RISK FACTORS

Investing in our common stock involves a substantial risk of loss. You should carefully consider these risk factors, together with all of the other information included in this prospectus, before you decide to purchase shares of our common stock. If any of the following risks occurred, it could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or operating results. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose part or all of your investment. See the section of this prospectus captioned “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Industry Data.”

Risks Related to our Business

We need to enter into substantial additional financing arrangements to facilitate our customers’ access to our solar energy systems, and if financing is not available to us on acceptable terms when needed, our ability to continue to grow our business would be materially adversely impacted.

Our future success depends on our ability to raise capital from third-party investors on competitive terms to help finance the deployment of our solar energy systems. We seek to minimize our cost of capital in order to maintain the price competitiveness of the electricity produced by, or the lease payments for, our solar energy systems. If we are unable to establish new investment funds when needed, or upon desirable terms, to enable our customers’ access to our solar energy systems with little to no upfront cost to them, we may be unable to finance installation of our customers’ systems or our cost of capital could increase, either of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. As of the date of this prospectus, we have raised 10 investment funds to which investors such as banks and other large financial investors have committed to invest approximately $543 million which will enable us to install solar energy systems of total fair market value approximating $1.3 billion. As of the date of this prospectus, we had tax equity commitments to fund approximately 81 MWs of future deployments, which we estimate to be sufficient to fund solar energy systems with a total fair market value of approximately $405 million. The contract terms in certain of our investment fund documents impose conditions on our ability to draw on financing commitments from the fund investors, including if an event occurs that could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the fund or on us. If we do not satisfy such conditions due to events related to our business or a specific investment fund or developments in our industry or otherwise, and as a result we are unable to draw on existing commitments, our inability to draw on such commitments could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition and prospects.

To meet the capital needs of our growing business, we will need to obtain additional financing from new investors and investors with whom we currently have arrangements. If any of the financial institutions that currently provide financing decide not to invest in the future due to general market conditions, concerns about our business or prospects or any other reason, or decide to invest at levels that are inadequate to support our anticipated needs or materially change the terms under which they are willing to provide future financing, we will need to identify new financial institutions and companies to provide financing and negotiate new financing terms.

In the past, we have at times been unable to establish investment funds in accordance with our plans, due in part to the relatively limited number of investors attracted to such types of funds,

-19-

Table of Contents

competition for such capital and the complexity associated with negotiating the agreements with respect to such funds. Delays in raising financing could cause us to delay entering into new markets and hiring additional personnel in support of our planned growth. Any future delays in capital raising could similarly cause us to delay deployment of a substantial number of solar energy systems for which we have signed power purchase agreements with customers. Our future ability to obtain additional financing depends on banks’ and other financing sources’ continued confidence in our business model and the renewable energy industry as a whole. It could also be impacted by the liquidity needs of such financing sources themselves. We face intense competition from a variety of other companies, technologies and financing structures for such limited investment capital. If we are unable to continue to offer a competitive investment profile, we may lose access to these funds or they may only be available to us on terms that are less favorable than those received by our competitors. For example, if we experience higher customer default rates than we currently experience in our existing investment funds, this could make it more difficult or costly to attract future financing. In our experience, there are a relatively small number of investors that generate sufficient profits and possess the requisite financial sophistication that can benefit from and have significant demand for the tax benefits that our investment funds can provide. Historically, in the distributed solar energy industry, investors have typically been large financial institutions and a few large, profitable corporations. Our ability to raise investment funds is limited by the relatively small number of such investors. Any inability to secure financing could lead us to cancel planned installations, could impair our ability to accept new customers and could increase our borrowing costs, any of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

A material reduction in the retail price of traditional utility generated electricity or electricity from other sources would harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We believe that a significant number of our customers decide to buy solar energy because they want to pay less for electricity than what is offered by the traditional utilities. However, distributed residential solar energy has yet to achieve broad market adoption as evidenced by the fact that distributed solar has penetrated less than 1% of its total addressable market in the U.S. residential sector.

The customer’s decision to choose solar energy may also be affected by the cost of other renewable energy sources. Decreases in the retail prices of electricity from the traditional utilities or from other renewable energy sources would harm our ability to offer competitive pricing and could harm our business. The price of electricity from traditional utilities could decrease as a result of:

-20-

Table of Contents

A reduction in utility electricity prices would make the purchase of electricity under our power purchase agreements or the lease of our solar energy systems less economically attractive. If the retail price of energy available from traditional utilities were to decrease due to any of these reasons, or other reasons, we would be at a competitive disadvantage, we may be unable to attract new customers and our growth would be limited.

Electric utility industry policies and regulations may present technical, regulatory and economic barriers to the purchase and use of solar energy systems that may significantly reduce demand for electricity from our solar energy systems.

Federal, state and local government regulations and policies concerning the electric utility industry, utility rate structures, interconnection procedures, and internal policies of electric utilities, heavily influence the market for electricity generation products and services. These regulations and policies often relate to electricity pricing and the interconnection of distributed electricity generation systems to the power grid. Policies and regulations that promote renewable energy have been challenged by traditional utilities and questioned by those in government and others arguing for less governmental spending and involvement in the energy market. To the extent that such views are reflected in government policy, the changes in such policies and regulations could adversely affect our results of operations, cost of capital and growth prospects.

In the United States, governments and the state public service commissions that determine utility rates continuously modify these regulations and policies. These regulations and policies could result in a significant reduction in the potential demand for electricity from our solar energy systems and could deter customers from entering into contracts with us. In addition, depending on the region, electricity generated by solar energy systems competes most effectively with the most expensive retail rates for electricity from the power grid, rather than the less expensive average price of electricity. Modifications to the utilities’ peak hour pricing policies or rate design, such as to a flat rate, would make our current products less competitive with the price of electricity from the power grid. For example, a shift in the timing of peak rates for utility-generated electricity to a time of day when solar energy generation is less efficient could make our solar energy system offerings less competitive and reduce demand for our offerings.

In addition, any changes to government or internal utility regulations and policies that favor electric utilities could reduce our competitiveness and cause a significant reduction in demand for our offerings or increase our costs or the prices we charge our customers. Certain jurisdictions have proposed allowing traditional utilities to assess fees on customers purchasing energy from solar energy systems or imposing a new charge that would disproportionately impact solar energy system customers who utilize net metering, either of which would increase the cost of energy to those customers and could reduce demand for our solar energy systems. For example, California has adopted and implemented Assembly Bill 327, which has directly revised the caps on net

-21-

Table of Contents

metering applicable to each utility in the state, and further mandates that the California Public Utilities Commission, or CPUC, study net metering and craft an updated program that may result in future charges being imposed on our customers in California. It is possible these charges could be imposed on not just future customers but our existing customers, causing a potentially significant consumer relations problem and harming our reputation and business. Due to the concentration of our business in California and Hawaii, which account for approximately 53% and 15% of our total installations as of June 30, 2014, respectively, any such changes in these markets would be particularly harmful to our business, results of operations and future growth.

Our business currently depends on the availability of rebates, tax credits and other financial incentives. The expiration, elimination or reduction of these rebates, credits or incentives could adversely impact our business.

Federal, state and local government bodies provide incentives to owners, end users, distributors, system integrators and manufacturers of solar energy systems to promote solar electricity in the form of rebates, tax credits and other financial incentives such as system performance payments, payments for renewable energy credits associated with renewable energy generation and exclusion of solar energy systems from property tax assessments. We rely on these governmental rebates, tax credits and other financial incentives to finance solar energy system installations. These incentives enable us to lower the price we charge customers for energy from, and to lease, our solar energy systems, helping to catalyze customer acceptance of solar energy with those customers as an alternative to utility provided power. However, these incentives may expire on a particular date, end when the allocated funding is exhausted or be reduced or terminated as solar energy adoption rates increase. These reductions or terminations often occur without warning. In addition, the financial value of certain incentives decrease over time. For example, the value of solar renewable energy credits, or SRECs, in a market tends to decrease over time as the supply of SREC producing solar energy systems installed in that market increases. If we overestimate the future value of these incentives, it could adversely impact our financial results.

The federal government currently offers a 30% investment tax credit, or the ITC, under Section 48(a) of the Internal Revenue Code for the installation of certain solar power facilities until December 31, 2016. By statute, the ITC is scheduled to decrease to 10% of the fair market value of a solar energy system on January 1, 2017, and the amounts that fund investors are willing to invest could decrease or we may be required to provide a larger allocation of customer payments to the fund investors as a result of this scheduled decrease. To the extent we have a reduced ability to raise investment funds as a result of this reduction, the rate of growth of installations of our residential solar energy systems would be negatively impacted. The ITC has been a significant driver of the financing supporting the adoption of residential solar energy systems in the United States and its scheduled reduction beginning in 2017, unless modified by an intervening change in law, will significantly impact the attractiveness of solar to these investors and potentially our business.

Applicable authorities may adjust or decrease incentives from time to time or include provisions for minimum domestic content requirements or other requirements to qualify for these incentives. Reductions in, eliminations or expirations of or additional application requirements for, governmental incentives could adversely impact our results of operations and ability to compete in our industry by increasing our cost of capital, causing us to increase the prices of our energy and solar energy systems and reducing the size of our addressable market. In addition, this would adversely impact our ability to attract investment partners and to form new investment funds and our ability to offer attractive financing to prospective customers.

-22-

Table of Contents

We rely on net metering and related policies to offer competitive pricing to our customers in all of our current markets, and changes to net metering policies may significantly reduce demand for electricity from our solar energy systems.

Our business benefits significantly from favorable net metering policies in states in which we operate. Net metering allows a homeowner to pay his or her local electric utility only for their power usage net of production from the solar energy system, transforming the conventional relationship between customers and traditional utilities. Homeowners receive credit for the energy that the solar installation generates to offset energy usage at times when the solar installation is not generating energy. In states that provide for net metering, the customer typically pays for the net energy used or receives a credit against future bills at the retail rate if more energy is produced than consumed. In some states and utility territories, customers are also reimbursed by the electric utility for net excess generation on a periodic basis.

Forty-three states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia have adopted some form of net metering. Each of the states where we currently serve customers has adopted some form of a net metering policy. In 2013, however, net metering programs were subject to regulatory scrutiny in some states, such as Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho and Louisiana. Generally, the programs were upheld in their current form, though some were subject to minor modification and others, including California, have been designated for additional regulatory review in the next few years. In California, for example, the current net metering rules, as applied to the state’s three large investor-owned utilities (San Diego Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison Company and Pacific Gas and Electric Company), would generally be grandfathered for a period of 20 years, but only for systems installed prior to the earlier of July 1, 2017 or the date the applicable utility reaches its statutory net metering cap. This net metering cap is measured based on the nameplate capacity of net metered systems within the applicable utility’s service territory. Currently, the net metering cap for the three large investor-owned utilities are: 607 megawatts for San Diego Gas and Electric Company; 2,240 megawatts for Southern California Edison Company; and 2,409 megawatts for Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Once the net metering cap is reached for one of the three investor-owned utilities, customers of that utility seeking to net meter will be required to take service under the new net metering tariff. As of June 30, 2014, none of these investor-owned utilities had reached 50% of its net metering cap. The statute providing the current caps also provides that, once the new net metering rules are effective, there will be no net metering caps applied to these utilities.

