Item 1. Business
The Company
Tecogen Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, “we,” “our,” or “us,” or “Tecogen”) designs, manufactures, markets, and maintains high efficiency, ultra-clean cogeneration products including natural gas engine-driven combined heat and power, air conditioning systems, and water heaters for residential, commercial, recreational and industrial use. We are known for cost efficient, environmentally friendly and reliable products for distributed power generation that, through patented technology, nearly eliminate criteria pollutants and significantly reduce a customer’s carbon footprint. We were incorporated in the State of Delaware on September 15, 2000.
We have one wholly-owned subsidiary American DG Energy, Inc. ("ADGE"), and we own a 51% interest in American DG New York, LLC ("ADGNY"), a joint venture. ADGE and ADGNY distribute, own, and operate clean, on-site energy systems that produce electricity, hot water, heat and cooling. ADGE owns the equipment that it installs at a customer’s facility and sells the energy produced by its systems to the customer on a long-term contractual basis. We are also developing ultra-low emissions technologies using our patented Ultera® technology for the automotive market and other mobile applications,including forklifts. See "Our Products - Ultera Low-Emissions Technology" below for a more in-depth discussion of our Ultera emissions technology.
Our operations are comprised of two business segments:
•our Products and Services segment, which designs, manufactures and sells industrial and commercial cogeneration systems at our customers’ facilities; and
•our Energy Production segment, which sells energy in the form of electricity, heat, hot water and cooling to our customers under long-term sales agreements we enter into with customers.
Recent Developments
COVID-19 Update
During the first quarter of fiscal 2020, a novel strain of coronavirus (“COVID-19”) began spreading rapidly throughout the world, prompting governments and businesses to take unprecedented measures in response. Such measures included restrictions on travel and business operations, temporary closures of businesses, and quarantines and shelter-in-place orders. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly curtailed global economic activity and caused significant volatility and disruption in global financial markets. The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken by U.S. Federal, state and local governments in response have materially adversely affected and could in the future materially adversely impact our business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price. The impact of the pandemic remains uncertain and will depend on the growth in the number of infections, fatalities, the duration of the pandemic, steps taken to combat the pandemic, and the development and availability of effective treatments.
Significant portions of our business are deemed “essential services” under various state shelter-in-place orders, and we have been able to maintain critical manufacturing and service operations. We have made every effort to keep our employees who operate our business safe and minimize unnecessary risk of exposure to the virus, and as part of our pandemic response plan, during a relatively short period in April our sales, engineering, and select administrative functions were operated remotely while our manufacturing team continued to function at our manufacturing facility. Our service centers continued to operate due to our essential services designation, however from time to time our service personnel have been unable to perform maintenance services for customers that temporarily ceased or reduced operations at facilities served by our equipment, and certain customers closed their operations, reducing the amount of energy produced and sold to customers during these periods. During the pandemic we have also experienced slower payments from certain customers. These business interruptions resulted in reductions in service and installation revenue, energy production revenue, and margins in the affected portions of our business.
Payroll Protection Loans
On April 17, 2020, we obtained a loan in the amount of $1,874,200 under the Paycheck Protection Program pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) through Webster Bank. The loan is guaranteed by the United States Small Business Administration (“SBA”) and, subject to certain limitations, to the extent that the loan is used for payroll, rent, or utilities during the applicable Covered Period following the disbursement of the loan, the loan may be forgiven by the SBA.
On January 19, 2021, we received a letter dated January 12, 2021 from Webster Bank, NA confirming that the Paycheck Protection Program Loan granted to us pursuant to the CARES Act in the original principal amount of $1,874,200 together with all accrued interest thereon was forgiven in full as of January 11, 2021.
On February 5, 2021, we obtained a Paycheck Protection Program Second Draw unsecured loan through Webster Bank, N.A. in the amount of $1,874,269 in connection with the Paycheck Protection Program pursuant to the CARES Act. The loan is guaranteed by the SBA. We intend to use the loan proceeds for payroll, rent, utilities and other operating expenses, and expect to apply for forgiveness of the loan balance as permitted under the CARES Act. See Note 10. Note Payable and Revolving Line of Credit, Bank.
Energy Sales Agreements
On December 14, 2018, we entered into agreements relating to the sale of two energy purchase agreements and related energy production systems for $2 million and on March 5, 2019 entered into agreements relating to the sale of six energy purchase agreements and related energy production systems for $5 million. In connection with the sale, we entered into agreements to provide billing and asset management services and operations and maintenance services for agreed fees for the duration of the energy purchase agreements, pursuant to which we guarantee certain minimum collections and are entitled to receive fifty percent of the excess of collections over agreed minimum thresholds.
ADGE Merger
On May 18, 2017, our stockholders approved the acquisition of ADGE in a stock for stock merger together with the issuance of the stock by us in the transaction (“Merger”). As a result of the Merger, we acquired 100% of the outstanding common shares of ADGE and ADGE became our wholly-owned subsidiary. See Note 4. "Acquisition of American DG Energy, Inc." of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
Overview of Our Business
We design, manufacture, market and maintain high efficiency, ultra-clean cogeneration products including natural gas engine-driven combined heat and power, air conditioning systems, refrigeration compressors, and water heaters for residential, commercial, recreational and industrial use. We provide cost efficient, environmentally friendly and reliable products for distributed power generation that, through patented technologies, nearly eliminate criteria pollutants and significantly reduce a customer’s carbon footprint. Our products are expected to run on Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) as it is introduced into the US gas pipeline infrastructure.
Our natural gas-powered cogeneration systems (also known as combined heat and power or “CHP”) are efficient because they drive electric generators or compressors, which reduce the amount of electricity purchased from the utility while recovering the engine’s waste heat for water heating, space heating, and/or air conditioning at the customer’s building.
We manufacture four types of CHP products:
•Cogeneration units that supply electricity and hot water;
•Chillers that provide air-conditioning and hot water marketed under the TECOCHILL® brand name;
•Refrigeration compressors with natural gas engine drives; and
•High-efficiency water heaters marketed under the Ilios® brand name.
All of these are standardized, modular, CHP products that reduce energy costs, carbon emissions, and dependence on the electric grid. Tecogen’s products allow customers to produce power on-site in parallel with the electric grid or stand alone when no utility grid is available via an inverter-based black-start capability. Because our CHP systems also produce clean, usable heat energy, they provide economic advantages to customers who can benefit from the use of hot water, chilled water, air conditioning and heating.
We also sell energy in the form of electricity, heat, hot water and cooling to customers under long-term energy sales agreements (with standard terms of 10 to 15 years). The typical sales model is to install and own energy systems in customers' buildings and sell the energy produced by those systems back to the customers at a cost set by a negotiated formula in customer contracts. We call this our "On-Site Utility" business, or our Energy Production segment.
Traditional customers for our cogeneration and chiller systems include hospitals, nursing homes, schools, universities, health clubs, spas, hotels and motels, office and retail buildings, food and beverage processors, multi-unit residential buildings, laundries, ice rinks, swimming pools, factories, municipal buildings, indoor agriculture, and military installations; however, the economic feasibility of using our systems is not limited to these customer types. Our refrigeration compressors are applied primarily to industrial applications that include cold storage, wineries, dairies, ice rinks and food processing. Market drivers include the price of natural gas, local electricity rates, environmental regulations, and governmental energy policies, as well as customers’ desire to become more environmentally responsible.
Through our factory service centers in California, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Toronto, Canada, our specialized technical staff maintains our products via long-term service contracts. To date we have shipped over 3,000 units, some of which have been operating for almost 35 years. We established a service center in Toronto, Canada in August 2020 to support our existing population of chillers and cogeneration units and 26 units sold in the area during 2020 to serve public housing facilities.
Our CHP technology uses low-cost, mass-produced engines, which we modify to run on natural gas. In the case of our mainstay cogeneration and chiller products, the engines have proven to be cost-effective and reliable. In 2009, in response to the changing regulatory requirements for stationary engines, our research team developed an economically feasible process for removing air pollutants from the engine exhaust. This technology's U.S. and foreign patents were granted beginning in October 2013 with other domestic and foreign patents granted or applications pending. Branded Ultera®, the ultra-clean emissions technology repositions our engine driven products in the marketplace, making them comparable environmentally with other technologies such as fuel cells, but at a much lower cost and greater efficiency. Because of this breakthrough design for emissions control, multiple Tecogen natural gas-fueled CHP modules fitted with the patented Ultera control technology have been permitted to the current regulatory limits in the Los Angeles area. In 2018, a group of natural gas engine-generators up fitted with the Ultera system were successfully permitted in the same Los Angeles region to unrestricted operation, the first natural gas engines to do so without operating time limits or other exemption. These engines were permitted to levels matching the California Air Resources Board ("CARB") stringent 2007 emissions requirements, the same emissions standard used to certify fuel cells, and the same emissions levels as a state-of-the-art central power plant. We now offer our Ultera emissions control technology as an option on all our products or as a stand-alone application for the retrofitting of other rich-burn spark-ignited reciprocating internal combustion engines such as the engine-generators described above.
