs in place that directly spur the installation of grid-tied solar power systems, so that customers will “purchase” their own power generating system rather than “renting” power from a local utility. These programs include:
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Rebates
— to customers (or to installers) to reduce the initial cost of the solar power system, generally based on the size of the system. Many states have rebates that can substantially reduce initial costs.
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Tax Credits
— federal and state income tax offsets directly reducing ordinary income tax. There is currently a 30% federal tax credit for residential and commercial solar power systems. Through the end of 2011, under current laws, commercial customers can elect either a 30% cash payment from the federal grant program or the traditional tax credit.
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Accelerated Depreciation
— solar power systems installed for businesses (including applicable home offices) are generally eligible for accelerated depreciation.
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Net Metering
— provides a full retail credit for energy generated.
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Feed-in Tariffs
— are additional credits to consumers based on how much energy their solar power system generates. Feed-in Tariffs set at appropriate rates have been successfully used in Europe to accelerate growth.
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Renewable Portfolio Standards
— require utilities to deliver a certain percentage of power generated from renewable energy sources.
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Renewable Energy Credits (RECs)
— are additional credits provided to customers based on the amount of renewable energy they produce.
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Solar Rights Acts
— state laws to prevent unreasonable restrictions on solar power systems. California’s Solar Rights Act has been updated several times in past years to make it easier for customers of all types and in all locations to install a solar power system.
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PPA's
— Power Purchase Agreements, or agreements between a solar power system purchaser and an electricity user under which electricity is sold/purchased on a long-term basis.
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Leases — in which the solar equipment is owned by a third party entity and repaid over time by the host customer.
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Challenges Facing The Solar Power Industry
We believe the solar power industry faces three key challenges:
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Customer Economics
— In many cases, the net (after applicable incentives) cost to customers for electricity produced by a solar power system at the customer’s site is comparable to conventional, utility-generated power. We believe lower equipment (primarily solar panels) and installation costs would reduce the total cost of a system and increase the potential market for solar power.
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System Performance and Reliability
— We believe that a design that incorporates factory assembly of an integrated solar power system versus field assembly provides a more reliable solution. A system with these characteristics will deliver improved system performance and allow the customer to achieve the shortest possible payback.
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Aesthetics
— We believe that customers prefer solar panels that blend into existing roof surfaces with fewer shiny parts, mounted closely to the roof surface and have more of a “skylight” appearance than the traditional rooftop metal framed solar panels raised off the roof.
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Competition
The solar panel design and manufacturing industry is in its early stages of development and is highly fragmented, consisting of many large and small companies. Worldwide, the manufacturers of rooftop solar panels include Suntech, Sharp, Yingli, Trina, SunPower, Sanyo, SolarWorld, LG and Samsung.
We believe the principal competitive factors in the solar panel manufacturing industry include:
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Quality;
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Price;
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Installation cost; and
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Company reputation
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We believe that our competitive advantages as a designer and manufacturer of our solar panels include:
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Integrated DC and AC Panels Dramatically Reduce Installation Costs
. Our Westinghouse Solar technology significantly reduces the installation complexity, parts and costs, as well as providing superior reliability and aesthetics for customers when compared to other solar panel mounting products and technology. In 2007 we introduced our DC panels, which offer the following advantages to our customers: (i) low profile panel design looks like a beautiful, energy producing skylight and eliminates unsightly racking and exposed wires;(ii) built-in wiring connections that improve reliability; (iii) 70% fewer roof-assembled parts and 50% less roof-top labor required; (iv) 25% fewer roof attachment points; (v) complete compliance with the National Electric Code and UL wiring and grounding requirements. In 2009 we introduced our AC panels, which deliver 5-25% more energy compared to ordinary panels, produce safe household AC power and have built-in panel level monitoring, racking, wiring, grounding and microinverters. With 80% fewer parts and 5 – 25% better performance than ordinary DC panels, we believe our AC panels are an ideal solution for solar installers, trade workers and do-it-yourself customers.
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Proprietary Technology
. We have received three U.S. patents and four international patents for our Andalay technology, and have 23 more U.S. and foreign patents pending.
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Brand Recognition
. We are working to rapidly expand our distribution business and sales of our Westinghouse Solar Power Systems. We are seeking to take full advantage of the very strong worldwide brand equity that the Westinghouse name currently enjoys, and to emphasize that our solar panels are safer, more reliable and easier to install than other products on the market today. Consistent with building our brand name recognition, we are proposing to our stockholders that we change our corporate name from “Akeena Solar, Inc.” to “Westinghouse Solar, Inc.”. Our stockholders are expected to vote on this proposal at our upcoming annual meeting, expected to be held on March 31, 2011.
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Our Services and Products
Many companies play a role in creating solar power systems, including companies specializing in the following:
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Silicon Refiners — companies that produce refined silicon, a material that has historically been used as the primary ingredient for solar panels. Other materials may be used as the primary ingredient in the future.
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Wafer and Cell Manufacturers — companies that manufacture the electricity generating solar cells.
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Panel Manufacturers — companies that assemble solar cells into solar panels, generally laminating the cells between glass and plastic film, and attaching the wires and panel frame. Certain manufacturers also produce customized or private-label panels as OEM suppliers.