Once the current net metering tariff is no longer available in California, it is unclear whether net metering customers will enjoy the same rate of credit for exporting electricity to the grid and monthly fees that apply only to net metering customers could be imposed.

If net metering caps in certain jurisdictions are reached while they are still in effect, or if the value of the credit that customers receive for net metering is significantly reduced, future customers may be unable to recognize the same level of cost savings associated with net metering that current customers enjoy. The absence of favorable net metering policies or of net metering entirely, or the imposition of new charges that only or disproportionately impact customers that use net metering would significantly limit customer demand for our solar energy systems and the electricity they generate and could adversely impact our business, results of operations and future growth.

-23-

Table of Contents

Technical and regulatory limitations may significantly reduce our ability to sell electricity from our solar energy systems in certain markets.

Technical and regulatory limits may curb our growth in certain key markets. For example, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in promulgating the first form small generator interconnection procedures, recommended limiting customer-sited intermittent generation resources, such as our solar energy systems, to a certain percentage of peak load on a given electrical feeder circuit. Similar limits have been adopted by many states as a de facto standard and could constrain our ability to market to customers in certain geographic areas where the concentration of solar installations exceeds this limit. For example, Hawaiian electric utilities have adopted certain policies that limit distributed electricity generation in certain geographic areas. While these limits have constrained our growth in Hawaii, legislative and regulatory developments in Hawaii have generally allowed distributed electricity generation penetration beyond the electric utility imposed limitations. Future revisions, however, could result in limitations on deployment of solar energy systems in Hawaii, which accounted for approximately 15% of our total installations as of June 30, 2014 and would negatively impact our business. Furthermore, in certain areas, we benefit from policies that allow for expedited or simplified procedures related to connecting solar energy systems to the power grid. If such procedures are changed or cease to be available, our ability to sell the electricity generated by solar energy systems we install may be adversely impacted. As adoption of solar distributed generation rises along with the commercial operation of utility scale solar generation in key markets such as California, the amount of solar energy being fed into the power grid will surpass the amount planned for relative to the amount of aggregate demand. Some traditional utilities claim that in less than five years, solar generation resources may reach a level capable of producing an over-generation situation, which may require some solar generation resources to be curtailed to maintain operation of the grid. While the prospect of such curtailment is somewhat speculative, the adverse effects of such curtailment without compensation could adversely impact our business, results of operations and future growth.

We are not currently regulated as an electric utility under applicable law, but we may be subject to regulation as an electric utility in the future.

We are not regulated as an electric utility in any of the markets in which we currently operate. As a result, we are not subject to the various federal, state and local standards, restrictions and regulatory requirements applicable to traditional utilities. Any federal, state, or local regulations that cause us to be treated as an electric utility, or to otherwise be subject to a similar regulatory regime of commission-approved operating tariffs, rate limitations, and related mandatory provisions, could place significant restrictions on our ability to operate our business and execute our business plan by prohibiting, restricting or otherwise regulating our sale of electricity. If we were subject to the same state or federal regulatory authorities as public electric utilities in the United States or if new regulatory bodies were established to oversee our business in the United States, then our operating costs would materially increase.

Our business depends in part on the regulatory treatment of third-party owned solar energy systems.

Retail sales of electricity by non-utilities such as us face regulatory hurdles in some states and jurisdictions, including states and jurisdictions that we intend to enter where the laws and regulatory policies have not historically embraced competition to the service provided by the incumbent, vertically integrated electric utility. Some of the principal challenges pertain to whether

-24-

Table of Contents

non-customer owned systems qualify for the same levels of rebates or other non-tax incentives available for customer-owned solar energy systems, whether third-party owned systems are eligible at all for these incentives and whether third-party owned systems are eligible for net metering and the associated significant cost savings. Furthermore, in some states and utility territories third parties are limited in the way that they may deliver solar to their customers. In jurisdictions such as Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, North Carolina and Oklahoma and in Los Angeles, California, laws have been interpreted to prohibit the sale of electricity pursuant to our standard power purchase agreement, leading us and other residential solar energy system providers to use leases in lieu of power purchase agreements. Changes in law, reductions in, eliminations of or additional application requirements for, these benefits could reduce demand for our systems, adversely impact our access to capital and could cause us to increase the price we charge our customers for energy.

If the Internal Revenue Service makes a determination that the fair market value of our solar energy systems is materially lower than what we have reported in our fund tax returns, we may have to pay significant amounts to our investment funds, to our fund investors and/or the U.S. government. Such determinations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and prospects.

We report in our fund tax returns and we and our fund investors claim the ITC based on the fair market value of our solar energy systems. While the Internal Revenue Service has not audited the appraisals or fair market value determinations of any of our ITC investment funds to date, scrutiny with respect to fair market value determinations has increased industry-wide in recent years. If the Internal Revenue Service were to review the fair market value that we used to establish our basis for claiming ITCs on audit and determine that the ITCs previously claimed should be reduced, we would owe certain of our investment funds or our fund investors an amount equal to 30% of the investor’s share of the difference between the fair market value used to establish our basis for claiming ITCs and the adjusted fair market value determined by the Internal Revenue Service upon audit, plus any costs and expenses associated with a challenge to that fair market value, plus a gross up to pay for additional taxes. We could also be subject to tax liabilities, including interest and penalties based on our share of claimed ITCs. To date, we have not been required to make such payments under any of our investment funds.

Separate from the Internal Revenue Service fair market value determination for purposes of ITCs, the U.S. Treasury Department has issued subpoenas related to its cash grant program and reviewed the fair market value determinations of a number of other significant participants in residential solar investment funds. Although we were not a target of this investigation, after discussions with the U.S. Treasury Department in early 2013, we accepted approximately $2.5 million less in cash grant payments than we had originally anticipated, a reduction of approximately 12%, which reduction affected a single investment fund. Although we were not obligated to make any payments to the investor in such fund, this resulted in a reduction of the fund investor’s overall investment by approximately $1.0 million. We have no other existing cash grant investment funds as of the date of this prospectus, but if we were to enter into such funds in the future we may be required to engage in further discussions with, or otherwise be subject to investigation by, the U.S. Treasury Department in relation to applications for cash grants made by such funds.

-25-

Table of Contents

Our ability to provide solar energy systems to customers on an economically viable basis depends on our ability to finance these systems with fund investors who require particular tax and other benefits.

Solar energy systems that began construction or satisfied a safe harbor by incurring eligible project costs prior to the end of 2011 were eligible to receive a 30% federal cash grant paid by the U.S. Treasury Department under Section 1603 of the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,” or the U.S. Treasury grant. Substantially all of our solar energy systems installed to date have been eligible for ITCs or U.S. Treasury grants, as well as accelerated depreciation benefits. We have relied on, and will continue to rely on, financing structures that monetize a substantial portion of those benefits and provide financing for our solar energy systems. If, for any reason, we were unable to continue to monetize those benefits through these arrangements, we may be unable to provide solar energy systems for new customers and maintain solar energy systems for new and existing customers on an economically viable basis.

The availability of this tax-advantaged financing depends upon many factors, including:

Solar energy system owners are currently allowed to claim a tax credit that is equal to 30% of the system’s eligible tax basis, which is generally the fair market value of the system. By statute, this tax credit is scheduled to decrease to 10% on January 1, 2017. Moreover, potential fund investors must remain satisfied that the structures we offer qualify for the tax benefits associated with solar energy systems available to these investors, which depends both on the investors’ assessment of tax law and the absence of any unfavorable interpretations of that law. Changes in existing law and interpretations by the Internal Revenue Service and the courts could reduce the willingness of fund investors to invest in funds associated with these solar energy system investments. We cannot assure you that this type of financing will be available to us. Alternatively, new investment fund structures or other financing mechanisms may become available, and if we are unable to take advantage of these fund structures and financing mechanisms it may place us at a competitive disadvantage. If, for any reason, we are unable to finance solar energy systems through tax-advantaged structures or if we are unable to realize or monetize depreciation benefits, or if we are otherwise unable to structure investment funds in ways that are both attractive to investors and allow us to provide desirable pricing to customers, we may no longer be able to provide solar energy systems to new customers on an economically viable basis. This would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Rising interest rates could adversely impact our business.

Changes in interest rates could have an adverse impact on our business by increasing our cost of capital. For example, rising interest rates would increase our cost of capital and may negatively impact our ability to secure financing on favorable terms needed to build our solar energy systems.

-26-

Table of Contents

The majority of our cash flows to date have been from customer contracts that have been partially monetized under various investment fund structures. One of the components of this monetization is the present value of the payment streams from the customers who enter into these contracts. If the rate of return required by the fund investor rises as a result of a rise in interest rates, the present value of the customer payment stream and the total value that we are able to derive from monetizing the payment stream will each be reduced. Interest rates are at historically low levels, partially as a result of intervention by the U.S. Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve has taken actions to begin the tapering off of this intervention and should these actions continue, it is likely that interest rates will rise, our costs of capital will increase and our ability to secure financing could be impeded. Rising interest rates could harm our business and financial condition.

Our investment funds contain arrangements which provide for priority distributions to fund investors until they receive their targeted rates of return. In addition, under the terms of certain of our investment funds, we may be required to make payments to the investors if certain tax benefits that are allocated to such investors are not realized as expected. Our financial condition may be adversely impacted if a fund is required to make these priority distributions for a longer period than anticipated to achieve the investors’ targeted rates of return or if we are required to make any tax related payments.

Our fund investors expect returns partially in the form of cash and, to enable such returns, our investment funds contain terms that contractually require the funds to make priority distributions to the fund investor, to the extent cash is available, until it achieves its targeted rate of return. The amounts of potential future distributions under these arrangements depends on the amounts and timing of receipt of cash flows into the investment fund, almost all of which is generated from customer payments related to solar energy systems that have been previously purchased (or leased, as applicable) by such fund. If such cash flows are lower than expected, the priority distributions to the investor may continue for longer than initially anticipated. Additionally, certain of our investment funds require that, under certain circumstances, we forego distributions from the fund that we are otherwise contractually entitled to so that such distributions can be redirected to the fund investor until it achieves the targeted return.

Our fund investors also expect returns partially in the form of tax benefits and, to enable such returns, our investment funds contain terms that contractually require us to make payments to the funds that are then used to make payments to the fund investor in certain circumstances so that the fund investor receives value equivalent to the tax benefits it expected to receive when entering into the transaction. The amounts of potential tax payments under these arrangements depend on the tax benefits that accrue to such investors from the funds’ activities.

Due to uncertainties associated with estimating the timing and amounts of these cash distributions and allocations of tax benefits to such investors, we cannot determine the potential maximum future impact on our cash flows or payments that we could have to make under these arrangements. We may agree to similar terms in the future if market conditions require it. Any significant payments that we may be required to make or distributions to us that are relinquished as a result of these arrangements could adversely affect our financial condition.