Our products are designed as compact modular units that are intended to be installed in multiples when utilized in larger CHP plants. The majority of our CHP modules are installed in multi-unit sites with applications ranging up to 12 units. This approach has significant advantages over utilizing single larger units, allowing building placement in constrained urban settings and redundancy to mitigate service outages. Redundancy is particularly relevant in regions where the electric utility has formulated tariff structures that include high “peak demand” charges. Such tariffs are common in many areas of the country, and are applied by such utilities as Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas and Electric, Consolidated Edison of New York, and National Grid of Massachusetts. Because these tariffs are assessed based on customers’ peak monthly demand charge over a very short interval, typically only 15 minutes, a brief service outage for a system comprised of a single unit can create a high demand charge, and therefore be highly detrimental to the monthly savings of the system. For multiple unit sites, the likelihood of a full system outage that would result in a high demand charge is dramatically reduced, consequently, these customers have a greater probability of capturing peak demand savings.
Our CHP products are sold directly to customers by our in-house marketing team, and by established sales agents and representatives.
We install, own, operate and maintain complete distributed generation, or DG systems (or energy systems), and other complementary systems at customer sites, and sell electricity, hot water, heat and cooling energy under long-term contracts at prices guaranteed to the customer to be below conventional utility rates. As of December 31, 2020 we had 34 operational energy systems, representing an aggregate of approximately 2,220 kilowatts of electrical capacity from cogeneration units and 880 cooling ton capacity from chillers (kilowatts is a measure of electric power capacity of our cogeneration machines; tonnage is a measure of the cooling capacity of our chillers). The capacity of both system categories has been reduced from 2019 because of the sale of approximately 30% of the our DG fleet in late 2018 and early 2019 and, the reduction in customer sites due to contract expirations, permanent customer site closings and reduced energy consumption by certain customers due to temporary facilities closings due to COVID-19 impact.
Our operations are comprised of two business segments. Our Products and Services segment designs, manufactures and sells industrial and commercial cogeneration systems as described above. Our Energy Production segment sells energy in the form of electricity, heat, hot water and cooling to our customers under long-term sales agreements.
Products and Services
Our Products and Services segment which designs, manufactures and sells industrial and commercial cogeneration systems as described above, represented 93.5% and 90.6% of our consolidated revenues for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. See Note 17 "Segments" of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Our products and services are described below.
Our Products
We manufacture natural gas engine-driven cogeneration systems, heat pumps, and chillers, all of which are CHP products that deliver more than one form of energy. Our cogeneration products are all standard, modular units that come pre-packaged from our factory for ease of installation at a customer’s site. The package incorporates the engine, generator, heat-recovery equipment, system controls, electrical switchgear, emission controls, and a data controller for remote monitoring and data transmission; minimizing the cost and complexity of installing the equipment at a site. This packaged, modular system simplifies CHP technology for small to mid-sized customers who typically are less experienced with the implementation and benefits of a CHP system.
Traditionally, our cogeneration systems and most of our chillers have utilized the same engine, the TecoDrive 7400 model. This is an engine modified by us to use natural gas fuel. In 2017, we introduced a new, slightly larger engine into certain products with advanced features, including improved efficiency and an advanced ignition system. The CHP products utilizing the new engine are the InVerde e+® and the TecoPower® models CM-60 and CM-75. The new engine and the older TecoDrive model share custom features that enhance durability and efficiency, many of which date from our extensive research with engine manufacturers and the gas industry, including the Gas Research Institute. For the Ilios water heater, we introduced a technologically advanced Ford engine that is enhanced for industrial applications.
Our commercial product lines include:
•the InVerde e+® and TecoPower® cogeneration units;
•TECOCHILL® air-conditioning and refrigeration chillers;
•Tecofrost® gas engine-driven refrigeration compressors;
•Ilios® high-efficiency water heaters; and
•Ultera® emissions control technology.
InVerde Cogeneration Units
Our premier cogeneration product has been the InVerde, a 100-kW CHP system that not only provides electricity and hot water, but also satisfies the growing customer demand for operation during a utility outage, commonly referred to as “black-start” capability. Our exclusively licensed microgrid technology (see “Intellectual Property” below) enables our InVerde CHP products to provide backup power in the event of power outages that may be experienced by local, regional, or national grids. In 2017, we introduced an extensively redesigned version of the unit, the InVerde e+, which includes a state of the art power conversion system, more effective acoustic treatment, and the larger, more efficient engine. The InVerde e+ includes variations with power ratings from 50kW to 125kW.
The InVerde e+ incorporates an inverter, which converts direct current, or DC, electricity to alternating current, or AC. With an inverter, the engine and generator can run at variable speeds, which maximizes efficiency at varying loads. The inverter then converts the generator’s variable output to the constant-frequency power required by customers in 50 or 60 Hertz.
This inverter technology was developed originally for solar and wind power generation. We believe that the InVerde is the first commercial engine-based CHP system to use an inverter. Electric utilities accept inverter technology as “safe” by virtue of its certification to the Underwriters Laboratory interconnection standard 1741. Our InVerde has earned this certification which qualifies our product for a much simpler permitting process nationwide and is mandatory in some areas such as New York City and California, a feature we consider to be a competitive advantage. The inverter also improves the CHP system’s efficiency at partial load, when less heat and power are needed by the customer.
In 2018, the InVerde e+ was certified to the more technically advanced UL 1741SA. The “SA” or “smart inverter” certification is for systems incorporating more advanced safety features and operating modes which can help support the grid on demand when strained. Upcoming SA requirements will require additional certification primarily involving standard communication protocols which will be available to the utility when enlisting grid support. We believe future utility programs which involve command and control of smart inverter assets on their grid will be an important change in how distributed generation is valued by utilities and may offer additional revenue to our customers.
The InVerde`s black-start feature addresses a crucial demand from commercial and institutional customers who are increasingly concerned about utility grid blackouts and brownouts, natural disasters, security threats, and antiquated utility infrastructure. Multiple InVerde units can operate collectively as a stand-alone microgrid, which is a group of interconnected loads served by one or more power sources. The InVerde is equipped with software that allows a cluster of units to seamlessly share the microgrid load without complex controls; a proprietary cost advantage for multiple modules at a single location.
The InVerde CHP system was developed in 2007 and began shipping in 2008. Our largest InVerde installation utilizes 12 units, which supply 1.2 MW of on-site power and about 8.5 million Btu/hr of heat (700,000 Btu/hr per unit).
TECOGEN Cogeneration Units
Our TECOGEN cogeneration system is the original model introduced in the 1980s. It is available in sizes of 60 kW and 75 kW and is capable of producing up to 500,000 Btu/hr of hot water. This technology is based on a conventional single-speed generator. It is meant only for grid-connected operation and is not universally accepted by utilities for interconnection, in contrast to the InVerde. Although this cogeneration product has the longest legacy and largest installed population, much of its production volume has been supplanted by the InVerde and its broader array of product features. In 2017, we introduced an upgraded version of the 60kW and 75kW models under the new name TecoPower. The key features of the TecoPower models are the larger engine with improved efficiency, advanced ignition system, more effective acoustic aftertreatment, and the ability to operate even at the very low gas supply pressures in New York City with a pressure booster.
TECOCHILL Chillers
Our TECOCHILL natural gas engine-driven chillers are available in capacities ranging from 25 to 400 tons, with the smaller units air-cooled and the larger ones water-cooled. The engine drives a compressor that makes chilled water, while the engine’s free waste heat can be recovered to satisfy the building’s needs for heat or hot water. This process is sometimes referred to as “mechanical” cogeneration, as it generates no electrical power, and the equipment does not have to be connected to the utility grid.
A gas-fueled chiller provides enough air conditioning to avoid most of the utility’s seasonal peak charges for electric usage and capacity. In summer, when electric rates are at their highest, natural gas is “off-peak” and quite affordable, allowing TECOCHILL® customers to avoid typically higher summer-time “peak-usage” electric rates. Gas-fueled chillers also free up the building’s existing electrical capacity to use for other loads and can operate on minimal electric load in case of electric grid blackout; a key feature for customers concerned about load demand on backup power generators.
Tecofrost Gas Engine Refrigeration Compressors
In 2019, we introduced the Tecofrost line of gas-engine driven refrigeration compressors. This product was developed in collaboration with an established manufacturer of conventional electric-driven refrigeration compressors, the Vilter division of the Emerson Electric Company. Under our agreement with Vilter, their factory supplies the basic compressor skid to Tecogen whereby we add the engine-drive, controls and heat recovery systems which we sell. In industrial settings, the common method of cooling, especially in sub-freezing spaces and processes, utilizes several of these compressors arrayed in groups that distribute compressed ammonia through the facility in piping networks. These applications include cold storage, bottling operations, ice making, wineries, and many industrial processes. The Tecofrost product offers the same benefits as our Tecochill chillers, a substantially reduced operating cost in supplanting low cost natural gas for expensive electricity while providing hot water at no additional cost for onsite processes. With the waste heat utilization, the carbon footprint of the process is substantially reduced from the conventional electric alternative.