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Distributors — companies that purchase from manufacturers and resell to designers/ integrators and other equipment resellers.
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Dealer/Installer — companies that sell products to end user customers.
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We are active in the solar power industry as a designer and manufacturer. Our research and development team, in conjunction with our supply management personnel, specify the design of our proprietary solar panels and contract with existing, experienced solar panel manufacturers for the supply of our Westinghouse Solar and Andalay labeled solar panels. We help these manufacturing partners source unique components of our panels (typically microinverters and special frame hardware).
Andalay Solar Panel Technology
Based on our experience as a solar power installer over the past ten years, we believe we understand certain areas in which costs for installations can be significantly reduced. In September 2007, we introduced a new “plug and play” solar panel technology (“Andalay”) which we believe significantly reduces the installation time and costs, as well as providing superior reliability and aesthetics, when compared to other solar panels. Andalay DC panels offer the following advantages to our customers: (i) low profile panel design looks like a beautiful, energy producing skylight and eliminates unsightly racking and exposed wires;(ii) built-in wiring connections that improve reliability; (iii) 70% fewer roof-assembled parts and 50% less roof-top labor required; (iv) 25% fewer roof attachment points; (v) complete compliance with the National Electric Code and UL wiring and grounding requirements. In 2009, we introduced Andalay AC panels, which deliver 5% to 25% more energy compared to ordinary panels, produce safe household AC power and have built-in panel level monitoring, racking, wiring, grounding and microinverters. With 80% fewer parts and 5% to 25% better performance than ordinary DC panels, we believe Andalay AC panels are an ideal solution for solar installers, trade workers and do-it-yourself customers. We have received three U.S. patents and four international patents for our Andalay technology, and have 23 more U.S. and foreign patents pending.
Installation costs for a solar power system are generally proportional to the area of panels installed. Thin film and amorphous solar cell technologies, although offering solar panels that are less expensive on a cost per watt basis, are generally less efficient (producing fewer watts per square foot) and correspondingly more expensive to install. Therefore, we believe that Andalay becomes even more useful for the new generation of less expensive but lower efficiency solar panels. Andalay solar panel technology is generally applicable to all framed rooftop solar cell technologies, including silicon, amorphous silicon, thin film and concentrators.
Customers
We market and sell to a network of authorized dealers across the United States and Canada. Our Westinghouse Solar Dealer program provides installation companies with the opportunity to differentiate themselves from ordinary solar installers through product and program offerings we extend exclusively to our established Dealers. In addition to the ability to sell and install Westinghouse Solar products, Westinghouse Solar Dealers benefit from the ability to leverage the Westinghouse brand, and leverage critical marketing support to help them grow their business.
Suppliers
The components used in our systems are purchased from a limited number of manufacturers. Pursuant to our agreement with Suntech, they will provide us with volume manufacturing and delivery of our Andalay product. Pursuant to our agreement with Enphase, they will provide us with microinverters. We purchase small assembly, racking and packaging components from a variety of domestic and foreign suppliers. We purchase small assembly, racking and packaging components from a variety of domestic and foreign suppliers. We currently obtain virtually all of our solar panels from Suntech and all of the microinverters used in our AC panels from Enphase. We believe that our commercial relationship with each of these suppliers is good.
Sales and Marketing
Our sales and marketing program incorporates a marketing mix of print, web, and other media advertisements as well as participation in industry trade shows and individual discussions with prospective dealers. As we onboard dealers under the Program, we rely on the skill of our sales team. We regularly evaluate the effectiveness of our sales team and marketing efforts using sales management software and make tactical marketing and sales changes as indicated to achieve and maintain cost effectiveness.
Intellectual Property
Andalay Solar Panel
We have three U.S. patents (Patent No. 7,406,800, Patent No. 7,832,157 and Patent No. 7,866,098) that cover key aspects of our Andalay solar panel technology, as well as U.S. Trademark No. 3481373 for registration of the mark “Andalay.” In addition to these U.S. patents, we received three foreign patents in 2010: Australian Patent No. 2,005,248,343; Indian Patent No. 243,626; and Mexican Patent No. 274,182. A Korean Patent No. 751,614 was issued in 2007. Currently, Westinghouse Solar has seven issued patents and 23 other pending U.S. and foreign patent applications that cover the Andalay technology working their way through the USPTO and foreign patent offices.
The following table provides a summary of our patents:
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Country of issuance
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Patent Number
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Date of Expiration
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United States
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7,406,800
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May 18, 2025
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United States
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7,832,157
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November 16, 2027
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United States
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7,866,098
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January 11, 2028
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Australia
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2,005,248,343
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May 18, 2025
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India
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243,626
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May 18, 2025
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Mexico
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274,182
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May 18, 2025
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Korea
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751,614
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May 18, 2025
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Trademarks
We have registered the trademark “Akeena” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for providing consulting services in the field of energy systems, technical information via a global computer network in the field of renewable energy systems, and renewable energy systems, namely, photovoltaic systems composed of photovoltaic solar panels, batteries, voltage regulators, inverters, racks and electrical controls, as well as the installation of such systems.