-27-

Table of Contents

We may incur substantially more debt or take other actions that could restrict our ability to pursue our business strategies.

In September 2014, we entered into an aggregation credit facility pursuant to which we may borrow up to an aggregate of $350 million and, subject to certain conditions, up to an aggregate of $200 million in additional borrowings. We are also party to revolving lines of credit with Vivint that allow us to incur from time to time up to $70.0 million in revolver borrowings and as of June 30, 2014, approximately $18.5 million of borrowing capacity was remaining under the revolving lines of credit. The credit facility restricts our ability to dispose of assets, incur indebtedness, incur liens, pay dividends or make other distributions to holders of our capital stock, repurchase our capital stock, make specified investments or engage in transactions with our affiliates. We and our subsidiaries may incur substantial additional debt in the future and any debt instrument we enter into in the future may contain similar restrictions. In addition, certain of our affiliates, including Vivint, are and may in the future be restricted in engaging in transactions with us pursuant to the terms of the instruments governing indebtedness incurred by them. These restrictions could inhibit our ability to pursue our business strategies. Furthermore, if we default on one of our debt instruments, and such event of default is not cured or waived, the lenders could terminate commitments to lend and cause all amounts outstanding with respect to the debt to be due and payable immediately, which in turn could result in cross acceleration under other debt instruments. Our assets and cash flow may not be sufficient to fully repay borrowings under all of our outstanding debt instruments if some or all of these instruments are accelerated upon a default.

Furthermore, there is no assurance that we will be able to enter into new debt instruments on acceptable terms. If we are unable to satisfy financial covenants and other terms under existing or new instruments or obtain waivers or forbearance from our lenders or if we are unable to obtain refinancing or new financings for our working capital, equipment and other needs on acceptable terms if and when needed, our business would be adversely affected.

Our business is concentrated in certain markets, putting us at risk of region specific disruptions.

As of June 30, 2014, approximately 53% and 15% of our total installations were in California and Hawaii, respectively, and 21 of our 37 offices were located in these states. In addition, we expect much of our near-term future growth to occur in California, further concentrating our customer base and operational infrastructure. Accordingly, our business and results of operations are particularly susceptible to adverse economic, regulatory, political, weather and other conditions in such markets and in other markets that may become similarly concentrated.

It is difficult to evaluate our business and prospects due to our limited operating history.

Since our formation in 2011, we have focused our efforts exclusively on the sales, financing, engineering, installation, maintenance and monitoring of solar energy systems for residential customers. We may be unsuccessful in significantly broadening our customer base through installation of solar energy systems within our current markets or in new markets we may enter. Our limited operating history, combined with the rapidly evolving and competitive nature of our industry, may not provide an adequate basis for you to evaluate our operating and financial results and business prospects. In addition, we have limited insight into emerging trends that may adversely impact our business, prospects and operating results.

-28-

Table of Contents

Additionally, due to our limited operating history, we do not have empirical evidence of the effect of our systems on the resale value of our customers’ houses. Due to the length of our customer contracts, the system deployed on a customer’s roof may be outdated prior to the expiration of the term of the customer contract reducing the likelihood of renewal of our contracts at the end of the 20-year term, and possibly increasing the occurrence of defaults. This could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow. As a result, our limited operating history may impair our ability to accurately forecast our future performance and to invest accordingly.

A material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting relating to inadequate financial statement preparation and review procedures was identified in connection with the preparation of our consolidated financial statements and resulted in the restatement of certain of our financial statements.

In connection with the preparation, audits and interim reviews of our consolidated financial statements, we and our independent registered public accounting firm identified a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting. This material weakness was further evidenced by errors discovered during the preparation and review of our consolidated financial statements as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2014 which resulted in the restatement of our consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2013 and as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2014. These errors included, but were not limited to: (1) incorrectly accounting for income taxes, (2) incorrect inputs in the HLBV method of attributing net income or loss to non-controlling interests and redeemable non-controlling interests and (3) the incorrect classification of paid-in-kind interest in our statement of cash flows.

Under standards established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, a material weakness is a deficiency or combination of deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected and corrected on a timely basis. This material weakness resulted from several control deficiencies.

Specifically and in addition to the errors that resulted in the restatement discussed above, we and our independent registered public accounting firm identified a number of material errors and other audit adjustments and determined that we did not design and implement sufficient controls and processes and did not have a sufficient number of qualified accounting and finance personnel. Additionally, the nature of our investment funds increases the complexity of our accounting for the allocation of net income (loss) between our stockholders and non-controlling interests under the HLBV method and the calculation of our tax provision. As we enter into additional investment funds, which may have contractual provisions different from those of our existing funds, the calculation under the HLBV method and the calculation of our tax provision could become increasingly complicated. This additional complexity could increase the chance that we experience additional errors in the future, particularly because we have a material weakness in internal controls. In addition, our need to devote our resources to addressing this complexity could delay or prolong our remediation efforts and thereby prolong the existence of the material weakness. As a result, we and our independent registered public accounting firm determined that we did not have adequate procedures and controls and adequate personnel to ensure that accurate financial statements could be prepared on a timely basis.

-29-

Table of Contents

To remediate this material weakness, we believe that we must continue to add qualified accounting, finance and tax personnel, formalize and implement written policies and procedures for the review of account analyses, tax provisions, reconciliations and journal entries, and implement and improve systems to automate certain financial reporting processes and to improve efficiency and accuracy.

We have begun taking numerous steps and plan to take additional steps to remediate the underlying causes of the material weakness. The actions that we are taking are subject to ongoing senior management review as well as audit committee oversight. We cannot estimate how long it will take to remediate the material weakness, although we expect it will take at least a year and may take more than a year, and our initiatives may not prove to be successful in remediating this material weakness.

If in future periods we determine that this material weakness has not been remediated or we identify other material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting, we will be unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, which could result in the loss of investor confidence. In addition, to date, the audit of our consolidated financial statements by our independent registered public accounting firm has included a consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis of designing their audit procedures, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting. When we cease to be an emerging growth company we will be required to have our independent registered accounting firm perform such an evaluation, and additional material weaknesses or other control deficiencies may be identified.

If we are unable to successfully remediate our current material weakness or avoid or remediate any future material weakness, our stock price may be adversely affected and we may be unable to maintain compliance with applicable stock exchange listing requirements.

We have incurred operating losses and may be unable to achieve or sustain profitability in the future.

We have incurred operating losses since our inception. We incurred net losses of $56.5 million and $76.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 and the six months ended June 30, 2014, respectively. We expect to continue to incur net losses from operations as we increase our spending to finance the expansion of our operations, expand our installation , engineering, administrative, sales and marketing staffs, and implement internal systems and infrastructure to support our growth. In addition, as a public company, we will incur significant additional legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. We do not know whether our revenue will grow rapidly enough to absorb these costs, and our limited operating history makes it difficult to assess the extent of these expenses or their impact on our operating results. Our ability to achieve profitability depends on a number of factors, including:

-30-

Table of Contents

Even if we do achieve profitability, we may be unable to sustain or increase our profitability in the future.

Substantially all of our business is conducted primarily using one channel, direct-selling.

While we are in the process of evaluating different distribution channels, currently substantially all of our business is conducted using direct-selling. We compete against companies that sell solar energy systems to customers through a number of distribution channels, including homebuilders, home improvement stores, large construction, electrical and roofing companies and other third parties and companies that access customers through relationships with third parties in addition to other direct-selling companies. This single distribution channel may place us at a disadvantage with consumers who prefer to purchase products through these other distribution channels. Additionally, we are vulnerable to changes in laws related to direct marketing as regulations have limited unsolicited residential sales calls and may impose additional restrictions. If additional laws affecting direct marketing are passed in the markets in which we operate, it would take time to train our sales force to comply with such laws, and we may be exposed to fines or other penalties for violations of such laws. If we fail to compete effectively through our direct-selling efforts or are not successful in executing our strategy to sell our solar energy systems through other channels, our financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects will be adversely affected.

We are highly dependent on our ability to attract, train and retain an effective sales force.

The success of our direct-selling channel efforts depends upon the recruitment, retention and motivation of a large number of sales personnel to compensate for a high turnover rate among sales personnel, which is a common characteristic of a direct-selling business. For example, approximately 43% of the sales force on January 1, 2013, were no longer providing services to us by the end of the year. In order to grow our business, we need to recruit, train and retain sales personnel on a continuing basis. Historically, we have recruited a large portion of our sales personnel from our sister company, Vivint. In the future, we expect that we will need to recruit greater numbers of our sales personnel from other sources and we may be unable to successfully do so.

Sales personnel are attracted to direct-selling by competitive earnings opportunities and so direct-sellers typically compete for sales personnel by providing a more competitive earnings opportunity than that offered by the competition. Competitors devote substantial effort to determining the effectiveness of such incentives so that they can invest in incentives that are the most cost effective or produce the best return on incentive. For example, we have historically compensated our sales personnel on a commission basis, based on the size of the solar energy systems they sell. Some sales personnel may prefer a compensation structure that also includes a salary and equity incentive component. We may need to adjust our compensation model to include such components, and these adjustments could adversely impact our operating results and financial performance.

-31-

Table of Contents

In addition to our sales compensation model, our ability to recruit, train and retain effective sales personnel could be harmed by additional factors, including:

We are subject to significant competition for the recruitment of sales personnel from other direct-selling companies and from other companies that sell solar energy systems in particular. It is therefore continually necessary to innovate and enhance our direct-selling and service model as well as to recruit and retain new sales personnel. If we are unable to do so, our business will be adversely affected.

A failure to hire and retain a sufficient number of employees in key functions would constrain our growth and our ability to timely complete our customers’ projects.

To support our growth, we need to hire, train, deploy, manage and retain a substantial number of skilled installers and electricians in the relevant markets. Competition for qualified personnel in our industry is increasing, particularly for skilled electricians and other personnel involved in the installation of solar energy systems. We also compete with the homebuilding and construction industries for skilled labor. As these industries seek to hire additional workers, our cost of labor may increase. In addition, we compensate our installers and electricians based on the number of solar energy systems they install. Companies with whom we compete to hire installers may offer an hourly rate or equity incentive component, which certain installers may prefer. Shortages of skilled labor could significantly delay a project or otherwise increase our costs. While we do not currently have any unionized employees, we have expanded, and may continue to expand, into areas such as the Northeast, where labor unions are more prevalent. The unionization of our labor force could also increase our labor costs.

Because we are a licensed electrical contractor in every jurisdiction in which we operate, we are required to employ licensed electricians. As we expand into new markets, we are required to hire and/or contract with seasoned licensed electricians in order for the company to qualify for the requisite state and local licenses. Because of the high demand for these seasoned licensed

-32-

Table of Contents

electricians, these individuals currently or in the future may demand greater compensation. In addition, our inability to attract and retain these qualifying electricians may adversely impact our ability to continue operations in current markets or expand into new areas.