The low-emissions capability of Ultera and the dramatic increase in natural gas availability and reduction in pricing in recent years has significantly improved the viability of the Tecofrost product line much like our chillers.
Ilios High-Efficiency Water Heaters
We have developed several heat pumps under the Ilios brand name including a High Efficiency ("HE") Air-Source Water Heater, HE Water-Sourced Water Heater, and HE Air-Sourced “Split System” Water Heater. Our water heater products operate like an electric heat pump, but use a natural gas engine instead of an electric motor to power the system. The Ilios® high-efficiency water heater uses a heat pump which captures warmth from outdoor air even if it is moderately cool outside. Heat pumps work somewhat like a refrigerator, but in reverse. Refrigerators extract heat from inside the refrigerator and move it outside the refrigerator while heat pumps extract heat from outside and move it indoors.
The gas engine’s waste heat is recovered and used in the process, unlike its electric counterpart, which runs on power that has already lost its waste heat. This means that the heat being captured from outdoors is supplemented by the engine’s waste heat, which increases the efficiency of the process. The net effect is that an Ilios heat pump’s efficiency surpasses that of conventional boilers for water heating. Gas engine heat pumps can deliver efficiencies in excess of 200%.
Similarly, if used for space heating, the engine-powered heat pump is more efficient than an electric heat pump because heat is recovered and used for other building processes. The product’s higher efficiency translates directly to lower fuel consumption and, for heavy use customers, significantly lowers operating costs when compared with conventional equipment.
In 2013, a water-sourced model of the heat pump was added to our product line. This heat pump captures heat from a water source such as a geothermal well or from a pre-existing chilled water loop in the facility; the latter configuration provides simultaneous heating and cooling benefits, doubling the effect.
Following on the success of the water-sourced model, in early 2015 a 'split system' Ilios model was introduced. The new split system offers increased flexibility because its air-source evaporator package can be installed remotely. The engine driven heat pump, which is contained in a small acoustic enclosure, can be located within a building's mechanical space while the quiet air-source evaporator package can be installed on a roof or in any outdoor space. The outdoor evaporator component is connected to the indoor heat pump via refrigerant lines, therefore eliminating all freeze protection issues in colder climates. All of the water being heated remains inside the conditioned space, eliminating the need for a costly isolation heat exchanger and additional pumps, which simplifies installation and increases efficiency because it can operate at a lower delivery temperature.
The heat pump water heater serves as a boiler, producing hot water for drinking and washing, space heating, swimming pools, or other building loads. Energy cost savings to the customer depend on the climate. Heat pumps in general, whether gas or electric, perform best in moderate weather conditions although the performance of the Ilios water-source heat pump is not impacted by weather or climate conditions. In a typical building, the Ilios heat pump is added on to an existing heating or water heating system and operates as many hours as possible. The conventional boiler is left in place but serves mainly as a backup when the heat pump’s engine is down for maintenance or when the heat pump cannot meet the building’s peak heating load. In areas where low electric rates make CHP less economical, the Ilios heat pump may be a financially attractive alternative because its economics depend only on natural gas rates. In some areas with high electric rates, the Ilios option may have advantages over CHP; for example, where it is hard to connect to the utility grid or where the building’s need for electricity is too low for CHP to be economically advantageous.
Ultera Low-Emissions Technology
All of our CHP products are available with the patented Ultera® low-emissions technology as an equipment option. This breakthrough technology was developed in 2009 and 2010 as part of a research effort partially funded by the California Energy Commission and Southern California Gas Company. The objective was to bring our natural-gas engines into compliance with California’s stringent air quality standards.
The chart below compares emission levels of our Ultera technology to other technologies. As of December 31, 2020, our Ultera CHP and fuel cell technologies are the only technologies that we know of which comply with California's air quality standards for CO and NOx, represented in the chart by the colored horizontal lines, shown as the world's strictest air quality standards on the lower right of the chart.
(5) (2) (4) (4) (3) (1)
(1) California has the strictest air quality standards for engines in the world
(2) Conventional Energy Source is U.S. power plant and gas boiler. Average U.S. power plant NOx emission rate of 0.9461 lb/MWh from (USEPA eGrid 2012),
CO data not available. Gas boiler efficiency of 78% (www.eia.gov) with emissions of 20 ppm NOx @ 3% O2 (California Regulation SCAQMD Rule 1146.2
and <50 ppmv CO @ 3% O2 (California Regulation SCAQMD BACT).
(3) Tecogen emissions based upon actual third party source test data.
(4) Microturbine and Fuel Cell emissions from EPA CHP Partnership - Catalog of CHP Technologies- March 2015.
(5) Stationary Engine BACT as defined by SCAQMD.
Through development of a two-stage catalyst emission treatment system, we were able to meet or exceed the strict air quality regulations with a solution that is cost-effective, robust, and reliable. Inclusion of the patent-protected Ultera low-emissions technology as an option keeps our CHP systems compliant with air quality regulations. The first commercial CHP units equipped with Ultera low-emissions technology shipped to a California utility in 2011. We conducted three validation programs for this technology:
1.Third-party laboratory verification. The AVL California Technology Center, a long-standing research and technology partner with the international automotive industry, confirmed our results in their state-of-the-art dynamometer test cell, which was outfitted with sophisticated emissions measurement equipment.
2.Verifying longevity and reliability in the field. By equipping one of our 75 kW units, already operating at a customer location in Southern California with the Ultera low-emissions technology and a device to continuously monitor emissions we verified longevity and reliability. The Ultera low-emissions system operated successfully for more than 25,000 hours, approximately 3.5 years, and consistently complied with California’s stringent emission standards over the entire field testing period.
3.Additional independent tests. During the field test, two companies licensed in California to test emissions each verified our results at different times. The results from one of these tests, obtained in August 2011, enabled us to
qualify for New Jersey’s fast-track permitting. Virtually every state nationwide requires some kind of permit related to local air quality, but New Jersey allows an exemption for systems such as ours that demonstrate superior emissions performance. This certification was granted in November 2011, and since then we have sold Ultera low-emissions systems to customers in this territory.
In 2012, a 75 kW CHP unit equipped with the Ultera system became our first unit to obtain a conditional air permit (i.e., pending a third party source test to verify compliance) in Southern California since the strict regulations went into effect in 2009. A state-certified source test, administered in January 2013, verified that our emissions levels were well below the new permitting requirements, and the final permit was approved in August 2013.
Standby Generators
After successfully developing the Ultera technology for our own equipment, our research and development team began exploring other possible emissions control applications in an effort to expand the market for the ultra-clean emissions system. Retrofit kits were developed in 2014 for other stationary engines and in 2015 the Ultera Retrofit Kit was applied successfully to natural gas stand-by generators from other manufacturers, including Generac and Caterpillar.
Historically, standby generators have not been subjected to the strict air quality emissions standards of traditional power generation. However, generators which run for more than 200 hours per year or run for non-emergency purposes (other than routine scheduled maintenance) in some territories are subject to compliance with the same stringent regulations applied to a typical electric utility. As demand response programs become more economically attractive and air quality regulations continue to become more stringent, there could be strong demand for retrofitting standby generators with our Ultera® emissions control technology, thus providing a cost-effective solution to keeping the installed base of standby generators operational and in compliance.
In 2017, a group of generators owned by a single customer in Southern California were supplied Ultera kits because of their particular requirement to exceed the 200-hour annual limit. These units are now operational and have been tested by the customer and shown to be compliant with the local pollution limits which we believe to be the strictest anywhere in the United States, and potentially the world. Our CHP products have been permitted to this same standard. However, CHP products are given a heat credit which effectively increases the allowable limit. In 2018, permitting was completed making these certification levels the lowest we have achieved. We believe no other engines have been certified to these levels since the latest regulations in the Los Angeles region became effective ten years ago.
It is noteworthy that these engine-generators were applied to powering dispersed loads in a fire-prone area where frequent de-energizing of the electric overhead power lines is required for safety. The company believes this application to be a new and significant application for the Ultera technology in California in light of the widely publicized widespread outages in California in 2019 and 2020 for precisely this same reason.
Biogas
The Ultera emissions control technology developed by our engineering team applies specifically to rich-burn, spark-ignited, internal combustion engines. While originally intended for natural gas-powered engines, we believe that our technology may be adapted for other fuel types as long as the engine meets the rich-burn criteria.
In 2015, the Ultera system was applied to a biogas powered engine operating at the Eastern Municipal Water District’s (EMWD) Moreno Valley Region Water Reclamation Facility in Perris, California. The demonstration project was a result of an ongoing collaboration between Tecogen, the EMWD and various other partners, and successfully applied an Ultera Retrofit Kit to a 50-liter Caterpillar engine fueled by biogas extracted from an anaerobic digester.
Biogas is a significant byproduct of wastewater treatment plants. Considered to be a renewable source of fuel, it is becoming an increasingly important resource for power generation. According to the American Biogas Council, nationwide there are over 1,100 engines fueled by wastewater-derived biogas, over 600 fueled by landfill-generated biogas, and over 100 running on biogas from agricultural waste. This represents a significant potential market for the Ultera Retrofit Kit application as these biogas engines become subject to the same air quality standards as traditional power generation sources.