We have also registered the trademarks “Double Your Power” and “Andalay” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for two goods classes: providing computer software for photovoltaic systems for evaluating electric consumption, determining system sizing, estimating electrical output, estimating customer costs, and estimating financial life cycle savings, for use by consumers and businesses; and, installation of renewable energy systems, namely photovoltaic systems composed of solar panels, batteries, voltage regulators, inverters, racks and electrical controls. Additionally, we have applications currently pending with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to expand the goods classes for “Double Your Power” and “Andalay.”
Since May 2010, we have been marketing our AC solar panels under the Westinghouse Solar brand, for which we have licensed exclusive rights from Westinghouse Electric Corporation.
Employees
As of February 24, 2011, we had 34 employees, of which 13 were sales and marketing employees, 12 general and administrative employees, 7 were operations employees and 2 research and development employees. All of our employees are full-time employees. Our employees are not party to any collective bargaining agreement and we have never experienced an organized work stoppage. We believe our relations with our employees are good.
Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2010, and information we provide in our press releases, telephonic reports and other investor communications, may contain forward-looking statements with respect to anticipated future events and our projected financial performance, operations and competitive position that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those forward-looking statements and our expectations. Future economic and industry trends that could potentially impact revenue, profitability, and growth remain difficult to predict. The factors underlying our forecasts forward-looking statements are dynamic and subject to change. As a result, any forecasts or forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are given and do not necessarily reflect our outlook at any other point in time.
Risks Relating to Our Business
We may fail to realize some or all of the anticipated benefits of our shift to a design and manufacturing business model in California and throughout North America, which may adversely affect the value of our common stock.
The success of our recently announced exit from the solar system installation business in California and our shift to focus exclusively on a design and manufacturing business model will depend, in large part, on our ability to successfully expand our distribution channels to include authorized dealers in California, as well as elsewhere in North America, and to accelerate the growth of our design and manufacturing business. California is the largest state in the country for solar products, accounting for approximately 50 percent of the U.S. market, and we are only beginning to develop distribution channel partners in California.
If we are not able to achieve the expansion of our design and manufacturing business and meet our revenue growth and cost reduction objectives within the anticipated time frame, or at all, the anticipated benefits and cost savings of our change in strategic focus and our restructuring may not be realized or may take longer to realize than expected, and the value of our common stock may be adversely affected.
Specifically, risks in the operations of our business in order to realize the anticipated benefits of the change to a design and manufacturing business model include, among other things:
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failure to arrange for cost competitive manufacturing of our proprietary solar panels;
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failure to find and develop distribution relationships with new channel partners, particularly in the California market;
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failure to successfully manage existing distribution relationships;
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the loss of key employees critical to the ongoing operation of our business;
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failure to effectively coordinate sales and marketing efforts to communicate the capabilities of our company;
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unpredictability and delays in the timing of projected distribution orders, and resulting accumulation of excess product inventory;
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failure to focus and develop our distribution product and service offerings quickly and effectively;
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failure to successfully develop new products and services on a timely basis that address the market opportunities; and
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unexpected revenue attrition or delays.
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In addition, the shift in our business model may result in additional or unforeseen expenses, and the anticipated cost reduction benefits may not be realized.
We are dependent upon our key suppliers for the components used in our systems and we must arrange for cost competitive manufacturing of our proprietary solar panels in order to grow our business; our suppliers are dependent upon the continued availability and pricing of silicon and other raw materials used in solar modules.
We currently obtain virtually all of our solar panels from Suntech, which manufactures panels for us that are built to our unique specifications, and we currently purchase all of the microinverters used in our AC solar panels from Enphase. Although we believe that our commercial relationship with each of these suppliers is good, and although we had a significant amount of inventory on hand as of December 31, 2010, the sudden loss of either of our current primary component supply relationships could cause a delay in manufacturing and be disruptive to our operations.
It is critical to the growth of our revenue that our products can be offered at competitive pricing. We believe that we will need to reduce the unit production cost of our products over time to maintain our ability to offer competitively priced products. Our ability to achieve cost reductions will depend on our ability to obtain favorable
supplier contracts and to increase sales volumes so we can achieve economies of scale. We cannot provide assurance that we will be able to achieve any such production cost reductions. If we fail to negotiate better terms and maintain our relationships with these suppliers or develop new supplier relationships, we may not achieve production cost reductions necessary to competitively price our products, which could adversely affect or limit our sales and growth.
We are currently subject to market prices for the components that we purchase, which are subject to fluctuation. We cannot ensure that the prices charged by our suppliers will not increase because of changes in market conditions or other factors beyond our control. An increase in the price of components used in our systems could result in an increase in costs to our customers and could have a material adverse effect on our revenues and demand for our products.
Our suppliers are dependent upon the availability and pricing of silicon, one of the main materials used in manufacturing solar panels. In the past, the world market for solar panels experienced a shortage of supply due to insufficient availability of silicon. This shortage caused the prices for solar modules to increase.
Interruptions in our ability to procure needed components for our systems, whether due to discontinuance by our suppliers, delays or failures in delivery, shortages caused by inadequate production capacity or unavailability, financial failure, or for other reasons, would adversely affect or limit our sales and growth. There is no assurance that we will continue to find qualified manufacturers on acceptable terms and, if we do, there can be no assurance that product quality will continue to be acceptable, which could lead to a loss of sales and revenues
We may fail to realize some or all of the anticipated benefits of the assignment of many of our remaining installation contracts and warranty obligations to Real Goods Solar, Inc., which could adversely affect our results of operations.