If we cannot meet our hiring, retention and efficiency goals, we may be unable to complete our customers’ projects on time, in an acceptable manner or at all. Any significant failures in this regard would materially impair our growth, reputation, business and financial results. If we are required to pay higher compensation than we anticipate, these greater expenses may also adversely impact our financial results and the growth of our business.

Historically, we have only provided our offerings to residential customers, which could put us at a disadvantage relative to companies who also compete in other markets.

We have historically only provided our offerings to residential customers. We compete with companies who sell solar panels in the commercial and government markets, in addition to the residential market. While we are considering the option of expanding into markets outside of the residential market, such as the small business market, and while we believe that in the future we may have opportunities to expand our operations into other markets, there are no assurances that our design and installation systems will work for non-residential customers or that we will be able to compete successfully with companies with historical presences in such markets. Additionally, there is intense competition in the residential solar energy market in the markets in which we operate. As new entrants continue to enter into these markets, we may be unable to gain or maintain market share and we may be unable to compete with companies that earn revenue in both the residential market and non-residential markets.

We face competition from traditional regulated electric utilities, from less-regulated third party energy service providers and from new renewable energy companies.

The solar energy and renewable energy industries are both highly competitive and continually evolving as participants strive to distinguish themselves within their markets and compete with large traditional utilities. We believe that our primary competitors are the traditional utilities that supply electricity to our potential customers. Traditional utilities generally have substantially greater financial, technical, operational and other resources than we do. As a result, these competitors may be able to devote more resources to the research, development, promotion and sale of their products or respond more quickly to evolving industry standards and changes in market conditions than we can. Traditional utilities could also offer other value-added products or services that could help them to compete with us even if the cost of electricity they offer is higher than ours. In addition, a majority of utilities’ sources of electricity is non-solar, which may allow utilities to sell electricity more cheaply than electricity generated by our solar energy systems.

We also compete with companies that are not regulated like traditional utilities but that have access to the traditional utility electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure pursuant to state and local pro-competitive and consumer choice policies. These energy service companies are able to offer customers electricity supply-only solutions that are competitive with our solar energy system options on both price and usage of renewable energy technology while avoiding the long-term agreements and physical installations that our current fund-financed business model requires. This may limit our ability to attract new customers, particularly those who wish to avoid long-term contracts or have an aesthetic or other objection to putting solar panels on their roofs.

-33-

Table of Contents

We also compete with solar companies with business models that are similar to ours. In addition, we compete with solar companies in the downstream value chain of solar energy. For example, we face competition from purely finance driven organizations that acquire customers and then subcontract out the installation of solar energy systems, from installation businesses that seek financing from external parties, from large construction companies and utilities, and increasingly from sophisticated electrical and roofing companies. Some of these competitors specialize in the residential solar energy market, and some may provide energy at lower costs than we do. Further, some of our competitors are integrating vertically in order to ensure supply and to control costs. Many of our competitors also have significant brand name recognition and have extensive knowledge of our target markets. For us to remain competitive, we must distinguish ourselves from our competitors by offering an integrated approach that successfully competes with each level of products and services offered by our competitors at various points in the value chain. If our competitors develop an integrated approach similar to ours including sales, financing, engineering, manufacturing, installation, maintenance and monitoring services, this will reduce our marketplace differentiation.

As the solar industry grows and evolves, we will also face new competitors who are not currently in the market. Our industry is characterized by low technological barriers to entry and well-capitalized companies could choose to enter the market and compete with us. Our failure to adapt to changing market conditions and to compete successfully with existing or new competitors will limit our growth and will have a material adverse effect on our business and prospects.

Developments in alternative technologies or improvements in distributed solar energy generation may materially adversely affect demand for our offerings.

Significant developments in alternative technologies, such as advances in other forms of distributed solar power generation, storage solutions such as batteries, the widespread use or adoption of fuel cells for residential or commercial properties or improvements in other forms of centralized power production may materially and adversely affect our business and prospects in ways we do not currently anticipate. Any failure by us to adopt new or enhanced technologies or processes, or to react to changes in existing technologies, could materially delay deployment of our solar energy systems, which could result in product obsolescence, the loss of competitiveness of our systems, decreased revenue and a loss of market share to competitors.

We depend on a limited number of suppliers of solar energy system components and technologies to adequately meet anticipated demand for our solar energy systems. Due to the limited number of suppliers in our industry, the acquisition of any of these suppliers by a competitor or any shortage, delay, price change, imposition of tariffs or duties or other limitation in our ability to obtain components or technologies we use could result in sales and installation delays, cancellations and loss of market share.

We purchase solar panels, inverters and other system components from a limited number of suppliers, making us susceptible to quality issues, shortages and price changes. In 2013, Trina Solar Limited and Yingli Green Energy Americas, Inc. accounted for substantially all of our solar photovoltaic module purchases and Enphase Energy, Inc. accounted for all of our inverter purchases. If we fail to develop, maintain and expand our relationships with these or other suppliers, our ability to adequately meet anticipated demand for our solar energy systems may be adversely affected, or we may only be able to offer our systems at higher costs or after delays. If

-34-

Table of Contents

one or more of the suppliers that we rely upon to meet anticipated demand ceases or reduces production due to its financial condition, acquisition by a competitor or otherwise, is unable to increase production as industry demand increases or is otherwise unable to allocate sufficient production to us, it may be difficult to quickly identify alternate suppliers or to qualify alternative products on commercially reasonable terms, and our ability to satisfy this demand may be adversely affected. There are a limited number of suppliers of solar energy system components and technologies. While we believe there are other sources of supply for these products available, transitioning to a new supplier may result in additional costs and delays in acquiring our solar products and deploying our systems. These issues could harm our business or financial performance.

In addition, the acquisition of a component supplier or technology provider by one of our competitors could limit our access to such components or technologies and require significant redesigns of our solar energy systems or installation procedures and have a material adverse effect on our business. For example, the recent acquisition of Zep Solar, Inc., who sold us virtually all of the racking systems used in our hardware in 2013, by one of our competitors and the resulting limitation in our ability to acquire Zep Solar, Inc. products required us to redesign certain aspects of our systems to accommodate alternative racking hardware. While we are in the process of diversifying our racking providers, it is possible that sales and installation delays, cancellations and loss of market share may occur before we complete our transition to alternate suppliers. These risks are compounded by the fact that some of our investment funds require the use of designated equipment, and our inability to obtain any such required equipment could limit our ability to finance solar energy systems that we intend to place in those funds.

There have also been periods of industry-wide shortages of key components, including solar panels, in times of rapid industry growth. The manufacturing infrastructure for some of these components has a long lead-time, requires significant capital investment and relies on the continued availability of key commodity materials, potentially resulting in an inability to meet demand for these components. The solar industry is currently experiencing rapid growth and, as a result, shortages of key components, including solar panels, may be more likely to occur, which in turn may result in price increases for such components. Even if industry-wide shortages do not occur, suppliers may decide to allocate key components with high demand or insufficient production capacity to more profitable customers, customers with long-term supply agreements or customers other than us and our supply of such components may be reduced as a result.

Typically, we purchase the components for our solar energy systems on an as-needed basis and do not operate under long-term supply agreements. All of these purchases under these purchase orders are denominated in U.S. dollars. Since our revenue is also generated in U.S. dollars we are mostly insulated from currency fluctuations. However, since our suppliers often incur a significant amount of their costs by purchasing raw materials and generating operating expenses in foreign currencies, if the value of the U.S. dollar depreciates significantly or for a prolonged period of time against these other currencies this may cause our suppliers to raise the prices they charge us, which could harm our financial results. Since we purchase almost all of the solar photovoltaic modules we use from China, we are particularly exposed to exchange rate risk from increases in the value of the Chinese Renminbi. In addition, the U.S. government has recently imposed tariffs on solar cells manufactured in China and is investigating pricing practices concerning solar panels manufactured in China and Taiwan that contain solar cells produced in other countries, at the conclusion of which it could impose additional tariffs or duties. Any such tariffs or duties, or

-35-

Table of Contents

shortages, delays, price changes or other limitation in our ability to obtain components or technologies we use could limit our growth, cause cancellations or adversely affect our profitability, and result in loss of market share and damage to our brand.

Our operating results may fluctuate from quarter to quarter, which could make our future performance difficult to predict and could cause our operating results for a particular period to fall below expectations, resulting in a severe decline in the price of our common stock.

Our quarterly operating results are difficult to predict and may fluctuate significantly in the future. We have experienced seasonal and quarterly fluctuations in the past. However, given that we are an early-stage company operating in a rapidly growing industry, the true extent of these fluctuations may have been masked by our recent growth rates and thus may not be readily apparent from our historical operating results and may be difficult to predict. For example, the amount of revenue we recognize in a given period from our customer contracts is dependent in part on the amount of energy generated by solar energy systems under such contracts. As a result, revenue derived from power purchase agreements is impacted by seasonally shorter daylight hours in winter months. In addition, our ability to install solar energy systems is impacted by weather, as for example during the winter months in the Northeastern United States. Such delays can impact the timing of when we can install and begin to generate revenue from solar energy systems. As such, our past quarterly operating results may not be good indicators of future performance.

In addition to the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section, the following factors could cause our operating results to fluctuate:

-36-

Table of Contents

For these or other reasons, the results of any prior quarterly or annual periods should not be relied upon as indications of our future performance. In addition, our actual revenue, key operating metrics and other operating results in future quarters may fall short of the expectations of investors and financial analysts, which could have an adverse effect on the trading price of our common stock.

Our business has benefited from the declining cost of solar panels, and our financial results may be harmed now that the cost of solar panels has stabilized and could increase in the future.

The declining cost of solar panels and the raw materials necessary to manufacture them has been a key driver in the price we charge for electricity and customer adoption of solar energy. According to industry experts, solar panel and raw material prices are not expected to continue to decline at the same rate as they have over the past several years. In addition, growth in the solar industry and the resulting increase in demand for solar panels and the raw materials necessary to manufacture them may also put upward pressure on prices. The resulting prices could slow our growth and cause our financial results to suffer. In addition, in the past we have purchased virtually all of the solar panels used in our solar energy systems from manufacturers based in China which have benefited from favorable governmental policies by the Chinese government. If this governmental support were to decrease or be eliminated, our ability to purchase these products on competitive terms or to access specialized technologies from China could be restricted. Even if this support were to continue, the U.S. government could impose additional tariffs on solar cells manufactured in China. In 2012, the U.S. government imposed anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells on a manufacturer specific basis with rates ranging from approximately 18.3% to 250.0%, and applicable countervailing duty rates ranging from approximately 14.8% to 16.0%. In January 2014, the U.S. government broadened its investigation of Chinese pricing practices in this area to include solar panels and modules produced in China containing solar cells manufactured in other countries. On June 10, 2014, the U.S. government issued a preliminary determination of countervailing subsidies by China and has proposed duties ranging from 18.6% to 35.2% on Chinese solar companies importing certain solar products into the United States, including our solar panel suppliers. On July 25, 2014, the U.S. government issued a separate preliminary determination imposing antidumping duties on imports of certain solar products from China. Although the exact applicability remains unclear, these duties are at rates of 26.3% to 165% for affected Chinese products, including our solar panel supplier Trina Solar. The U.S. government issued a separate preliminary determination relating to imports of solar products from Taiwan, with duties at rates from 20.9% to 27.6% for affected Taiwanese products (although we do not currently purchase Taiwanese products). To the extent that the U.S. government makes a final determination that U.S. market participants experience harm from these Chinese pricing practices, such solar panels and modules could become subject to these or additional tariffs. These combined tariffs would make such solar cells less competitively priced in the United States, and the Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers may choose to limit the amount of solar equipment they sell into the United States. As a result, it may be easier for solar cell manufacturers located outside of China or Taiwan to increase the prices of the solar cells they sell into the United States. If we are required to pay higher prices, accept less favorable terms or purchase solar panels or other system components from alternative, higher-priced sources, our financial results will be adversely affected.