Automotive Emissions Control
In October 2015, following revelations of wide-scale problems with vehicle emissions compliance and testing, we formed an Emissions Advisory Committee to examine the potential application of Ultera to the automotive gasoline market. According to the U.S. EPA, 50 percent of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 60 percent of all carbon monoxide (CO) emissions in the United States come from vehicle exhaust. The Ultera® emission control system is designed to target both NOx and CO. After a
thorough investigative process on the part of the Emissions Advisory Committee and various industry expert consultants, the group recommended that we pursue a funded initiative to develop the technology for gasoline vehicles.
In December 2015, we formed a joint venture company with a group of strategic investors, Ultra Emissions Technologies, Ltd. ("Ultratek"), to advance the Ultera near-zero emissions technology for adaptation to transportation applications powered by spark-ignited rich-burn engines in the automobile and truck categories. We granted Ultratek an exclusive license for the development of its patented emissions-related intellectual property for the vehicle market.
Initially, Ultratek's focus was on preliminary research, testing, and verification that the Ultera technology can in fact be applied to gasoline engines while maintaining similar near-zero emission results as have been demonstrated in other use cases. After we completed multiple phases of testing at AVL's California Technology Center, the Ultratek team verified the viability of the Ultera technology for gasoline automotive use.
On October 24, 2017, Ultratek was dissolved due to varying opinions regarding next steps toward potential commercialization. Upon dissolution, Ultratek's remaining cash was disbursed in accordance with the joint venture agreement, first to a return of our cash investment of $2,000,000, with the remainder distributed on a pro rata basis to the strategic investors. Additionally, the license we originally granted to Ultratek reverted back to us, and we purchased all of the remaining Ultratek assets and intellectual property that Ultratek had created for a total purchase price of $400,000.
On November 28, 2017, we formed Ultera Technologies, Inc. as a wholly owned subsidiary to continue the effort toward commercialization that was begun by Ultratek. Ultera Technologies Inc. was dissolved in 2018 and we continue the research and development relating to prototypes for commercialization within Tecogen. If successfully developed, the market for automotive emissions control could be a source of future growth for us; although it could take years to realize that goal, and there is no assurance that such efforts will be successful.
Fork-Truck Research
In October 2016, we were awarded a Propane Education & Research Council (“PERC”) research grant funding our proposal to develop the Ultera ultra-clean emissions control technology for the propane powered fork truck market.
Electric fork trucks have been making significant in-roads in the fork truck industry, in part, because of their green image and indoor air quality benefit. The primary benefit of the Ultera-equipped ultra-clean propane fork truck will be fuel cell like emissions with a robust indoor air quality advantage without compromising vehicle performance. The project will assess the adaption of the Ultera near-zero emissions technology for the fork truck category and demonstrate the technical performance on popular propane fork truck models. In 2018, the PERC funded portion of the project concluded successfully and Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America (“MCFA”), a major supplier in North and South America, which provided technical and marketing support and supplied a test truck, reviewed the results and decided to move forward with the program. In 2019, engineers from MCFA collaborated with our research staff to finalize the engine tuning for optimization of the Ultera process. This work was successful with the end-result demonstrating highly improved emissions levels for the fork truck, which we expect to be capable of reaching our goal of obtaining California’s “Near-Zero” certification. Currently, we are preparing with MCFA for third party engine testing of a base engine to prove that the retuning performance works equally well in the test protocol required for certification (forklift engines are certified by dynamic testing of the base engine on a dynamometer rather than by operation in an actual fork truck). PERC has agreed to fund this step, a precursor to actual certification, which, if successful we hope will lead to achievement of the our ultimate goal, commercialization of the Ultera system by MCFA.
Management believes that approximately 70,000 propane powered fork trucks are sold annually in the United States. Successful completion of this project could open a new emissions control market to us.
Other Ultera Applications
According to a 2013 Massachusetts Institute of Technology study, the U.S. experiences 200,000 early deaths each year due to emissions from heavy industry, transportation, and commercial and residential heating. As climate change and air quality continue to develop as areas of focus for government regulators, emissions restrictions are expected to become increasingly stringent around the world. These tightening regulations could open up new markets and applications for the Ultera near-zero emissions control technology. These opportunities may include:
•commercial and industrial natural gas fueled engines from other manufacturers;
•natural gas and biogas powered vehicle fleets - such as municipal bus fleets; and
•gensets for non-emergency applications such as forced utility outages for fire safety.
Product Service
We provide long-term maintenance contracts, parts sales, and turnkey installation for our products through a network of eleven well-established field service centers in California, the Midwest, the Northeast, the Southeast and in Ontario, Canada. These centers are staffed by our full-time technicians, working from local leased facilities. The facilities provide office and warehouse space for inventory. We encourage our customers to provide internet connections to our units so that we may maintain remote monitoring and communications with the installed equipment. For connected installations, the machines are contacted daily to download their status and provide regular operational reports (daily, monthly, and quarterly) to our service managers. This communications link is used to support the diagnostic efforts of our service staff, and to send messages to pre-programmed phones if a unit has experienced an unscheduled shutdown. In many cases, communications received by service technicians from connected devices allow for proactive maintenance, minimizing equipment downtime and improving operating efficiency for the customer.
The work of our service managers, supervisors, and technicians focuses on our products. Because we manufacture our own equipment, our service technicians bring hands-on experience and competence to their jobs. They are trained at our corporate headquarters and primary manufacturing facility in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Most of our service revenue is in the form of annual service contracts, which are typically of an all-inclusive “bumper-to-bumper” type, with billing amounts proportional to the equipment's achieved operating hours for the period. Customers are thus invoiced in level, predictable amounts without unforeseen add-ons for such items as unscheduled repairs or engine replacements. We strive to maintain these contracts for many years, and work to maintain the integrity and performance of our equipment.
Our products have a long history of reliable operation. Since 1995, we have had a remote monitoring system in place that connects to hundreds of units daily and reports their “availability,” which is the amount of time a unit is running or is ready to run. More than 80% of the units operate above 90% availability, with the average being 93.8%. Our factory service agreements have directly impacted these positive results and represent an important long-term annuity-like stream of revenue for us.
New equipment sold beginning in 2016 and select upgrades to the existing installed equipment fleet include an industrial internet solution which enables Tecogen to collect, analyze, and manage valuable asset data continuously and in real-time. This provides the service team with improved insight into the functionality of our installed CHP fleet. Specifically, it enables the service department to perform remote monitoring and diagnostics and to view system results in real time via a computer, smart phone or tablet. Consequently, we can better utilize monitoring data ensuring customers are capturing maximum possible savings and efficiencies from their installation. Through constant monitoring and analysis of equipment data, Tecogen expects to enhance the performance of installed equipment by ensuring machinery consistently operates at peak performance and is available to deliver maximum potential value for customers. In 2018 we migrated our cloud based system from the General Electric's Company's Equipment Insight product to our in-house developed system that we have trade named CHP Insight®. CHP insight stores operating data on the cloud like the GE system but we have added improved user interface features specific to CHP operation as well as sophisticated data analysis tools. Management believes that similar monitoring solutions are available from other alternative sources.
Energy Production
Our Energy Production segment sells energy in the form of electricity, heat, hot water and cooling to our customers under long-term sales agreements which represented 6.5% and 9.4% of our consolidated revenues for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. See Note 17 "Segments" of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
On-Site Utility
We distribute, own and operate clean, on-site energy systems that produce electricity, hot water, heat, and cooling. Our business model is to own the equipment that we install at customers' facilities and to sell the energy produced by these systems to customers on a long-term contractual basis. We call this business the “On-Site Utility” and offer natural gas-powered cogeneration systems that are reliable and energy efficient. We utilize energy equipment we supply or that are supplied by other cogeneration manufacturers. Our cogeneration systems produce electricity from an internal combustion engine driving a generator, while the heat from the engine and exhaust is recovered and typically used to produce heat and hot water for use on-site. Also, we distribute and operate water chiller systems for building cooling applications that operate in a similar manner, except that the engines in the water chiller systems drive a large air-conditioning compressor while recovering heat for hot water.
Cogeneration systems reduce the amount of electricity that a customer must purchase from the local utility and produce valuable heat and hot water on-site to use as required. By simultaneously providing electricity, hot water and heat,
cogeneration systems also have a significant positive impact on the environment by reducing the carbon dioxide, or CO2, produced by replacing a portion of the traditional energy supplied by the electric grid and conventional hot water boilers. Distributed generation of electricity, or DG, often referred to as cogeneration systems or combined heat and power systems, or CHP, is an attractive option for reducing energy costs and increasing the reliability of available energy. DG has been successfully implemented by others in large industrial installations over 10 Megawatts ("MW"), where the market has been growing for a number of years and is increasingly being accepted in smaller sized units because of technology improvements, increased energy costs, and better DG economics. We believe that our target market for DG, users of up to 1 MW, has been barely penetrated and that the reduced reliability of the utility grid, increasing cost pressures experienced by energy users, advances in new, low cost technologies, and DG-favorable legislation and regulation at the state and federal level will drive our near-term growth and penetration of this market.
