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Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2019
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

Note 16.  Commitments and Contingencies

Lease Agreements

As of January 31, 2019 and October 31, 2018, the Company had equipment financing and capital lease obligations of $0.3 million.  Payment terms are generally thirty-six months from the date of acceptance for leased equipment.

The Company also leases certain computer and office equipment and manufacturing facilities in Torrington and Danbury, Connecticut under operating leases expiring on various dates through 2030.

Non-cancelable minimum payments applicable to operating and capital leases as of January 31, 2019 were as follows:

 

 

 

Operating

Leases

 

 

Capital

Leases

 

Due Year 1

 

$

811

 

 

$

207

 

Due Year 2

 

 

464

 

 

 

87

 

Due Year 3

 

 

384

 

 

 

21

 

Due Year 4

 

 

377

 

 

 

3

 

Due Year 5

 

 

374

 

 

 

 

Thereafter

 

 

2,910

 

 

 

 

Total

 

$

5,320

 

 

$

318

 

 

Service Agreements

Under the provisions of its service agreements, the Company provides services to maintain, monitor, and repair customer power plants to meet minimum operating levels. Under the terms of such service agreements, the particular power plant must meet a minimum operating output during defined periods of the term. If minimum output falls below the contract requirement, the Company may be subject to performance penalties and/or may be required to repair or replace the customer’s fuel cell module(s). Prior to the implementation of the new revenue recognition standard, an estimate for a performance guarantee was not recorded until a performance issue occurred at a particular power plant. At that point, the actual power plant’s output was compared against the minimum output guarantee and an accrual was recorded. The review of power plant performance was updated for each reporting period to incorporate the most recent performance of the power plant and minimum output guarantee payments made to customers, if applicable. Under the new revenue recognition standard, performance guarantees are considered variable consideration and as such, an estimate of future performance obligations is calculated for each service agreement based on past payment history and is included as an offset to the service agreement consideration.  The Company has previously provided for an accrual for performance guarantees, based on actual fleet performance, which totaled $1.1 million as of October 31, 2018, and was recorded in “Accrued liabilities.”  Under Topic 606, the liability recorded as of January 31, 2019 is $2.2 million.

The Company’s loss accrual on service agreements totaled $2.3 million and $0.9 million as of January 31, 2019 and October 31, 2018, respectively, and is recorded in “Accrued liabilities.” The Company’s loss accrual estimates are performed on a contract by contract basis and include cost assumptions based on what the Company anticipates the service requirements will be to fulfill obligations under each contract.  The increase of $1.4 million is due to the implementation of Topic 606.

Power Purchase Agreements

Under the terms of the Company’s PPAs, customers agree to purchase power from the Company’s fuel cell power plants at negotiated rates. Electricity rates are generally a function of the customers’ current and estimated future electricity pricing available from the grid. As owner or lessee of the power plants, the Company is responsible for all operating costs necessary to maintain, monitor and repair the power plants. Under certain agreements, the Company is also responsible for procuring fuel, generally natural gas or biogas, to run the power plants.  

Other

As of January 31, 2019, the Company had unconditional purchase commitments aggregating $54.4 million, for materials, supplies and services in the normal course of business.

Under certain sales and financing agreements, the Company is contractually committed to provide compensation for any losses that its customers and finance partners may suffer in certain limited circumstances resulting from reductions in realization of the U.S. Investment Tax Credit. Such obligations would arise as a result of reductions to the value of the underlying fuel cell projects as assessed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”). The Company does not believe that any payments under these contracts are probable based on the facts known at the reporting date. The maximum potential future payments that the Company could have to make with respect to these obligations would depend on the difference between the fair values of the fuel cell projects sold or financed and the values the IRS would determine as the fair value for the systems for purposes of claiming the Investment Tax Credit. The value of the Investment Tax Credit in the Company’s agreements is based on guidelines provided by the regulations from the IRS. The Company and its customers use fair values determined with the assistance of independent third-party appraisals.

The Company is involved in legal proceedings, claims and litigation arising out of the ordinary conduct of its business. Although the Company cannot assure the outcome, management presently believes that the result of such legal proceedings, either individually, or in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements, and no material amounts have been accrued in the Company’s consolidated financial statements with respect to these matters.