In connection with our exit from the solar system installation business in California, we assigned a large number of our remaining installation project commitments to Real Goods Solar, Inc. (“RGS”), as described in a Current Report on Form 8-K we filed on September 20, 2010. Under these arrangements, approximately 110 solar panel installation projects we had under contract with SunRun and for which construction has not yet begun were assigned to RGS (the “Assigned Installations”). RGS assumed full installation and warranty responsibility for these projects. In addition, RGS agreed to undertake primary, “first responder” responsibility for future warranty service obligations relating to the approximately 800 installations for SunRun that we have previously completed or will bring to completion as we transition out of the installation business (the “WS Installations”). We retain secondary warranty responsibility on the WS Installations, in the event that RGS fails to perform the warranty. We will reimburse RGS for actual warranty service work completed by RGS related to these “first responder” installations. To the extent that RGS fails to perform under the assigned installation projects or the assigned warranty coverage, we could incur significant unexpected additional expenses, which would adversely affect our results of operations.
In addition, we have agreed to reimburse RGS for any errors on our part in the rebate categorization of the Assigned Installations, and to reimburse RGS to the extent that the average pricing for Assigned Installations is less than an agreed amount per watt. To the extent that we have made significant errors in determining applicable rebate levels, we could incur significant unexpected additional expenses, which would adversely affect our results of operations.
The implementation of our restructuring activities, which involved workforce reductions and office closures, may not successfully achieve improved long-term operating results.
As a result of our decision to exit the California installation business, we recorded restructuring charges totaling approximately $3.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2010. This restructuring charge was comprised primarily of (i) one-time severance costs of $765,000 related to headcount reductions paid in shares of the company’s stock, (ii) inventory write downs of $948,000, (iii) lease accelerations and the write off of leasehold improvements of $307,000, (iv) goodwill impairment of $299,000, (v) vehicle, furniture and fixtures and computer equipment write downs of $290,000 and (vi) other prepaid costs write-downs of $367,000. The termination of affected employees began on September 10, 2010 and was substantially completed by the end of September. Shares of common stock received by terminated employees as severance compensation were unrestricted upon vesting and therefore eligible for sale on the open market or otherwise as determined by the recipient. While we incur transition expenses from our discontinued operations in the fourth quarter of 2010, we also received some corresponding amount of revenue from project completion of $233,000.
As a result of our exit from the California installation business, we estimate that we will have annualized savings of approximately $8.9 million in salary, commission and benefit costs following significant headcount reductions, and $600,000 of rent expense following the closure of five facilities and the relocation of our corporate office. However, the cost of our exit from the installation business may be higher than we have estimated and may take longer than we expect. In addition, we may lose revenue and miss opportunities to generate revenue and we may not achieve the improved longer-term operating results that we anticipated. Any of these consequences may harm our business and our future results of operations.
Our estimated restructuring accruals may not be adequate.
While our management uses all available information to estimate restructuring charges, particularly for facilities costs, our estimated accruals for restructuring related to our exit from the installation business, announced in the third quarter of 2010, may prove to be inadequate. If our actual exit costs differ from our estimates, we may have to record additional charges, which could materially affect our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.
Impairment charges could reduce our results of operations.
In accordance with the provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standard Codification (ASC) 350, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (ASC 350), we test goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite useful lives for impairment on an annual basis, and on an interim basis if an event occurs that might reduce the fair value of the reporting unit below its carrying value. As a result of our exit from the installation business, we have recently determined that we need to impair approximately $2.0 million for inventory, equipment and other assets no longer needed in our business. We may determine that further asset impairment charges are needed in the future. Although any such impairment charge would be a non-cash expense, further impairment of our tangible or intangible assets could materially increase our expenses and reduce our results of operations.
We are exposed to risks associated with the ongoing financial crisis and weakening global economy, which increase the uncertainty of project financing for solar installations and the risk of non-payment from customers.
The continuing tight credit markets and weak global economy are contributing to an ongoing slowdown in the solar industry, which may worsen if these economic conditions are prolonged or deteriorate further. The market for installation of solar power systems depends largely on commercial and consumer capital spending. Economic uncertainty exacerbates negative trends in these areas of spending, and may cause our customers to push out, cancel, or refrain from placing orders, which may reduce our net sales. Difficulties in obtaining capital and deteriorating market conditions may also lead to the inability of some customers to obtain affordable financing, including traditional project financing and tax-incentive based financing and home equity based financing, resulting in lower sales to potential customers with liquidity issues, and may lead to an increase of incidents where our customers are unwilling or unable to pay for systems they purchase, and additional bad debt expense for Westinghouse Solar. Further, these conditions and uncertainty about future economic conditions make it challenging for us to obtain equity and debt financing to meet our working capital requirements to support our business, forecast our operating results, make business decisions, and identify the risks that may affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we are unable to timely and appropriately adapt to changes resulting from the difficult macroeconomic environment, our business, financial condition or results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
We may need additional capital in the future to fund the growth of our business, and financing may not be available.