We believe that the primary opportunity for DG energy and equipment sales is in regions of the U.S. where commercial electricity rates exceed $0.12 per kW hour, or kWh, which is predominantly in the Northeast and California. Attractive DG economics are currently attainable in applications that include hospitals, nursing homes, multi-tenant residential housing, hotels, schools, colleges, recreational facilities, food processing plants, dairies, and other light industrial facilities. We also believe that the largest number of potential DG users in the U.S. require less than 1 MW of electric power and less than 1,200 tons of cooling capacity. We are able to design our systems to suit a particular customer's needs because of our ability to place multiple units at a site. This approach is part of what allows our products and services to meet changing power and cooling demands throughout the day (also from season-to-season) and greatly improves efficiency.
Sales & Distribution
Our products are sold directly to end-users by our sales team and by established sales agents and representatives. We have agreements with 23 distributors and outside sales representatives who are compensated by commissions for designated territories and product lines. For each of the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, we had a customer relationship accounting for more than 10% of our total revenue, though not the same customer.
Our product sales cycle exhibits typical seasonality for the HVAC industry with sales of chillers generally stronger in the warmer months while heat pump sales are stronger in the cooler months. Our products are sold directly to end-users by our sales team and by established sales agents and representatives. We have entered into various agreements with distributors and outside sales representatives who are compensated on a commission basis for certain territories and product lines. Our product sales cycle exhibits typical seasonality for the HVAC industry with sales of chillers generally stronger in the warmer months while heat pump sales are stronger in the cooler months.
Markets and Customers
Worldwide, stationary power generation applications vary from huge central stationary generating facilities (traditional electric utility providers) to back-up generators as small as 2 kW. Historically, power generation in most developed countries such as the United States has been part of a regulated central utility system utilizing high-temperature steam turbines powered by fossil-fuels. This turbine technology, though steadily refined over the years, reached a maximum efficiency (where efficiency means electrical energy output per unit of fuel energy input) of approximately 40%.
A number of developments related primarily to the deregulation of the utility industry as well as significant technological advances have now broadened the range of power supply choices available to all types of customers. CHP, which harnesses waste energy from power generation processes and puts it to work for other uses on-site, can boost the energy conversion efficiency to nearly 90%, a better than two-fold improvement over the average efficiency of a fossil fuel plant. This distributed generation, or power generated on-site at the point of consumption rather than power generated centrally, eliminates the cost, complexity, and inefficiency associated with electric transmission and distribution. The implications of the CHP distributed generation approach are significant. Management believes that if CHP were applied on a large scale, global fuel usage might be dramatically curtailed and the utility grid made far more resilient.
Our CHP products address the inherent efficiency limitation of central power plants by siting generation close to the loads being served. This allows customers with energy-intensive buildings or processes to reduce energy costs and operate with a lower carbon footprint. Furthermore, with technology we have introduced, like the Ultera low-emissions technology, our products can now contribute to better air quality at the local level while complying with the strictest air quality regulations in the United States.
Cogeneration and chiller products can often reduce the customer’s operating costs (for the portion of the facility loads to which they are applied) by approximately 30% to 60% based on our estimates, which provides an excellent rate of return on the equipment’s capital cost in many areas of the country with high electricity rates. Our chillers are especially suited to regions where utilities impose extra charges during times of peak usage, commonly called “demand” charges. In these cases, the gas-fueled chiller reduces the use of electricity during the summer, the costliest time of year.
On-site CHP not only eliminates the loss of electric power during transmission, but also offsets the capital expense of upgrading or expanding the utility infrastructure. The national electric grids of many developed countries are already challenged to keep up with existing power demand. In addition, the transmission and distribution network is operating at capacity in a majority of urban areas. Decentralizing power generation by installing equipment at customer sites not only relieves the capacity burden on existing power plants, but also lessens the burden on transmission and distribution lines. This ultimately improves the grid’s reliability and reduces the need for costly upgrades.
Increasingly favorable economic conditions may improve our business prospects domestically and abroad. Specifically, we believe that natural gas prices are expected to increase from their historically depressed values, but only modestly, while electric rates are expected to continue to rise over the long-term as utilities pay for grid expansion, better emission controls, efficiency improvements, and the integration of renewable power sources.
Most potential new customers in the U.S. require less than 1 MW of electric power and less than 1,200 tons of cooling capacity. We are targeting customers in states with high electricity rates in the commercial sector, such as California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and New York. Most of these states also have high peak demand rates, which favor utilization of our modular units in groups so as to assure redundancy and peak demand savings. Governmental agencies in some of these regions may also provide generous rebates that can improve the economic viability of our systems.
We aggressively market to potential customers where utility pricing aligns with our advantages. These areas include regions that have strict emissions regulations, such as California, or those that reward CHP systems that are especially non-polluting, such as New Jersey. Currently, 23 states recognize CHP as part of their Renewable Portfolio Standards or Energy Efficiency Resource Standards and several of them, including New York, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and North Carolina, have initiated specific incentive programs for CHP.
The traditional markets for CHP systems are buildings with long hours of operation and with corresponding demand for electricity and heat. Traditional customers for our cogeneration systems include hospitals, nursing homes, colleges, universities, health clubs, spas, hotels, motels, office and retail buildings, food and beverage processors, multi-unit residential buildings, laundries, ice rinks, swimming pools, factories, municipal buildings, and military installations.
Traditional customers for our chillers, refrigeration compressors and heat pumps overlap with those for our cogeneration systems. Engine-driven chillers are often used as replacements for aging electric chillers because they both occupy similar amounts of floor space and require similar maintenance schedules. This is also the case with refrigeration compressors.
On-site utility services are provided in standardized packages of energy, equipment, and services suited to the needs of property owners and operators in healthcare, hospitality, large residential, athletic facilities, and certain industrial sites. This includes national accounts and other customer groups having a common set of energy requirements at multiple locations. Our products are sold directly to end-users by our sales team and by established sales agents and representatives. Various agreements are in place with distributors and outside sales representatives who are compensated by commissions for certain territories and product lines. For the fiscal years ended 2020 and 2019, one and one customer relationship accounted for more than 10% of total combined company revenue, respectively.
Competition
The markets for our products are highly competitive, though we believe that we offer customers a suite of premier best-in-class clean energy and thermal solutions. Our cogeneration products compete with the utility grid, existing technologies such as other reciprocating engine and microturbine CHP systems, and other emerging distributed generation technologies including solar power, wind-powered systems, and fuel cells. We believe that Capstone Turbine Corporation is the only microturbine manufacturer with a commercial presence in CHP.
Although operating solar and wind powered systems produce no emissions, the main drawbacks to these renewable powered systems are their dependence on weather conditions, their reliance on backup utility grid-provided power, and high capital costs that can often make these systems uneconomical without government subsidies. Similarly, while the market for fuel cells is still developing, a number of companies are focused on markets similar to ours. Fuel cells, like solar and wind powered systems, have received higher levels of incentives for the same type of applications as CHP systems in many territories. We believe that, notwithstanding these higher government incentives, our CHP solutions provide a better value and more robust solution to end users in most applications.
Additionally, our patents relating to the Ultera ultra-low emissions technology give our products a strong competitive advantage in markets where severe emissions limits are imposed or where very clean power is favored, such as New Jersey, California, and Massachusetts.
Our products fall into the broad market category of distributed generation systems that produce electric power on-site to mitigate the drawbacks of traditional central power and the low efficiency of conventional heating processes.
Overall, we compete with end users’ other options for electrical power, heating, and cooling on the basis of our clean technology’s ability to:
•Provide power when a utility grid is not available or goes out of service;
•Reduce the customer’s total cost of purchasing electricity and other fuel;
•Reduce emissions of criteria pollutants (NOx and CO) to near-zero levels and cut the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide;
•Provide reliable on-site power generation, heating and cooling services; and
•Control maintenance costs and ensure optimal peak equipment performance.
InVerde e+ CHP
We believe that no other company has developed a product that competes with our inverter-based InVerde e+, which offers UL-certified grid connection, black-start capability, and patented variable-speed operation. An inverter-based product with at least some of these features has been introduced by others, but we believe that they face serious challenges in duplicating all the unique features of the InVerde e+. Competitors' product development time and costs could be significant. We have exclusive license rights to Microgrid algorithms developed by the University of Wisconsin researchers. We have exclusive rights for engine-driven systems utilizing natural gas or diesel fuel in the application of power generation where the per-unit output is less than 500kW. The software allows our products to be integrated as a Microgrid, where multiple InVerde e+® units can be seamlessly isolated from the main utility grid in the event of an outage and re-connected to it afterward. We expect that our patents and license for Microgrid software will deter others from offering certain important functions. See "Business-Intellectual Property."