-37-

Table of Contents

The residual value of our solar energy systems at the end of the associated term of the lease or power purchase agreement may be lower than projected today and adversely affect our financial performance and valuation.

We intend to amortize the costs of our solar energy systems over 30 years for accounting purposes, which exceeds the period of the component warranties and the corresponding payment streams from our contracts with our customers. If we incur repair and maintenance costs on these systems after the warranties have expired and if they then fail or malfunction we will be liable for the expense of repairing these systems without a chance of recovery from our suppliers. In addition, we typically bear the cost of removing the solar energy systems at the end of the term of the customer contract if the customer does not renew his or her contract at the end of its term. Furthermore, it is difficult to predict how future environmental regulations may affect the costs associated with the removal, disposal or recycling of our solar energy systems. If the residual value of the systems is less than we expect at the end of the customer contract, after giving effect to any associated removal and redeployment costs, we may be required to accelerate all or some of the remaining unamortized costs. This could materially impair our future operating results and estimated retained value.

We act as the licensed general contractor for our customers and are subject to risks associated with construction, cost overruns, delays, regulatory compliance and other contingencies, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

We are a licensed contractor in every market we service and we are responsible for every customer installation. We are the general contractor, electrician, construction manager and installer for all our solar energy systems. We may be liable to customers for any damage we cause to their home, belongings or property during the installation of our systems. For example, we penetrate our customers’ roofs during the installation process and may incur liability for the failure to adequately weatherproof such penetrations following the completion of installation of solar energy systems. In addition, because the solar energy systems we deploy are high-voltage energy systems, we may incur liability for the failure to comply with electrical standards and manufacturer recommendations. Because our profit on a particular installation is based in part on assumptions as to the cost of such project, cost overruns, delays or other execution issues may cause us to not achieve our expected results or cover our costs for that project.

In addition, the installation of solar energy systems is subject to oversight and regulation in accordance with national, state and local laws and ordinances relating to building, fire and electrical codes, safety, environmental protection, utility interconnection and metering, and related matters. We also rely on certain of our employees to maintain professional licenses in many of the jurisdictions in which we operate, and our failure to employ properly licensed personnel could adversely affect our licensing status in those jurisdictions. It is difficult and costly to track the requirements of every authority having jurisdiction over our operations and our solar energy systems. Any new government regulations or utility policies pertaining to our systems, or changes to existing government regulations or utility policies pertaining to our systems, may result in significant additional expenses to us and our customers and, as a result, could cause a significant reduction in demand for our systems.

-38-

Table of Contents

Compliance with occupational safety and health requirements and best practices can be costly, and noncompliance with such requirements may result in potentially significant monetary penalties, operational delays and adverse publicity.

The installation of solar energy systems requires our employees to work at heights with complicated and potentially dangerous electrical systems. The evaluation and modification of buildings as part of the installation process requires our employees to work in locations that may contain potentially dangerous levels of asbestos, lead, mold or other materials known or believed to be hazardous to human health. We also maintain a fleet of more than 350 trucks and other vehicles to support our installers and operations. There is substantial risk of serious injury or death if proper safety procedures are not followed. Our operations are subject to regulation under the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Act, or OSHA, the U.S. Department of Transportation, or DOT, and equivalent state laws. Changes to OSHA or DOT requirements, or stricter interpretation or enforcement of existing laws or regulations, could result in increased costs. If we fail to comply with applicable OSHA regulations, even if no work-related serious injury or death occurs, we may be subject to civil or criminal enforcement and be required to pay substantial penalties, incur significant capital expenditures or suspend or limit operations. Because our installation employees are compensated on a per project basis, they are incentivized to work more quickly than installers that are compensated on an hourly basis. While we have not experienced a high level of injuries to date, this incentive structure may result in higher injury rates than others in the industry and could accordingly expose us to increased liability. In the past, we have had workplace accidents and received citations from OSHA regulators for alleged safety violations, resulting in fines. Any such accidents, citations, violations, injuries or failure to comply with industry best practices may subject us to adverse publicity, damage our reputation and competitive position and adversely affect our business.

Problems with product quality or performance may cause us to incur expenses, may lower the residual value of our solar energy systems and may damage our market reputation and adversely affect our financial results.

We agree to maintain the solar energy systems installed on our customers’ homes during the length of the term of our customer contracts, which is typically 20 years. We are exposed to any liabilities arising from the systems’ failure to operate properly and are generally under an obligation to ensure that each system remains in good condition during the term of the agreement. As part of our operations and maintenance work, we provide a pass-through of the inverter and panel manufacturers’ warranty coverage to our customers, which generally range from 10 to 25 years. One of these third-party manufacturers could cease operations and no longer honor these warranties, leaving us to fulfill these potential obligations to our customers or to our fund investors without underlying warranty coverage. In most of our investment funds, the fund itself would bear this cost; however, in certain funds we would bear this cost with respect to such major equipment. Even if the investment fund bears the direct expense of such replacement equipment, we could suffer financial losses associated with a loss of production from the solar energy systems.

Beginning in 2014, we began structuring some customer contracts as solar energy system leases. To be competitive in the market our solar energy system leases contain a performance guarantee in favor of the lessee. Leases with performance guarantees require us to refund money to the lessee if the solar energy system fails to generate the minimum amount of electricity in a 12-month period. We may also suffer financial losses associated with such refunds if a performance guarantee payment is triggered.

-39-

Table of Contents

Although we have not had material claims in the past, we may incur material claims in the future. Our failure to accurately predict future claims could result in unexpected volatility in our financial condition. Because of the limited operating history of our solar energy systems, we have been required to make assumptions and apply judgments regarding a number of factors, including our anticipated rate of warranty claims, and the durability, performance and reliability of our solar energy systems. We have made these assumptions based on the historic performance of similar systems or on accelerated life cycle testing. Our assumptions could prove to be materially different from the actual performance of our systems, causing us to incur substantial expense to repair or replace defective solar energy systems in the future or to compensate customers for systems that do not meet their production guarantees. Equipment defects, serial defects or operational deficiencies also would reduce our revenue from power purchase agreements because the customer payments under such agreements are dependent on system production or require us to make refunds under the performance guarantees under our leases. Any widespread product failures or operating deficiencies may damage our market reputation and adversely impact our financial results.

We are responsible for providing maintenance, repair and billing on solar energy systems that are owned or leased by our investment funds on a fixed fee basis, and our financial performance could be adversely affected if our cost of providing such services is higher than we project.

We typically provide a five-year workmanship warranty to our investment funds for every system sold thereto. We are also generally obligated to cover the cost of maintenance, repair and billing on any solar energy systems that we sell or lease to our investment funds. We are subject to a maintenance services agreement under which we are required to operate and maintain the system, and perform customer billing services for a fixed fee that is calculated to cover our future expected maintenance and servicing costs of the solar energy systems in each investment fund over the term of the lease or power purchase agreement with the covered customers. If our solar energy systems require an above-average amount of repairs or if the cost of repairing systems were higher than our estimate, we would need to perform such repairs without additional compensation. If our solar energy systems, a majority of which are located in California and Hawaii, are damaged in the event of a natural disaster beyond our control, such as an earthquake, tsunami or hurricane, losses could be outside the scope of insurance policies or exceed insurance policy limits, and we could incur unforeseen costs that could harm our business and financial condition. We may also incur significant costs for taking other actions in preparation for, or in reaction to, such events. When required to do so under the terms of a particular investment fund, we purchase property and business interruption insurance with industry standard coverage and limits approved by the investor’s third-party insurance advisors to hedge against such risk, but such coverage may not cover our losses, and we have not acquired such coverage for all of our funds.

Product liability claims against us or accidents could result in adverse publicity and potentially significant monetary damages.

If one of our solar energy systems injured someone, then we could be exposed to product liability claims. In addition, it is possible that our products could injure our customer or third parties, or that our products could cause property damage as a result of product malfunctions, defects, improper installation, fire or other causes. We rely on our general liability insurance to cover product liability claims. Any product liability claim we face could be expensive to defend and divert

-40-

Table of Contents

management’s attention. The successful assertion of product liability claims against us could result in potentially significant monetary damages, penalties or fines, subject us to adverse publicity, damage our reputation and competitive position and adversely affect sales of our systems and other products. In addition, product liability claims, injuries, defects or other problems experienced by other companies in the residential solar industry could lead to unfavorable market conditions to the industry as a whole, and may have an adverse effect on our ability to attract new customers, thus affecting our growth and financial performance.

Failure by our component suppliers to use ethical business practices and comply with applicable laws and regulations may adversely affect our business.

We do not control our suppliers or their business practices. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee that they follow ethical business practices such as fair wage practices and compliance with environmental, safety and other local laws. A lack of demonstrated compliance could lead us to seek alternative suppliers, which could increase our costs and result in delayed delivery of our products, product shortages or other disruptions of our operations. Violation of labor or other laws by our suppliers or the divergence of a supplier’s labor or other practices from those generally accepted as ethical in the United States or other markets in which we do business could also attract negative publicity for us and harm our business.

Damage to our brand and reputation, or change or loss of use of our brand, would harm our business and results of operations.

We depend significantly on our reputation for high-quality products, best-in-class customer service and the brand name “Vivint Solar” to attract new customers and grow our business. If we fail to continue to deliver our solar energy systems within the planned timelines, if our offerings do not perform as anticipated or if we damage any of our customers’ properties or delay or cancel projects, our brand and reputation could be significantly impaired. Future technical improvements may allow us to offer lower prices or offer new technology to new customers; however, technical limitations in our current solar energy systems may prevent us from offering such lower prices or new technology to our existing customers. The inability of our current customers to benefit from technological improvements could cause our existing customers to lower the value they perceive our existing products offer and impair our brand and reputation.

We have focused particular attention on growing our direct sales force, leading us in some instances to take on candidates who we later determined did not fit our company culture. This has led to instances of customer complaints, some of which have affected our digital footprint on rating websites such as that for the Better Business Bureau. If we cannot manage our hiring and training processes to avoid these issues, our reputation may be harmed and our ability to attract new customers would suffer.

Given our past relationship with our sister company Vivint and the similarity in our names, customers may associate us with any problems experienced with Vivint, such as complaints with the Better Business Bureau. Because we have no control over Vivint, we may not be able to take remedial action to cure any issues Vivint has with its customers, and our brand and reputation may be harmed if we are mistaken for the same company.