Our currently available capital resources and cash flows from operations may be insufficient to meet our working capital and capital expenditure requirements. Our cash requirements will depend on numerous factors, including the rate of growth of our sales, the timing and levels of products purchased, pricing, payment terms and credit limits from manufacturers, the availability and terms of asset-based credit facilities, the timing and level of our accounts receivable collections, and our ability to manage our business profitability.
We may need to raise additional funds through public or private debt or equity financings or enter into new asset-based or other credit facilities, but such financings may dilute our stockholders. We cannot assure you that any additional financing that we may need will be available on terms favorable to us, or at all. If adequate funds are not available or are not available on acceptable terms, we may not be able to take advantage of unanticipated opportunities, develop new products or otherwise respond to competitive pressures. In any such case, our business, operating results or financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
Our Andalay technology may encounter unexpected problems or may not be protectable, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Our Andalay technology is relatively new and has not been tested in installation settings for a sufficient period of time to prove its long-term effectiveness and benefits. Problems may occur with Andalay products or their underlying components that are unexpected and could have a material adverse effect on our business or results of operations. We have been issued several U.S. and foreign patents that cover key claims of our Andalay solar panel technology, and we are asserting claims of infringement of our patent rights in a lawsuit. Lawsuits and re-examination proceedings in the United States or elsewhere could challenge the scope or enforceability of our patent claims. We have several other pending patent applications covering Andalay technology. Ultimately, we may not be able to realize the benefits from any patent that is issued.
Because our industry is highly competitive and has low barriers to entry, we may lose market share to larger companies that are better equipped to weather a decline in market conditions due to increased competition.
Our industry is highly competitive and fragmented, is subject to rapid change and has low barriers to entry. Competition in the solar power services industry may increase in the future, partly due to low barriers to entry, as well as from other alternative energy sources now in existence or developed in the future. Increased competition could result in price reductions, reduced margins or loss of market share and greater competition for qualified technical personnel. There can be no assurance that we will be able to compete successfully against current and future competitors. If we are unable to compete effectively, or if competition results in a deterioration of market conditions, our business and results of operations would be adversely affected.
Our profitability depends, in part, on our success and brand recognition and we could lose our competitive advantage if we are not able to protect our trademarks and patents against infringement, and any related litigation could be time-consuming and costly.
We believe that the “Westinghouse” name has significant value and recognition in the North American market, and that our “Andalay” brand has gained substantial recognition by customers in certain geographic areas. We have registered the “Andalay” trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Use of our trademarks or similar trademarks by competitors in geographic areas in which we have not yet operated could adversely affect our ability to use or gain protection for our brand in those markets, which could weaken our brand and harm our business and competitive position. In addition, any litigation relating to protecting our trademarks and patents against infringement could be time consuming and costly.
The success of our business depends on the continuing contributions of Barry Cinnamon and other key personnel who may terminate their employment with us at any time, and we will need to hire additional qualified personnel.
We rely heavily on the services of Barry Cinnamon, our Chief Executive Officer, as well as several other management personnel. Loss of the services of any such individuals would adversely impact our operations. In addition, we believe our technical personnel represent a significant asset and provide us with a competitive advantage over many of our competitors and that our future success will depend upon our ability to retain these key employees and our ability to attract and retain other skilled financial, engineering, technical and managerial personnel. None of our key personnel are party to any employment agreements with us and management and other employees may voluntarily terminate their employment at any time. We do not currently maintain any “key man” life insurance with respect to any of such individuals.
If we are unable to attract, train and retain highly qualified personnel, the quality of our services may decline and we may not successfully execute our internal growth strategies.
Our success depends in large part upon our ability to continue to attract, train, motivate and retain highly skilled and experienced employees, including technical personnel. Qualified technical employees periodically are in great demand and may be unavailable in the time frame required to satisfy our customers’ requirements. While we currently have available technical expertise sufficient for the requirements of our business, expansion of our business could require us to employ additional highly skilled technical personnel. We expect competition for such personnel to increase as the market for solar power systems expands.
There can be no assurance that we will be able to attract and retain sufficient numbers of highly skilled technical employees in the future. The loss of personnel or our inability to hire or retain sufficient personnel at competitive rates of compensation could impair our ability to secure and complete customer engagements and could harm our business.
Unexpected warranty expenses or service claims could reduce our profits.
We maintain a warranty reserve on our balance sheet for potential warranty or service claims that could occur in the future. This reserve is adjusted based on our ongoing operating experience with equipment and installations. It is possible, perhaps due to bad supplier material or defective installations, that we would have actual expenses substantially in excess of the reserves we maintain. Our failure to accurately predict future warranty claims could result in unexpected profit volatility.
Risks Relating to Our Industry
We have experienced technological changes in our industry. New technologies may prove inappropriate and result in liability to us or may not
gain market acceptance by our customers.
The solar power industry (and the alternative energy industry, in general) is subject to technological change. Our future success will depend on our ability to appropriately respond to changing technologies and changes in function of products and quality. If we adopt products and technologies that are not attractive to consumers, we may not be successful in capturing or retaining a significant share of our market. In addition, some new technologies are relatively untested and unperfected and may not perform as expected or as desired, in which event our adoption of such products or technologies may cause us to lose money.