Similarly, in the growing Microgrid segment, neither fuel cells nor microturbines can respond to changing energy loads when the system is disconnected from the utility grid. Engines such as those used in our equipment inherently have a fast-dynamic response to step load changes, which is why they are the primary choice for emergency generators. Fuel cells and microturbines require additional energy storage systems to be utilized in off-grid operation, giving our engine-driven solutions an advantage for Microgrid and resiliency applications.
TECOCHILL Chillers
Our TECOCHILL line of chillers are the only gas-engine-driven chillers available on the market. Natural gas can also fuel absorption chillers, which use fluids to transfer heat without an engine drive. However, engine chillers continue to have an efficiency advantage over absorption machines. TECOCHILL chillers reach efficiencies well above levels achieved by similarly sized absorption systems. Relatively low natural gas prices in the United States improve the economics of natural gas-fueled chillers while their minimal electric demand on backup power systems make them ideal for facilities requiring critical precision climate control.
Ilios Heat Pump
A few companies manufacture gas-engine heat pumps, including Yanmar and Tedom that we believe are competitive with our products. The Ilios® water heater and other heat pump products compete in both the high-efficiency water heating market and the CHP market.
Our On-Site Utility
Our on-site utility business competes with established utilities that provide electricity, wholesale electricity and gas utility distributors, companies that provide services similar to ours, and other forms of alternative energy. We believe DG is gaining acceptance in regions where energy customers are dissatisfied with the cost and reliability of traditional electricity services. These end-users, together with growing support from state legislatures and regulators, are creating a favorable climate for the growth of DG that is overcoming the objections of established utility providers. In our target markets, we compete with large utility companies such as Con Edison Inc. and Long Island Power Authority in New York, Public Service Electric and Gas Company in New Jersey, and Eversource and National Grid USA Service Company, Inc. in Massachusetts. These companies are much larger than us in terms of revenues, assets, marketing, and other resources, but we target the same markets and customers. We compete with large utility companies by marketing our electricity services to the same potential commercial building customers. We compete on the basis of the cost, service, price, and favorable environmental benefits of generating energy with our installed systems. We also compete with other on-site utility companies, such as Aegis Energy Services Inc. and All Systems Cogeneration Inc.
Research & Development
Our long and rich research and development tradition and sustained programs has allowed us to cultivate deep engineering expertise. We have strong core technical knowledge that is critical to product support and continuous product improvement efforts. Our TecoDrive engine, permanent magnet generator, cogeneration and chiller products, InVerde, Ilios heat pumps, and most recently the Ultera emissions control system were all created and optimized in-house with both public and private funding support.
We continue to seek alliances with utilities, government agencies, universities, research facilities, and manufacturers. We have succeeded in developing new technologies and products in collaboration with several entities, including:
•Sacramento Municipal Utility District has provided test sites to us since 2010.
•Southern California Gas Company and San Diego Gas & Electric Company, each a Sempra Energy subsidiary, have granted us research and development contracts since 2004.
•Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, with whom we have had research and development contracts since 2005, including ongoing Microgrid development work related to the InVerde.
•Eastern Municipal Water District in Southern California has co-sponsored demonstration projects to retrofit both a natural-gas powered municipal water pump engine and a biofuel powered pumping station engine with the Ultera low emissions technology since 2012.
•Consortium for Electric Reliability Technology Solutions executed research and development contracts with us, and has provided a test site to us since 2005.
•California Energy Commission with whom we have had a research and development contract from 2004 until March 2013.
•The AVL California Technology Center performed a support role in research and development contracts as well as internal research and development on our Ultera emission control system from August 2009 to November 2011. In addition, the Center supported our research on emissions from gasoline vehicles from January of 2016 through October 2017. AVL researchers collaborated with our engineers on several peer reviewed papers published by technology association SAE International in 2017 and 2018.
•We had a research and development contract with Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) for work related to developing Ultera low emissions control systems for the propane powered fork truck market, also supported by Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America.
•We have engaged the Southwest Research Institute, a non-profit independent research center located in San Antonio, Texas, to complete the next phase of research in the Ultera automotive application. This effort will focus on evaluation of advanced catalyst formulations tailored to the Ultera process and is ongoing.
Our efforts to forge partnerships continue to focus on utilities, particularly to promote the InVerde, our most utility-friendly product. The nature of these alliances varies by utility, but includes simplified interconnection, joint marketing, ownership options, peak demand mitigation agreements, and customer services. We have commissioned a Microgrid with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District at its headquarters in Sacramento, California, where the central plant incorporated three InVerde systems equipped with our Ultera low-emissions technology. Some expenses for this project were reimbursed to the utility through a grant from the California Energy Commission.
Certain components of our InVerde product were developed through a grant from the California Energy Commission. This grant includes a requirement that we pay royalties on all sales of all products related to the grant. As of December 31, 2020, such royalties accrued in accordance with this grant agreement were less than $4,000 on an annual basis.
Our relationship with the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) plays an instrumental role in the development of our Ultera emissions control system for the propane powered fork truck market.
We also continue to leverage our resources with government and industry funding, which has yielded a number of successful developments, including the Ultera low-emissions technology, sponsored by the California Energy Commission and Southern California Gas Company. Pursuant to the terms of the grants from the California Energy Commission, the California Energy Commission has a royalty-free, perpetual, non-exclusive license to these technologies for government purposes.
For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, we spent $767,323 and $1,460,096, respectively, on research and development activities.
Intellectual Property
Patents
Currently, we hold twelve United States patents for our technologies:
•10,774,720: “NOx Reduction Using a Dual-Stage Catalyst System with Intercooling in Vehicle Gasoline Engines under Real Driving Condition.” This patent, granted in September 2020, improves the removal of Non-Methane Organic Gases (NMOG) and Carbon Monoxide (CO) from vehicle emissions. The improved performance, consisting of up to 90% reductions in NMOG and CO results from increased oxidation of NMOG and CO due to a lower temperature environment in the second stage catalyst.
•10,774,724, titled, “Dual Stage Internal Combustion Engine Aftertreatment System Using Exhaust Gas Intercooling and Charger Driven Air Ejector.” This patent, granted in September 2020, relates to the use of turbo compressors and exhaust gas intercoolers in turbocharged engines to reduce the complexity and cost of Ultera emissions reduction systems.
•9,995,195: “Emissions control systems and methods for vehicles.” This patent, granted in June 2018, is a method for vehicle cold start to enhance the removal of CO and hydrocarbons emissions, which are extremely problematic for cold engines. Air is injected in the exhaust between the engine’s close-coupled catalyst and underbody catalyst. Once the engine is warmed (> 500 F exhaust) this air stream is shut off. This method synergizes well with the Ultera system by utilizing the injection air feed for an alternative purpose during engine start.
•9,956,526: “Poison-Resistant Catalyst and Systems Containing Same.” This patent, granted in May 2018, relates to a special catalyst formulation that is resistant to contaminant induced corrosion in conditions like those of the Ultera second stage. These poisons or contaminants are most commonly sulfur compounds.
•9,702,306: “Internal Combustion Engine Controller.” This patent granted in July of 2017 relates to the unique control methodology used in the InVerde e+ CHP unit that maximizes engine fuel economy under variable speed operation.
•9,470,126: "Assembly and method for reducing ammonia in exhaust of internal combustion engines." This patent, granted in October 2016, is related to the Ultera emission control system applicable to all our products.
•9,856,767: “Systems and methods for reducing emissions in exhaust of vehicles and producing electricity." This patent, filed in November 2015 and published in March 2016, relates to the development of the Ultera emission control system for vehicle applications.
•9,121,326: “Assembly and method for reducing nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons in exhausts of internal combustion engines.” This patent, granted in September 2015, is related to the Ultera emission control system applicable to all our products.
•9,651,534: "Assembly and Method for reducing nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon gas in exhausts of internal combustion engines and producing and electrical output." This patent granted in April 25, 2017, is related to the Ultera emission control system applicable to all our products.
•8,578,704: “Assembly and method for reducing nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons in exhausts of internal combustion engines.” This patent, granted in November 2013, is for the Ultera emission control system applicable to all our products.
•7,243,017: “Method for controlling internal combustion engine emissions.” This patent, granted in July 2007, applies to the specific algorithms used in our engine controller for metering fuel usage to obtain the correct combustion mixture and is technology used by most of our engines.
•7,239,034: “Engine driven power inverter system with cogeneration.” This patent, granted in July 2007, pertains to the utilization of an engine-driven CHP module combined with an inverter and applies to our InVerde product specifically.
In addition, we have licensed specific rights to Microgrid software algorithms developed by University of Wisconsin researchers for which we pay royalties to the assignee, The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). The specific patent named in our agreement is “Control of small distributed energy resources” (7,116,010), granted in 2006. Our exclusive rights are for engine-driven systems utilizing natural gas or diesel fuel in the application of power generation where the per-unit output is less than 500 kW. The software allows our products to be integrated as a Microgrid, where multiple InVerde units can be seamlessly isolated from the main utility grid in the event of an outage and re-connected to it afterward. The licensed software allows us to implement such a Microgrid with minimal control devices and associated complexity and cost. We pay WARF a royalty for each cogeneration module sold using the licensed technology. Such royalty payments have been in the range of $5,000 to $30,000 on an annual basis through the year ended December 31, 2020. In addition, WARF reserved the right to grant non-profit research institutions and governmental agencies non-exclusive licenses to practice and use, for non-commercial research purposes, the technology developed by us that is based on the licensed software.