In addition, if we were to no longer use, lose the right to continue to use, or if others use, the “Vivint Solar” brand, we could lose recognition in the marketplace among customers, suppliers

-41-

Table of Contents

and partners, which could affect our growth and financial performance, and would require financial and other investment, and management attention in new branding, which may not be as successful.

Marketplace confidence in our liquidity and long-term business prospects is important for building and maintaining our business.

Our financial condition, operating results and business prospects may suffer materially if we are unable to establish and maintain confidence about our liquidity and business prospects among consumers and within our industry. Our solar energy systems require ongoing maintenance and support. If we were to reduce operations, even years from now, buyers of our systems from years earlier might have difficulty in having us repair or service our systems, which remain our responsibility under the terms of our customer contracts. As a result, consumers may be less likely to purchase our solar energy systems now if they are uncertain that our business will succeed or that our operations will continue for many years. Similarly, suppliers and other third parties will be less likely to invest time and resources in developing business relationships with us if they are not convinced that our business will succeed. Accordingly, in order to build and maintain our business, we must maintain confidence among customers, suppliers and other parties in our liquidity and long-term business prospects. We may not succeed in our efforts to build this confidence.

If we fail to manage our recent and future growth effectively, we may be unable to execute our business plan, maintain high levels of customer service or adequately address competitive challenges.

We have experienced significant growth in recent periods with the cumulative capacity of our solar energy systems growing from 14.8 megawatts as of December 31, 2012 to 129.7 megawatts as of June 30, 2014, and we intend to continue to expand our business significantly within existing markets and in a number of new locations in the future. This growth has placed, and any future growth may place, a significant strain on our management, operational and financial infrastructure. In particular, we will be required to expand, train and manage our growing employee base and scale and otherwise improve our IT infrastructure in tandem with that headcount growth. Our management will also be required to maintain and expand our relationships with customers, suppliers and other third parties and attract new customers and suppliers, as well as manage multiple geographic locations.

In addition, our current and planned operations, personnel, IT and other systems and procedures might be inadequate to support our future growth and may require us to make additional unanticipated investment in our infrastructure. Our success and ability to further scale our business will depend, in part, on our ability to manage these changes in a cost-effective and efficient manner. If we cannot manage our growth, we may be unable to take advantage of market opportunities, execute our business strategies or respond to competitive pressures. This could also result in declines in quality or customer satisfaction, increased costs, difficulties in introducing new offerings or other operational difficulties. Any failure to effectively manage growth could adversely impact our business and reputation.

-42-

Table of Contents

We may not realize the anticipated benefits of past or future acquisitions, and integration of these acquisitions may disrupt our business and management.

We acquired Solmetric Corporation in January 2014 and in the future we may acquire additional companies, project pipelines, products or technologies or enter into joint ventures or other strategic initiatives. We may not realize the anticipated benefits of this acquisition or any other future acquisition, and any acquisition has numerous risks. These risks include the following:

Mergers and acquisitions of companies are inherently risky and, if we do not complete the integration of acquired businesses successfully and in a timely manner, we may not realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisitions to the extent anticipated, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

-43-

Table of Contents

The loss of one or more members of our senior management or key employees may adversely affect our ability to implement our strategy.

We depend on our experienced management team, and the loss of one or more key executives could have a negative impact on our business. In particular, we are dependent on the services of our chief executive officer, Greg Butterfield. We also depend on our ability to retain and motivate key employees and attract qualified new employees. None of our key executives are bound by employment agreements for any specific term and we do not maintain key person life insurance policies on any of our executive officers. In addition, two-thirds of the outstanding options to purchase shares of our common stock granted to our key executives and other employees under our 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan will vest if Blackstone receives a return on its invested capital at pre-established thresholds, subject to the employee’s continued service through the receipt of such return. While this offering would not itself constitute an event that would trigger vesting, subsequent sales by Blackstone of our common stock after we are public could result in the vesting of such options. As a result, the retention incentives associated with these options could lapse for all employees holding these options under our 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan at the same time or times. This decrease in retention incentive could cause significant turnover after these options vest. We may be unable to replace key members of our management team and key employees if we lose their services. Integrating new employees into our team could prove disruptive to our operations, require substantial resources and management attention and ultimately prove unsuccessful. An inability to attract and retain sufficient managerial personnel who have critical industry experience and relationships could limit or delay our strategic efforts, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

The execution of our business plan and development strategy may be seriously harmed if integration of our senior management team is not successful.

Since August 2013, we have experienced and we may continue to experience significant changes in our senior management team. Specifically, eight members of our senior management team, including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, have joined us since August 2013 and only one member of our senior management team has prior experience in the distributed solar energy industry. This lack of long-term experience working together and limited experience in the distributed solar energy industry may adversely impact our senior management team’s ability to effectively manage our business and accurately forecast our results, including revenue from our distributed solar energy systems and sales.

The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources, divert management’s attention and affect our ability to attract and retain qualified board members and officers.

As a public company, we will be subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, and other applicable securities rules and regulations. Compliance with these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming or costly and increase demand on our systems and resources. The Exchange Act requires, among other things, that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and operating results and maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. To maintain and, if required, improve our disclosure controls and procedures and internal

-44-

Table of Contents

control over financial reporting to meet this standard, significant resources and management oversight may be required. As a result, management’s attention may be diverted from other business concerns which could harm our business and operating results. Although we have already hired additional employees to comply with these requirements, we may need to hire more employees in the future which will increase our costs and expenses. Moreover, our independent registered public accounting firm identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting in connection with the preparation, audits and interim reviews of our consolidated financial statements, and if we fail to remediate this material weakness or, in the future, we or our independent registered public accounting firm identify deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting that are deemed to be material weaknesses, the market price of our stock could decline and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the SEC or other regulatory authorities, which would require additional financial and management resources.

We also expect that being a public company will make it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance and we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified executive officers and members of our board of directors, particularly to serve on our audit committee and compensation committee.

We may be subject to intellectual property rights claims by third parties, which are extremely costly to defend, could require us to pay significant damages and could limit our ability to use certain technologies.

Third parties, including our competitors, may own patents or other intellectual property rights that cover aspects of our technology or business methods. Such parties may claim we have misappropriated, misused, violated or infringed third party intellectual property rights, and, if we gain greater recognition in the market, we face a higher risk of being the subject of claims that we have violated others’ intellectual property rights. Any claim that we violate a third party’s intellectual property rights, whether with or without merit, could be time-consuming, expensive to settle or litigate and could divert our management’s attention and other resources. If we do not successfully settle or defend an intellectual property claim, we could be liable for significant monetary damages and could be prohibited from continuing to use certain technology, business methods, content or brands. To avoid a prohibition, we could seek a license from third parties, which could require us to pay significant royalties, increasing our operating expenses. If a license is not available at all or not available on reasonable terms, we may be required to develop or license a non-violating alternative, either of which could require significant effort and expense. If we cannot license or develop a non-violating alternative, we would be forced to limit or stop sales of our offerings and may be unable to effectively compete. Any of these results would adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. To deter other companies from making intellectual property claims against us or to gain leverage in settlement negotiations, we may be forced to significantly increase the size of our intellectual property portfolio through internal efforts and acquisitions from third parties, both of which could require significant expenditures. However, a robust intellectual property portfolio may provide little or no deterrence, particularly for patent holding companies or other patent owners that have no relevant product revenues.

-45-

Table of Contents

We use “open source” software in our solutions, which may restrict how we distribute our offerings, require that we release the source code of certain software subject to open source licenses or subject us to possible litigation or other actions that could adversely affect our business.

We currently use in our solutions, and expect to continue to use in the future, software that is licensed under so-called “open source,” “free” or other similar licenses. Open source software is made available to the general public on an “as-is” basis under the terms of a non-negotiable license. We currently combine our proprietary software with open source software but not in a manner that we believe requires the release of the source code of our proprietary software to the public. We do not plan to integrate our proprietary software with open source software in ways that would require the release of the source code of our proprietary software to the public, however, our use and distribution of open source software may entail greater risks than use of third-party commercial software. Open source licensors generally do not provide warranties or other contractual protections regarding infringement claims or the quality of the code. In addition, if we combine our proprietary software with open source software in a certain manner, we could, under certain open source licenses, be required to release the source code of our proprietary software to the public. This would allow our competitors to create similar offerings with lower development effort and time and ultimately could result in a loss of sales. We may also face claims alleging noncompliance with open source license terms or infringement or misappropriation of proprietary software. These claims could result in litigation, require us to purchase a costly license or require us to devote additional research and development resources to change our software, any of which would have a negative effect on our business and operating results. In addition, if the license terms for open source software that we use change, we may be forced to re-engineer our solutions, incur additional costs or discontinue the sale of our offerings if re-engineering could not be accomplished on a timely basis. Although we monitor our use of open source software to avoid subjecting our offerings to unintended conditions, few courts have interpreted open source licenses, and there is a risk that these licenses could be construed in a way that could impose unanticipated conditions or restrictions on our ability to commercialize our offerings. We cannot guarantee that we have incorporated open source software in our software in a manner that will not subject us to liability, or in a manner that is consistent with our current policies and procedures.

The installation and operation of solar energy systems depends heavily on suitable solar and meteorological conditions. If meteorological conditions are unexpectedly unfavorable, the electricity production from our solar energy systems may be substantially below our expectations and our ability to timely deploy new systems may be adversely impacted.

The energy produced and revenue and cash receipts generated by a solar energy system depend on suitable solar, atmospheric and weather conditions, all of which are beyond our control. Furthermore, components of our systems, such as panels and inverters, could be damaged by severe weather, such as hailstorms or lightning. Although we maintain insurance to cover for many such casualty events, our investment funds would be obligated to bear the expense of repairing the damaged solar energy systems, sometimes subject to limitations based on our ability to successfully make warranty claims. Our economic model and projected returns on our systems require us to achieve certain production results from our systems and, in some cases, we guarantee these results for both our consumers and our investors. If the systems underperform for any reason, our financial results could suffer. Sustained unfavorable weather also could delay our installation of solar energy systems, leading to increased expenses and decreased revenue and

-46-

Table of Contents

cash receipts in the relevant periods. Weather patterns could change, making it harder to predict the average annual amount of sunlight striking each location where we install a solar energy system. This could make our solar energy systems less economical overall or make individual systems less economical. Any of these events or conditions could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Disruptions to our solar monitoring systems could negatively impact our revenues and increase our expenses.