A drop in the retail price of conventional energy or non-solar alternative energy sources may negatively impact our profitability.
We believe that an end customer’s decision to purchase or install solar power capabilities is primarily driven by the cost and return on investment resulting from solar power systems. Fluctuations in economic and market conditions that affect the prices of conventional and non-solar alternative energy sources, such as decreases in the prices of oil and other fossil fuels, could cause the demand for solar power systems to decline, which would have a negative impact on our profitability. Changes in utility electric rates or net metering policies could also have a negative effect on our business.
Existing regulations, and changes to such regulations, may present technical, regulatory and economic barriers to the purchase and use of solar power products, which may significantly reduce demand for our products and services.
New government regulations or utility policies pertaining to solar power systems are unpredictable and may result in significant additional expenses or delays and, as a result, could cause a significant reduction in demand for solar energy systems and our services. For example, there currently exist metering caps in certain jurisdictions which effectively limit the aggregate amount of power that may be sold by solar power generators into the power grid.
Our business depends on the availability of rebates, tax credits and other financial incentives; reduction, elimination or uncertainty of which would reduce the demand for our products and services.
Many states offer incentives to offset the cost of solar power systems. These systems can take many forms, including direct rebates, state tax credits, system performance payments and Renewable Energy Credits (RECs). Moreover, the federal government currently offers a 30% tax credit for the installation of solar power systems. Businesses may also elect to accelerate the depreciation on their system over five years. Uncertainty about the introduction of, reduction in or elimination of such incentives or delays or interruptions in the implementation of favorable federal or state laws could substantially increase the cost of our systems to our customers, resulting in significant reductions in demand for our services, which would negatively impact our sales.
If solar power technology is not suitable for widespread adoption or sufficient demand for solar power products does not develop or takes longer to develop than we anticipate, our sales would decline and we would be unable to achieve or sustain profitability.
The market for solar power products is emerging and rapidly evolving, and its future success is uncertain. Many factors will influence the widespread adoption of solar power technology and demand for solar power products, including:
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cost effectiveness of solar power technologies as compared with conventional and non-solar alternative energy technologies;
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performance and reliability of solar power products as compared with conventional and non-solar alternative energy products;
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capital expenditures by customers that tend to decrease if the U.S. economy slows; and
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availability of government subsidies and incentives.
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If solar power technology proves unsuitable for widespread commercial deployment or if demand for solar power products fails to develop sufficiently, we would be unable to generate enough revenue to achieve and sustain profitability. In addition, demand for solar power products in the markets and geographic regions we target may not develop or may develop more slowly than we anticipate.
Risks Relating to our Common Stock
If the trading price of our common stock remains below $1 per share, our common stock could be delisted from the NASDAQ Capital Market.
We must meet NASDAQ’s continuing listing requirements in order for our common stock to remain listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market. The listing criteria we must meet include, but are not limited to, a minimum bid price for our common stock of $1.00 per share. Failure to meet NASDAQ’s continued listing criteria may result in the delisting of our common stock on the NASDAQ Capital Markets. On July 2, 2010, we received a notice from NASDAQ stating that the minimum bid price of our common stock had been below $1.00 per share for 30 consecutive business days and that we were therefore not in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on The NASDAQ Capital Market set forth in Listing Rule 5550(a)(2). The notice indicated that we had been granted 180 calendar days, or until December 28, 2010, to regain compliance. Subsequently, we received a further notice from the Staff of the Listing Qualifications Department that our common stock is subject to delisting from the NASDAQ Capital Market, pending an opportunity to request a hearing before the NASDAQ Listing Qualifications Panel (the “Panel”).
We requested a hearing before the Panel to review the Staff Determination, which stayed any action with respect to the Staff Determination and allowed the continued listing of our common stock on The NASDAQ Capital Market until the Panel renders a decision subsequent to the hearing. At the hearing on February 3, 2011, we presented a plan to regain compliance and requested that the Panel allow additional time within which to regain compliance. A final determination has not yet been received. There can be no assurance that the Panel will grant our request for continued listing on The NASDAQ Capital Market.
A delisting from the NASDAQ Capital Market would make the trading market for our common stock less liquid, and would also make us ineligible to use Form S-3 to register the sale of shares of our common stock or to register the resale of our securities held by certain of our security holders with the SEC, thereby making it more difficult and expensive for us to register our common stock or other securities and raise additional capital.
Our stockholders may be diluted by the conversion of our Series B Preferred Stock and the exercise of warrants; in the event we have a “change of control” or if we fail to comply with the terms of the Series B Preferred Stock, we may be in default and face demands for redemption and significant penalties.