We consider our patents and licensed intellectual property to be important in the operation of our business. The expiration, termination, or invalidity of one or more of these patents may have a material adverse effect on our business. Our earliest patent, licensed from WARF, was issued in 2006 and expires in 2022. Our current patents expire between 2022 and 2037.
We believe that one other company, Aegis Energy Service Inc., has developed a product that competes with our inverter-based InVerde. We anticipate that an inverter-based product with at least some of these features will be introduced by others, but we believe that our competitors will face serious challenges in duplicating the InVerde. Product development time and costs would likely be significant, and we expect that our patent for the inverter-based CHP system (7,239,034) would offer significant protections for key features. We consider the Microgrid software algorithm licensed from WARF to be a key feature of our InVerde product, and one that would be difficult to duplicate outside the patent.
In 2013, we purchased rights to designs and technologies, including patents granted or pending for our permanent magnet generators. A key component of our InVerde module uses this acquired technology.
Our patents for the Ultera low-emissions control technology applies to all our gas engine-driven products and may have applications to other rich-burn spark-ignited internal combustion engines. We have been granted patents for this technology in Europe, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Korea and Singapore.
Copyrights
Our control software is protected by copyright laws or through an exclusive license agreement.
Trademarks
We have registered the brand names of our equipment and logos used on our equipment. These registered trademarks include Tecogen, Tecochill, Tecopower, Ultera, InVerde, Ilios, InVerde e+ and the associated logos. We will continue to trademark our product names and symbols.
We rely on treatment of our technology as trade secrets through confidentiality agreements, which our employees and vendors are required to sign. Also, we rely on non-disclosure agreements with others that have or may have access to confidential information to protect our trade secrets and proprietary knowledge.
Sourcing & Manufacturing
We are focused on continuously strengthening our manufacturing processes and increasing operational efficiencies. Many of the components used in the manufacture of our highly-efficient clean energy equipment are readily fabricated from commonly available raw materials or are standard available parts sourced from multiple suppliers. We believe that adequate supplies exist to meet our near to medium term manufacturing needs. We have an on-going focus on developing and implementing new systems to simplify our manufacturing processes, product sourcing methods, and our supply chain.
We have a combined total of approximately 27,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space running on a single 5-day per week shift at our Waltham, Massachusetts facility. We believe we have sufficient spare capacity to meet near to medium term demand without incurring additional fixed costs.
Government & Regulation
Several kinds of federal, state and local government regulations affect our products and services, including but not exclusive to:
•product safety certifications and interconnection requirements;
•air pollution regulations which govern the emissions allowed in engine exhaust;
•state and federal incentives for CHP technology;
•various local building and permitting codes and third-party certifications;
•electric utility pricing and related regulations; and
•federal and state laws regarding the legalization of cannabis for medicinal and recreational use.
Our markets can be positively or negatively impacted by the effects of governmental and regulatory matters. We are impacted not only by energy policy, laws, regulations and incentives of governments in the markets in which we sell, but also by rules, regulations and costs imposed by utilities. Utility companies or governmental entities may place barriers on the installation or interconnection of our products with the electric grid. Further, utility companies may charge additional fees to customers who install on-site power generation; thereby reducing the electricity they take from the utility, or for having the capacity to use power from the grid for back-up or standby purposes. These types of restrictions, fees or charges could hamper the ability to install or effectively use our product or increase the cost to our potential customers for using our systems. This could make our systems less desirable, adversely impacting our revenue and profitability. In addition, utility rate reductions can make our products less competitive, causing a material adverse effect on our operations. These costs, incentives and rules are not always the same as those faced by technologies with which we compete.
Similarly, rules, regulations, laws and incentives could also provide an advantage to our distributed generation solutions as compared with competing technologies if we are able to achieve required compliance in a lower cost, more efficient manner. Additionally, reduced emissions and higher fuel efficiency could help our customers combat the effects of global warming. Accordingly, we may benefit from increased government regulations that impose tighter emission and fuel efficiency standards. We encourage investors and potential investors to carefully consider the risks described under "Item 1A. Risk Factors below regarding various aspects of the regulatory environment and other related risks.
Our products are well-suited to meet the needs of the rapidly emerging indoor agriculture market, including cannabis. To date our focus in the indoor agricultural market has primarily involved cannabis, a product with high revenue generating potential. However, we have sold to other indoor agricultural growers, and we believe that the indoor food production market will provide significant opportunities for us. The indoor agriculture market in particular has the potential to be a major driver of growth as states move to legalize the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes and recreational use. However, under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) cannabis continues to be categorized as a Schedule I drug, so that cannabis growers continue to face significant uncertainty regarding their ability to conduct business.
First passed by Congress in 2014, the Rohrabcher-Farr Amendment is an amendment to the annual appropriations bill that, among other things, funds the Department of Justice. It prohibits the US Attorney General from using funds to prosecute the medical use of cannabis. It does not address recreational use. On January 4, 2018, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the Cole memo. Written in 2013, the Cole memo had directed US Attorneys not to allocate resources to prosecute "individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws" regarding the cannabis market. As of the date of the filing of this report, we are not aware of any US Attorney who has taken action against participants in the recreational cannabis market operating in accordance with state law. The uncertainty we face regarding the potential for growth from the sales to the cannabis industry is due in part to uncertainty regarding prosecutorial priorities of the current Presidential administration.
Our Energy Production segment is subject to extensive government regulation. We are required to file for local construction permits (electrical, mechanical and the like) and utility interconnects, and are required to make various local and state filings related to environmental emissions.
In the past, many electric utility companies have raised opposition to DG, a critical element of our On-Site Utility business. Such resistance has generally taken the form of stringent standards for interconnection and the use of target rate structures as disincentives to combined generation of on-site power and heating or cooling services. A DG company's ability to obtain reliable and affordable back-up power through interconnection with the grid is essential to the business model. Utility policies and regulations in most states often do not accommodate widespread on-site generation. These barriers erected by electric utility companies and unfavorable regulations, where applicable, makes our ability to connect to the electric grid at customer sites more difficult or uneconomic and is an impediment to the growth of this segment. The development of this segment could be adversely affected by any slowdown or reversal in the utility deregulation process or by difficulties in negotiating back-up power supply agreements with electric providers in the areas where we intend to do business.
Human Capital Resources
We believe our success in delivering energy efficient, ultra clean cogeneration systems, chillers and energy production services relies on our culture, values, and the creativity and commitment of our people. We strive to maintain healthy, safe, and secure working conditions - a workplace where our employees are treated with respect and dignity. Our vision is to create an inclusive, diverse and authentic community that inspires collaboration, integrity, engagement, and innovation. We are striving to create a world-class employee experience – one that offers opportunity for personal and professional growth, and enables work-life balance that aligns with our core values.
Employee Health and Safety
Employee health and safety continues to be a priority in every aspect of our business. We have taken a common sense approach to safety that helps us understand and reduce hazards in our business. Training, risk assessment, safety coaching, and employee engagement are all programs that help us consistently manage our facility and employee safety. As resources are available, we expect to continue to expand and evolve our safety programs to better meet our employee needs and workplace conditions as our business grows. 2020 was unique for the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on organizations, including ours. Our response has consistently evolved to meet the turbulent environment:
• The senior management team implemented regular communication regarding impacts of the COVID-19
pandemic, including health and safety protocols and procedures.
• Implementing a hierarchy of controls to address hand washing, social distancing, cleaning areas and
frequency, personal protective equipment and resources to stay up to date on the changing conditions.
• Deployment of face covers across the company for use in areas where they are required and recommended.
• Prohibiting all domestic and international non-essential travel for all employees.
• Providing additional days of leave for full- and part-time employees to cope with the illness.
• Restricting access to our corporate offices.
• Providing public access by appointment or pickup only in high risk areas.
• Implementing protocols to address actual and suspected COVID-19 cases and potential exposure.
• Working closely with customers to meet their specific COVID-19 requirements and maintain service.
We understand the benefits of employee health and safety and continue to invest in programs, products, and resources. We also understand the environment of trust and fairness that exists when information is openly shared. We also continue to invest in products and services to meet the health and safety needs of our customers and communities.
Talent Acquisition and Development
Our values are integral to our employment process and serve as guideposts for leadership. The ultimate goal is straightforward: find great people, ask them to join, and give them a reason to stay. Reasons include fair compensation, a complete array of employee benefits to include: health, dental and life insurance; short-term and long-term disability insurance; HSA account funding; generous time off benefits; and the grant of options or awards to purchase shares of our common stock. Recently we instituted web-based training for all of our employees. From a practical standpoint, this means that we attract a broad group of candidates and then hire the candidate who is the best match for the position based on their skills and abilities.