Our ability to accurately charge our customers for the energy produced by our solar energy systems depends on customers maintaining a broadband internet connection so that we may receive data regarding solar energy systems production from their home networks. We could incur significant expenses or disruptions of our operations in connection with failures of our solar monitoring systems, including failures of our customers’ home networks that would prevent us from accurately monitoring solar energy production. In addition, sophisticated hardware and operating system software and applications that we procure from third parties may contain defects in design or manufacture, including “bugs” and other problems that could unexpectedly interfere with the operation of our systems. The costs to us to eliminate or alleviate viruses and bugs, or any problems associated with failures of our customers’ home networks could be significant, and the efforts to address these problems could result in interruptions, delays or cessation of service that may impede our sales, distribution or other critical functions. We have in the past experienced periods where some of our customers’ networks have been unavailable and, as a result, we have been forced to estimate the production of their solar energy systems. Such estimates may prove inaccurate and could cause us to underestimate the power being generated by our solar energy systems and undercharge our customers, thereby harming our results of operations.

We are exposed to the credit risk of our customers.

Our solar energy customers purchase energy or lease solar energy systems from us pursuant to one of two types of long-term contracts: a power purchase agreement or a lease. The power purchase agreement and lease terms are typically for 20 years, and require the customer to make monthly payments to us. Accordingly, we are subject to the credit risk of our customers. As of June 30, 2014, the average FICO score of our customers was approximately 750. As of June 30, 2014, customer defaults, in the aggregate, have been immaterial; however, we expect that the risk of customer defaults will increase as we grow our business. Due to the immaterial amount of customer defaults, our reserve for this exposure is minimal and our future exposure may exceed the amount of such reserves.

The Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Treasury has issued subpoenas to a number of significant participants in the rooftop solar energy installation industry and may take further action based on this ongoing investigation or for other reasons.

In July 2012, other companies that are significant participants in both the solar industry and the U.S. Treasury grant program received subpoenas from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of the Inspector General to deliver certain documents in their possession related to their applications for U.S. Treasury grants and communications with certain other solar development companies or certain firms that appraise solar energy property for U.S. Treasury grant application purposes. The Inspector General is working with the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of

-47-

Table of Contents

Justice to investigate the administration and implementation of the U.S. Treasury grant program, including possible misrepresentations concerning the fair market value of the solar power systems submitted in grant applications by companies in the solar industry. While we have not been a direct target of this investigation to date, given our participation in the U.S. Treasury grant program, the Inspector General or the Department of Justice could broaden the investigation to include us. If it were broadened to include us, the period of time necessary to resolve the investigation would be uncertain, and the matter could require significant management and financial resources that could otherwise be devoted to the operation of our business. The Department of Justice could also decide to bring a civil action to recover amounts it believes were improperly paid to us. If it were successful in asserting this action, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition and prospects.

A failure to comply with laws and regulations relating to our interactions with current or prospective residential customers could result in negative publicity, claims, investigations, and litigation, and adversely affect our financial performance.

Our business substantially focuses on contracts and transactions with residential customers. We must comply with numerous federal, state and local laws and regulations that govern matters relating to our interactions with residential consumers, including those pertaining to privacy and data security, consumer financial and credit transactions, home improvement contracts, warranties, and door-to-door solicitation. These laws and regulations are dynamic and subject to potentially differing interpretations, and various federal, state and local legislative and regulatory bodies may expand current laws or regulations, or enact new laws and regulations, regarding these matters. Changes in these laws or regulations or their interpretation could dramatically affect how we do business, acquire customers, and manage and use information we collect from and about current and prospective customers and the costs associated therewith. We strive to comply with all applicable laws and regulations relating to our interactions with residential customers. It is possible, however, that these requirements may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another and may conflict with other rules or our practices. Our non-compliance with any such law or regulations could also expose the company to claims, proceedings, litigation and investigations by private parties and regulatory authorities, as well as substantial fines and negative publicity, each of which may materially and adversely affect our business. We have incurred, and will continue to incur, significant expenses to comply with such laws and regulations, and increased regulation of matters relating to our interactions with residential consumers could require us to modify our operations and incur significant additional expenses, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Any unauthorized access to, or disclosure or theft of personal information we gather, store or use could harm our reputation and subject us to claims or litigation.

We receive, store and use personal information of our customers, including names, addresses, e-mail addresses, credit information and other housing and energy use information. We also store and use personal information of our employees. In addition, we currently utilize certain shared information and technology systems with Vivint. We take certain steps in an effort to protect the security, integrity and confidentiality of the personal information we collect, store or transmit, but there is no guarantee that inadvertent or unauthorized use or disclosure will not occur or that third parties will not gain unauthorized access to this information despite our efforts. Because techniques used to obtain unauthorized access or sabotage systems change frequently

-48-

Table of Contents

and generally are not identified until they are launched against a target, we and our suppliers or vendors, including Vivint, may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative or mitigation measures.

Unauthorized use or disclosure of, or access to, any personal information maintained by us or on our behalf, whether through breach of our systems, breach of the systems of our suppliers or vendors, including Vivint, by an unauthorized party, or through employee or contractor error, theft or misuse, or otherwise, could harm our business. If any such unauthorized use or disclosure of, or access to, such personal information were to occur, our operations could be seriously disrupted and we could be subject to demands, claims and litigation by private parties, and investigations, related actions, and penalties by regulatory authorities. In addition, we could incur significant costs in notifying affected persons and entities and otherwise complying with the multitude of federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the unauthorized access to, or use or disclosure of, personal information. Finally, any perceived or actual unauthorized access to, or use or disclosure of, such information could harm our reputation, substantially impair our ability to attract and retain customers and have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are involved, and may become involved in the future, in legal proceedings that, if adversely adjudicated or settled, could adversely affect our financial results.

We are, and may in the future become, party to litigation. For example, in December 2013 one of our former sales representatives filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of himself and all similarly situated plaintiffs against us in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of San Diego. This action alleges certain violations of the California Labor Code and the California Business and Professions Code based on, among other things, alleged improper classification of sales representatives and sales managers, failure to pay overtime compensation, failure to provide meal periods, failure to provide accurate itemized wage statements, failure to pay wages on termination and failure to reimburse expenses. The complaint seeks unspecified damages including penalties and attorneys’ fees in addition to wages and overtime. On or about January 24, 2014, we filed an answer denying the allegations in the complaint and asserting various affirmative defenses. While we intend to defend against this action vigorously, the ultimate outcome of this case is presently not determinable as it is in a preliminary phase. We may become party to similar types of disputes in other jurisdictions. In general, litigation claims can be expensive and time consuming to bring or defend against and could result in settlements or damages that could significantly affect financial results and the conduct of our business. It is not possible to predict the final resolution of the litigation to which we currently are or may in the future become party, and the impact of certain of these matters on our business, prospects, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations and cash flows.

-49-

Table of Contents

Risks Related to our Relationship with Vivint

Vivint provides us with certain key services for our business. If Vivint fails to perform its obligations to us or if we do not find appropriate replacement services, we may be unable to perform these services or implement substitute arrangements on a timely and cost-effective basis on terms favorable to us.

We have historically relied on the technical, administrative and operational support of Vivint to run our business. In addition, Vivint has made available to us revolving lines of credit in the aggregate amount of up to $70.0 million. Some of the Vivint resources we are using include office space, information and technology resources and systems, purchasing services, operational and fleet services and marketing services. In addition, historically we have recruited a majority of our sales personnel from Vivint. In conjunction with this offering, we are in the process of separating our operations from those of Vivint and either creating our own financial, administrative, operational and other support systems or contracting with third parties to replace Vivint’s systems and services that will not be provided to us under the terms of the transition services agreement between us and Vivint described in the section of this prospectus captioned “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions—Agreements with Vivint—Expected Agreements with Vivint—Transition Services Agreement.” The implementation of new software support systems requires significant management time, support and cost, and there are inherent risks associated with implementing, developing, improving and expanding our core systems. We cannot be sure that these systems will be fully or effectively implemented on a timely basis, if at all. If we do not successfully implement these systems, our operations may be disrupted and our operating results could be harmed. In addition, the new systems may not operate as we expect them to, and we may be required to expend significant resources to correct problems or find alternative sources for performing these functions.

In order to successfully transition to our own systems, services and service providers and operate as a stand-alone business, we will enter into various agreements with Vivint in connection with the consummation of this offering. See the section of this prospectus captioned “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions—Agreements with Vivint—Expected Agreements with Vivint.” These include a master framework agreement providing the overall terms of the relationship and a transition services agreement detailing various information technology and back office support services that Vivint will provide. Vivint will provide each service until we agree that support from Vivint is no longer required for that service. The services provided under the transition services agreement may not be sufficient to meet our needs and we may not be able to replace these services at favorable costs and on favorable terms, if at all. Any failure or significant downtime in our own financial or administrative systems or in Vivint’s financial or administrative systems during the transition period and any difficulty in separating our operations from Vivint’s operations and integrating newly developed or acquired services into our business could result in unexpected costs, impact our results or prevent us from paying our suppliers and employees and performing other technical, administrative and operations services on a timely basis and could materially harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our historical financial information may not be representative of future results as a stand-alone public company.

The historical financial information we have included in this prospectus does not necessarily reflect what our financial position, results of operations or cash flows would have been

-50-

Table of Contents

had we operated separately from Vivint during the historical periods presented. The historical costs and expenses reflected in our consolidated financial statements include charges to certain corporate functions historically provided to us by Vivint. We and Vivint believe these charges are reasonable reflections of the historical utilization levels of these services in support of our business, however, these charges may not include all of the expenses that would have been incurred had we operated separately from Vivint during the historical periods presented. As a result, our historical financial information is not necessarily indicative of our future results of operations, financial position, cash flows or costs and expenses.

Our inability to resolve any disputes that arise between us and Vivint with respect to our past and ongoing relationships may adversely affect our financial results, and such disputes may also result in claims for indemnification.

Disputes may arise between Vivint and us in a number of areas relating to our past and ongoing relationships, including the following:

In conjunction with this offering, we are entering into certain agreements with Vivint as set forth in the section of this prospectus captioned “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions—Agreements with Vivint—Expected Agreements with Vivint.” Pursuant to the terms of the Non-Competition Agreement we are entering into with Vivint, we and Vivint each define our areas of business and our competitors, and agree not to directly or indirectly engage in the other’s business for three years. Such agreement may limit our ability to pursue attractive opportunities that we may have otherwise pursued.

Additionally, such agreement prohibits, for a period of five years, either Vivint or us from soliciting for employment any member of the other’s executive or senior management team, or any of the other’s employees who primarily manage sales, installation or services of the other’s products and services. The commitment not to solicit those employees lasts for 180 days after such employee finishes employment with us or Vivint. Historically we have recruited a majority of our sales personnel from Vivint. This agreement may require us to obtain personnel from other sources, and may limit our ability to continue scaling our business if we are unable to do so.

-51-

Table of Contents

Pursuant to the terms of the Marketing and Customer Relations Agreement we are entering into with Vivint, we and Vivint are required to compensate one another for sales leads that result in sales. Vivint may direct sales leads to other solar companies in markets in which we have not entered. However, once we enter a market, Vivint must exclusively direct to us all leads for customers and potential customers with an interest in solar. Vivint’s ability to sell leads to other solar providers in markets where we are not currently operating may adversely affect our ability to scale rapidly if we subsequently enter into such market as many of Vivint’s customers with solar inclinations may have already been referred to another solar company by the time we enter into such market.