On February 17, 2011, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with accredited investors, pursuant to which we sold to such investors our Series B 4% Convertible Preferred (“Series B Preferred”), which is initially convertible into an aggregate of 8,000,000 shares of our Common Stock at an initial conversion price of $0.45 per share, and our Series K Warrants that are initially exercisable for an aggregate of 6,800,000 shares of our Common Stock at an exercise price of $0.60 per share, subject to future adjustment for various events. The conversion price of the Series B Preferred is subject to adjustment downward in the event that (i) we sell Common Stock (or securities convertible into or exercisable for shares of Common Stock) at an effective price below the conversion price of the Series B Preferred, and/or (ii) the market price of our Common Stock at the one-year anniversary of these transaction is below the then effective conversion price of the Series B Preferred. If these price adjustment provisions are triggered, then the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Series B Preferred may be subject to increase, and the exercise price of the Series K Warrants is subject to decrease. When the investors convert or exercise these securities, our stockholders may experience dilution in the net tangible book value of their common stock. In addition, the sale or availability for sale of the underlying shares in the marketplace could depress our stock price. We have agreed to register for resale all of the underlying shares of Common Stock relating to the Series B Preferred and the Series K Warrants. Upon registration, the investors could resell the underlying shares immediately upon issuance, which may result in significant downward pressure on the market price of our stock.
In addition, the terms of our Series B
Preferred include various agreements and negative covenants on our part. In the event we fail to comply with those provisions, or if a “change of control” of the Company occurs, it could constitute a “triggering
event” (as defined in the Certificate of Designation which designates the rights of the Series B Preferred), and the holders of our
Series B Preferred could then demand that all of the outstanding shares of Series B Preferred be redeemed for cash, or under certain circumstances, for shares of our Common Stock. Any such demand for redemption in cash could have a material adverse affect on our financial position and liquidity, and any demand for redemption in stock could have a material dilutive effect for our stockholders. In addition, in such event the dividend rate on our outstanding Series B Preferred is subject to increase to 18% per annum thereafter.
Future sales of common stock by our existing stockholders may cause our stock price to fall.
The market price of our common stock could decline as a result of sales by our existing stockholders of shares of common stock in the market, or the perception that these sales could occur. These sales might also make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities at a time and price that we deem appropriate. As of February 24, 2011, we had 46,294,093 shares of common stock outstanding (which includes 819,278 unvested shares of restricted stock granted to our Board of Directors and our employees), 4,000 shares of preferred stock that are convertible into 8,000,000 shares of common stock and we had warrants to purchase 12,815,947 shares of common stock and options to purchase 4,933,549 shares of common stock outstanding.
All of the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of our outstanding vested options will be freely tradable without restriction under the federal securities laws unless purchased by our affiliates. The shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of our outstanding warrants are generally covered (or will be covered) by effective registration statements which permit the underlying shares issuable upon their exercise to be freely tradable in the public market.
Our stock price may be volatile, which could result in substantial losses for investors.
The market price of our common stock is likely to be highly volatile and could fluctuate widely in response to various factors, many of which are beyond our control, including the following:
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technological innovations or new products and services by us or our competitors;
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announcements or press releases relating to the energy sector or to our business or prospects;
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additions or departures of key personnel;
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regulatory, legislative or other developments affecting us or the solar power industry generally;
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our ability to execute our business plan;
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operating results that fall below expectations;
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volume and timing of customer orders;
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industry developments;
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economic and other external factors; and
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period-to-period fluctuations in our financial results.
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In addition, the securities markets have from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These market fluctuations may also significantly affect the market price of our common stock.
Risks Relating to Our Company
Our Chief Executive Officer, Barry Cinnamon, beneficially owns a significant number of shares of our common stock, which gives him significant influence over decisions on which our stockholders may vote and which may discourage an acquisition of the Company.
Barry Cinnamon, our Chief Executive Officer, beneficially owns, in the aggregate, approximately 17.3% of our outstanding common stock as of February 24, 2011. The interests of our Chief Executive Officer may differ from the interests of other stockholders. As a result, Mr. Cinnamon’s voting power may have a significant influence on the outcome of virtually all corporate actions requiring stockholder approval, irrespective of how our other stockholders may vote, including the following actions:
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election of our directors;
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the amendment of our Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws; and
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the merger of our company or the sale of our assets or other corporate transaction.
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Mr. Cinnamon’s stock ownership may discourage a potential acquirer from seeking to acquire shares of our common stock or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our company, which in turn could reduce our stock price or prevent our stockholders from realizing a premium over our stock price.
We are subject to the reporting requirements of the federal securities laws, which impose additional burdens on us.
We are a public reporting company and, accordingly, subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and other federal securities laws, including compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. As a public company, these rules and regulations result in increased compliance costs and make certain activities more time consuming and costly.
Our Certificate of Incorporation authorizes our board to create new series of preferred stock without further approval by our stockholders, which could
adversely affect the rights of the holders of our common stock.
Our Board of Directors has the authority to fix and determine the relative rights and preferences of preferred stock. Our Board of Directors also has the authority to issue preferred stock without further stockholder approval. As a result, our Board of Directors could authorize the issuance of new series of preferred stock that would grant to holders the preferred right to our assets upon liquidation, the right to receive dividend payments before dividends are distributed to the holders of common stock and the right to the redemption of the shares, together with a premium, prior to the redemption of our common stock. In addition, our Board of Directors could authorize the issuance of new series of preferred stock that has greater voting power than our common stock or that is convertible into our common stock, which could decrease the relative voting power of our common stock or result in dilution to our existing stockholders.
None
As of February 23, 2011, we had two offices. Our corporate headquarters is located at 1475 S. Bascom Ave. Campbell, California 95008. We also maintain a warehouse in San Jose, California for distribution and light assembly of our solar products.
The following table indicates the approximate square footage for each of our leased office locations.
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Property Location
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Approximate Square Footage
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Campbell, California
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5,800
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San Jose, California
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25,000
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On May 18, 2009, we and certain of our officers were named in a putative class action complaint in the United States District Court Northern District of California San Jose Division alleging violations of the federal securities laws. The suit alleges various omissions and misrepresentations during the period of December 26, 2007 to March 13, 2008 regarding, among other things, our backlog reporting and bank line of credit. We moved to dismiss the complaint on February 12, 2010, for failure to state a claim for relief. On May 20, 2010, the District Court granted in part our motion to dismiss the complaint. The District Court dismissed plaintiffs' claims relating to statements made prior to the class period, including statements relating to our backlog, our Andalay product, and our supply agreement with Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (“Suntech”). Due to the stage of the case, we have not had the opportunity to present any defenses to the only two remaining allegations, which relate to our December 26, 2007 disclosure of the Comerica line of credit and our January 2, 2008 announcement of the Suntech license agreement. On October 22, 2010, plaintiffs moved the court to certify themselves as a class, a procedure required in order for plaintiffs to move forward with their case as a class action. On November 15, 2010, lead plaintiff Sharon Hodges filed a motion to withdraw as a representative plaintiff in the Class Action. Ms. Hodges was one of three court-appointed co-lead plaintiffs in the Class Action. The remaining two lead plaintiffs filed a corrected motion seeking class certification on November 15, 2010. On December 13, 2010, we filed an opposition to plaintiffs’ motion for class certification and against the appointment of the remaining lead plaintiffs as class representatives. The hearing on the motion for class certification is currently scheduled for February 28, 2011. If our motion is successful, plaintiffs will not be able to proceed with their class action against the Company. Discovery is also currently ongoing with a court imposed cut-off date of August 1, 2011. We believe that the claims in this case are entirely without merit and we are defending the case vigorously. However, this matter is in the early stages and we cannot reasonably estimate an amount of potential loss, if any, at this time.
Beginning on May 28, 2010, several derivative lawsuits were brought against us, current and former members of our board of directors, and certain current and former officers in Santa Clara Superior Court (Dulgarian v. Cinnamon, et. al.) and in the United States District Court Northern District of California San Jose Division (Sabbag v. Cinnamon, et al.; Jaquez v. Cinnamon, et. al; Triskett v. Cinnamon, et. al.; Cilurzo v. Cinnamon, et. al.; and Klein v. Cinnamon, et al.), respectively. Such tag-along derivative cases often occur when a securities class action suit is pending. The complaints repeat many of the allegations made by plaintiffs in the class action with respect to our backlog, our Andalay product and our supply agreement with Suntech, which were recently dismissed by the District Court in the class action. The complaints also allege the making of improper statements concerning our license agreement with Suntech and our Comerica line of credit, a failure to exercise oversight of the financial and reporting process, and trading on inside information. The plaintiffs seek damages, restitution, attorneys' fees, equitable and/or injunctive relief and a judgment directing us to improve our corporate governance. On July 23, 2010, we filed demurrers seeking dismissal of the case brought in Superior Court on the grounds there is no legal basis for the lawsuit. A hearing on this motion is currently scheduled for March 4, 2011. If the court grants the demurrer with prejudice, the derivative complaints brought against the Company and its officers will be dismissed. On September 17, 2010, we filed a motion to dismiss or in the alternative stay the District Court case in favor of the prior-filed and substantially similar derivative action pending in the Superior Court in order to reduce the derivative actions pleading the same claims based on the same facts to one case in one court. On December 10, 2010, the court granted this motion, dismissing plaintiff’s claim under Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and staying the remainder of the action. We believe that the claims in these complaints are entirely without merit and we intend to continue vigorously defending these matters.
On October 22, 2009, we filed a complaint against several defendants including Zep Solar, Inc. in the United States District Court Northern District of California San Francisco Division for the direct and contributory infringement of U.S. Patent No. 7,406,800 (our Andalay patent). Our suit alleges the defendants are engaged in various sales, marketing and other activities involving a product that embodies inventions contained in our Andalay patent. The defendants moved to stay the case on January 27, 2010 after filing a petition with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) to have the Andalay patent re-examined. On March 16, 2010, the USPTO granted the defendant’s patent re-examination request in part, and the case is currently stayed during this process. Over 95% of patent re-examination requests are granted by the USPTO almost as a matter of routine, and the fact that a request is granted does not indicate the likely disposition of the re-examination. The USPTO has ruled that certain portions of the Andalay patent being re-examined remain valid over all of the challenges submitted by defendants, including some portions of the patent we are asserting in the Zep litigation. Based on the USPTO decision, a reduced number of claims remain at issue in the re-examination, and even if defendant’s re-examination request is ultimately successful with respect to the remaining portions of the Andalay patent, we would still have a patent which could be enforced against defendants. We are continuing to aggressively pursue this case.
We are also involved in other litigation from time to time in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management, the outcome of such proceedings will not materially affect our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.