We may not be able to resolve any potential conflicts relating to these agreements or otherwise, and even if we do, the resolution may be less favorable than if we were dealing with an unaffiliated party. In addition, we will have indemnification obligations under the intercompany services agreements we will enter into with Vivint, and disputes between us and Vivint may result in claims for indemnification. However, we do not currently expect that these indemnification obligations will materially affect our potential liability compared to what it would be if we did not enter into these agreements with Vivint.

Risks Related to this Offering

An active, liquid and orderly trading market for our common stock may not develop, our stock price may be volatile, and you may be unable to sell your shares at or above the offering price you paid.

Prior to this offering, there has not been a public market for our common stock. We cannot predict the extent to which a trading market will develop or how liquid that market might become. The initial public offering price for our common stock will be determined by negotiations between us, the selling stockholder and representatives of the underwriters and may not be indicative of prices that will prevail in the trading market after the offering closes. The market price of our common stock could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to many risk factors listed in this section and others beyond our control, including:

-52-

Table of Contents

Further, the stock markets have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have affected and continue to affect the market prices of equity securities of many companies. These fluctuations often have been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. In addition, the stock prices of many renewable energy companies have experienced wide fluctuations that have often been unrelated to the operating performance of those companies. These broad market and industry fluctuations, as well as general economic, political and market conditions such as recessions, interest rate changes or international currency fluctuations, may cause the market price of our common stock to decline. If the market price of our common stock after this offering does not exceed the initial public offering price, you may not realize any return on your investment and may lose some or all of your investment.

In the past, companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock have been subject to securities class action litigation. We may be the target of this type of litigation in the future. Securities litigation against us could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention from other business concerns, which could seriously harm our business.

As an emerging growth company within the meaning of the Securities Act, we will utilize certain modified disclosure requirements, and we cannot be certain if these reduced requirements will make our common stock less attractive to investors.

We are an emerging growth company, and, for as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may choose to take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies but not to “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to have our independent registered public accounting firm audit our internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We have in this prospectus utilized, and we plan in future filings with the SEC to continue to utilize, the modified disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies. As a result, our stockholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can utilize the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. Thus, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this exemption from new or revised accounting standards and, therefore, we will be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies.”

-53-

Table of Contents

We could remain an ‘‘emerging growth company’’ for up to five years, or until the earliest of (1) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenue exceeds $1 billion, (2) the date that we become a ‘‘large accelerated filer’’ as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter or (3) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt during the preceding three-year period.

Our stock price could decline due to the large number of outstanding shares of our common stock eligible for future sale.

Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market following this offering, or the perception that these sales could occur, could cause the market price of our common stock to decline. These sales could also make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and price that we deem appropriate.

Upon completion of this offering, we will have 105,303,122 outstanding shares of common stock based on the number of shares outstanding as of June 30, 2014 after giving effect to the issuance and sale by us of an aggregate of 9,703,122 shares of our common stock to 313 Acquisition LLC and two of our directors in August and September 2014 and assuming no exercise of outstanding options after June 30, 2014. The shares sold pursuant to this offering will be immediately tradable without restriction, excluding any shares sold under our reserved share program. We, the selling stockholder and all of our directors and officers, as well as the other holders of substantially all shares of our common stock outstanding immediately prior to the completion of this offering, have agreed with the underwriters, subject to certain exceptions, not to dispose of or hedge any of their common stock until 180 days following the date of this prospectus, except with the prior written consent of the representatives of the underwriters. After the expiration of the 180 day restricted period, these shares may be sold in the public market in the United States, subject to prior registration in the United States, if required, or reliance upon an exemption from U.S. registration, including, in the case of shares held by affiliates or control persons, compliance with the volume restrictions of Rule 144. Participants in the reserved share program, which provides for the sale of up to 5% of the shares offered by this prospectus, have agreed to similar restrictions for 180 days following the date of this prospectus, which restrictions may be waived with the prior written consent of the representatives of the underwriters.

In addition, 676,467 shares reserved for future issuance under our Long-Term Incentive Plan will issue, vest and be immediately tradable without restriction on the date that is six months after the closing of this offering. An additional 2,705,889 shares reserved for future issuance under our Long-Term Incentive Plan will issue, vest and be immediately tradable without restriction at the

-54-

Table of Contents

later of (1) the date our sponsor and its affiliates achieve a specified return on their invested capital and (2) the date that is six months after the closing of this offering. On the date that is 18-months after the closing of this offering, 676,467 shares reserved for future issuance under our Long-Term Incentive Plan will issue, vest and be immediately tradable without restriction. For more information regarding the shares reserved under our Long Term Incentive Plan see the section of this prospectus under the caption “Shares Eligible for Future Sale.”

Further, options to purchase 9,728,681 shares remained outstanding as of June 30, 2014, one-third of which are subject to ratable time-based vesting over a five year period and will become immediately tradable once vested. The remaining two-thirds are subject to vesting upon certain performance conditions and the achievement of certain investment return thresholds by 313 Acquisition LLC and will vest and become immediately tradable as follows: (1) one-half of the shares vest (a) if 313 Acquisition LLC receives cash proceeds with respect to its holdings of our common stock in an amount that equals $250 million more than its cumulative investment in our common stock (which amount shall be equal to $75 million plus any amounts invested after November 16, 2012) or (b) if 240 days after the completion of this offering, our aggregate equity market capitalization exceeds $1 billion and (2) one-half of the shares vest when 313 Acquisition LLC receives cash proceeds with respect to its holdings of our common stock in an amount that equals $500 million more than its cumulative investment in our common stock (which amount shall be equal to $75 million plus any amounts invested after November 16, 2012).

Following the date that is 180 days after the completion of this offering, stockholders owning an aggregate of 84,703,122 shares will be entitled, under contracts providing for registration rights, to require us to register shares of our common stock owned by them for public sale in the United States, subject to the restrictions of Rule 144. In addition, we intend to file a registration statement to register the approximately 22,917,647 shares previously issued or reserved for future issuance under our equity compensation plans and agreements. Upon effectiveness of that registration statement, subject to the satisfaction of applicable exercise periods and, in certain cases, lock-up agreements with the representatives of the underwriters referred to above, the shares of common stock issued upon exercise of outstanding options will be available for immediate resale in the United States in the open market. Sales of our common stock as restrictions end or pursuant to registration rights may make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate. These sales also could cause our stock price to fall and make it more difficult for you to sell shares of our common stock.

Our sponsor and its affiliates control us and their interests may conflict with ours or yours in the future.

Immediately following this offering, 313 Acquisition LLC, which is controlled by our sponsor and its affiliates, will beneficially own approximately 78% of our common stock, or 75% if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full. Moreover, under our organizational documents and the stockholders agreement with 313 Acquisition LLC that will be in effect by the completion of this offering, for so long as our existing owners and their affiliates retain significant ownership of us, we will agree to nominate to our board individuals designated by our sponsor, whom we refer to as the sponsor directors. In addition, for so long as 313 Acquisition LLC continues to own shares representing a majority of the total voting power, we will agree to nominate to our board individuals appointed by Summit Partners and Todd Pedersen. Even when our sponsor and its affiliates and certain of its co-investors cease to own shares of our stock representing a majority of the

-55-

Table of Contents

total voting power, for so long as our sponsor and its affiliates continue to own a significant percentage of our stock our sponsor will still be able to significantly influence the composition of our board of directors and the approval of actions requiring stockholder approval. In addition, under the stockholders agreement, affiliates of our sponsor will have consent rights with respect to certain actions involving our company, provided a certain aggregate ownership threshold is maintained collectively by our sponsor and its affiliates, together with Summit Partners, Todd Pedersen and Alex Dunn and their respective affiliates. Accordingly, for such period of time, our sponsor and certain of its co-investors will have significant influence with respect to our management, business plans and policies, including the appointment and removal of our officers. In particular, for so long as our sponsor and its affiliates continue to own a significant percentage of our stock, our sponsor will be able to cause or prevent a change of control of our company or a change in the composition of our board of directors and could preclude any unsolicited acquisition of our company. The concentration of ownership could deprive you of an opportunity to receive a premium for your shares of common stock as part of a sale of our company and ultimately might affect the market price of our common stock.

Our sponsor and its affiliates engage in a broad spectrum of activities, including investments in the energy sector. In the ordinary course of their business activities, our sponsor and its affiliates may from time to time acquire and hold interests in businesses that compete directly or indirectly with us. For example, affiliates of our sponsor regularly invest in utility companies that compete with solar energy and renewable energy companies such as ours. In addition, affiliates of our sponsor own interests in one of the largest solar power developers in India and may in the future make other investments in solar power, including in the United States. Our certificate of incorporation will provide that none of our sponsor, any of its affiliates or any director who is not employed by us (including any non-employee director who serves as one of our officers in both his or her director and officer capacities) or his or her affiliates will have any duty to refrain from engaging, directly or indirectly, in the same business activities or similar business activities or lines of business in which we operate. Our sponsor also may pursue acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business, and, as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us. In addition, our sponsor may have an interest in pursuing acquisitions, divestitures and other transactions that, in its judgment, could enhance its investment, even though such transactions might involve risks to you.

We have elected to take advantage of the “controlled company” exemption to the corporate governance rules for NYSE-listed companies, which could make our common stock less attractive to some investors or otherwise harm our stock price.

Because we qualify as a “controlled company” under the corporate governance rules for NYSE-listed companies, we are not required to have a majority of our board of directors be independent, nor are we required to have a compensation committee or an independent nominating function. In light of our status as a controlled company, in the future we could elect not to have a majority of our board of directors be independent or not to have a compensation committee or nominating and governance committee. Accordingly, should the interests of 313 Acquisition LLC or our sponsor differ from those of other stockholders, the other stockholders may not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance rules for NYSE-listed companies. Our status as a controlled company could make our common stock less attractive to some investors or otherwise harm our stock price.

-56-

Table of Contents

Our management will have broad discretion over the use of the proceeds from this offering and may not apply the proceeds of this offering in ways that increase the value of your investment.

Our management will have broad discretion to use the net proceeds we receive from this offering and you will be relying on its judgment regarding the application of these proceeds. We expect to use the net proceeds from this offering as described under the section of this prospectus captioned “Use of Proceeds.” However, management may not apply the net proceeds of this offering in ways that increase the value of your investment.

Provisions in our certificate of incorporation, bylaws, stockholders agreement and under Delaware law might discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company or changes in our management and, therefore, depress the trading price of our common stock.

Our certificate of incorporation, bylaws and stockholders agreement contain provisions that could depress the trading price of our common stock by discouraging, delaying or preventing a change of control of our company or changes in our management that the stockholders of our company may believe advantageous. These provisions include:

-57-

Table of Contents

If securities or industry analysts do not publish or cease publishing research or reports about us, our business or our market, or if they change their recommendations regarding our stock adversely, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us, our business, our market or our competitors. If any of the analysts who may cover us change their recommendation regarding our stock adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, our stock price would likely decline. If any analyst who may cover us were to cease coverage of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.

-58-

Table of Contents