Employees
As of December 31, 2020, we employed 79 full-time employees and 2 part-time employees, including 7 sales and marketing personnel, 46 service personnel, 19 manufacturing personnel and 7 finance and administrative personnel. Nine of our New Jersey service employees are represented by a collective bargaining agreement which expires on December 31, 2022 and thereafter renews annually unless terminated by either party by written notice within sixty days prior to the expiration date.
Available Information
Our internet website address is http://www.tecogen.com. Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other reports and filings with the SEC are available free of charge on our website as soon as reasonably practicable after the reports are filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Information contained on our website is not incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K or our other securities filings with the SEC. The SEC maintains an internet website at www.sec.gov which contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Our business, operations, and Tecogen face many risks. In additional to the other information in this Form 10-K, the following factors and the information contained under the heading ''Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements'' should be considered in evaluating Tecogen and its business. The risks described below may not be the only risks we face.
Additional risks that we do not yet know of, or that we currently think are immaterial, may also impair our business operations or financial results. If any of the events or circumstances described in the following risks occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could suffer and the trading price of our common stock could decline.
Risks Relating to Our Business Strategy and Industry
Our financial condition and results of operations have been and may be materially adversely affected by the recent 2019 novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
The outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus has developed into a global pandemic that could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. These effects have and could continue to include disruptions or restrictions on our employees’ ability to travel, including our service technicians and in-house and outside sales personnel, as well as temporary closures of our manufacturing and other facilities or the facilities of our customers, suppliers, or other vendors in our supply chain. In addition, the coronavirus has resulted in a widespread health crisis that has adversely affected, and may continue to adversely affect, the economies and financial markets of many countries, resulting in an economic downturn and may result in a global recession that could affect demand for our products or our ability to obtain financing for our business or projects. These events, have and may continue to result in further disruptions to our supply chain, customer demand, our ability to secure new or additional orders and customers, our manufacturing and servicing capabilities, our ability to install new projects, and could materially and adversely affect our business and our results of operations. During the year ended December 31, 2020, our revenues were negatively impacted due to customer order delays or deferrals; service delays due to customer facility closures, in some cases for extended periods; and, a reduction in our energy production distribution, due to business closures and increased remote work and learning environments. The extent to which the coronavirus will continue to impact our business and our financial results will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. Such developments may include the continued geographic spread of the virus, the ultimate severity of the disease, the duration of the outbreak, the actions that may be taken by various governmental authorities in response to the outbreak, such as securing sufficient anti-virus medication, the ability of health authorities to distribute and inoculate the population, continued or new requirements to quarantine or “shelter-in-place” and continued or new business closures imposed by numerous states within the United States, and the possible impact on the U.S. or global economy. Significant portions of our business are deemed “essential services” under various state shelter-in-place orders, and we have been able to maintain critical manufacturing and service operations. There can be no assurances, however, that we will be able to maintain these operations at full or limited capacity as conditions change. We operate an essential service which means we must take every effort to keep our employees who operate our business safe and minimize unnecessary risk of exposure to the virus. As part of our pandemic response plan, our sales, engineering, and select administrative functions may be operated remotely when necessary or appropriate while our manufacturing and service teams continues to function normally, subject to customer-initiated disruptions in service.
Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on our customers, including the closure of certain customers' facilities and difficulties that customers may have in maintaining their business and operations during the pandemic, collections from certain existing customers have been and may continue to be deferred or difficult or impossible to collect, that there may be delays in the implementation of current projects and the completion of sales of our products and services.
To the extent cash generated from operations in the future is insufficient to fund our operating requirements, we will be required to seek additional outside financing. Our inability to obtain necessary capital or financing to fund these working capital needs will adversely affect our ability to expand our operations.
If the cash generated by operations and the proceeds of the CARES Act, as amended ("CARES Act") loans we have obtained or may obtain in the future are insufficient to fund our future operating requirements, we will need to raise additional funds through public or private equity or debt financings. Such financing may not be available to us when needed, or if available, may not be available on terms that are favorable to us and could result in significant dilution to the holdings of our stockholders. Furthermore, any such debt financing is likely to include financial and other covenants that may impede our ability to react to changes in the economy or industry.
On April 17, 2020, we were granted a loan of $1,874,200 under the Paycheck Protection Program established pursuant to the CARES Act to provide relief to certain businesses as a result of the pandemic. The loan was provided to us by Webster Bank, N.A. and was guaranteed by the United States Small Business Administration (“SBA”). We utilized the loan for payroll, rent, and utilities during the applicable covered period. Effective January 11, 2021, the loan together with all accrued interest thereon was forgiven by the SBA in full.
On May 11, 2020, we terminated our $10 million line of credit with Webster Business Credit Corporation ("Webster"), together with related agreements including a Revolving Note, Security Agreement, Blocked Account Agreement, and Master Letter of Credit Agreement.
On February 5, 2021, we obtained a Second Draw Paycheck Protection Program unsecured loan in the amount of $1,874,269 through Webster Bank, pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program under the CARES Act and is guaranteed by the SBA. We intend to use the loan proceeds for payroll, rent, utilities and other operating expenses, and expect to apply for forgiveness of the loan balance as permitted under the CARES Act. There can be no assurance that the Second Draw Paycheck Protection Program loan will ultimately be forgiven. See Note 10. "Note Payable and Revolving Line of Credit, Bank” in our Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Based upon our operating and cash flow plan and the proceeds of our PPP loans, we believe existing resources, including cash and cash flows from operations will be sufficient to meet our working capital needs for the next twelve months. If adequate financing is not available when needed, we may be required to implement cost-cutting strategies, delay production, curtail research and development efforts, or implement other measures, which may adversely affect our overall results of operations and financial condition and the price of our stock.
If we experience a period of significant growth or expansion, it could place a substantial strain on our resources.
If our cogeneration and chiller products penetrate the market rapidly, we may be unable to deliver large volumes of technically complex products or components to our customers on a timely basis and at a reasonable cost to us. We have never ramped up our manufacturing capabilities to meet significant large-scale production requirements. If we were to commit to deliver large volumes of products, we may not be able to satisfy these commitments on a timely and cost-effective basis.
Our operating history is characterized by net losses and there can be no assurance we will be able to increase our sales and sustain profitability in the future.
We have historically incurred annual operating losses, including a net loss of $6.2 million for 2020 and $4.7 million for 2019. Our Product and Services segment is capital intensive and, because our products generally are built to order with customized configurations, the lead time to build and deliver a unit can be significant. We may be required to purchase key components long before we can deliver a unit and receive payment. Changes in customer orders or lack of demand may also impact our profitability. There can be no assurance we will be able to increase our sales and achieve and sustain profitability in the future.
We are dependent on a limited number of third-party suppliers for the supply of key components for our products.
We use third-party suppliers for components in all of our products. Our engine supplier, generator supplier for cogeneration products (other than the InVerde), and the compressor and vessel sets in our chillers, are all purchased from large multinational equipment manufacturers. The loss of one or more of our suppliers could materially and adversely affect our business if we are unable to replace them. While alternate suppliers for the manufacture of our engine, generators and compressors have been identified, should the need arise, there can be no assurance that alternate suppliers will be available and able to provide such items on acceptable terms or on a timely basis.
From time to time, shipments of components for our products can be delayed because of industry-wide or other shortages of necessary materials and components from third-party suppliers, as well as shipping delays at points of importation. A supplier's failure to supply components in a timely manner, or to supply components that meet our quality, quantity, or cost requirements, or our inability to obtain substitute sources of these components on a timely basis or on terms acceptable to us, could impair our ability to deliver our products in accordance with contractual obligations.
The amount of our backlog is subject to fluctuation due to our customers’ experiencing unexpected delays in financing, permitting or modifications in specifications of the equipment.
Our total product and installation backlog as of December 31, 2020 was $8.3 million compared to $22.4 million as of 2019. Although we expect our customers to issue definitive purchase orders with respect to such backlog, there can be no assurance that such amounts will not be subject to modification in the event customers experience unexpected delays in obtaining permits, interconnection agreements or financing. As a consequence of COVID-19, we have experienced order delays and deferrals for our products due to business closures or the inability to obtain government issued permits to conduct product installations. Any of such events may result in customers modifying the equipment or the terms or timing of the expected installation, which may result in changes to the amount of backlog attributed to those projects.
We experience significant fluctuations in revenues from quarter to quarter on our product sales which may make period to period comparisons difficult.
We have low volume, high dollar sales for projects that are generally non-recurring, and therefore our sales have fluctuated significantly from period to period. Fluctuations cannot be predicted because they are affected by the purchasing decisions and timing requirements of our customers, which are unpredictable. Such fluctuations may make quarter to quarter and year to year comparisons difficult.
We expect significant competition for our products and services.
Many of our competitors and potential competitors are well established and have substantially greater financial, research and development, technical, manufacturing and marketing resources than we do. If these larger competitors decide to focus on the development of distributed power or cogeneration, they have the manufacturing, marketing and sales capabilities to complete research, development, and commercialization of these products more quickly and effectively than we can. There can also be no assurance that current and future competitors will not develop new or enhanced technologies or more cost-effective systems, and therefore, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in this competitive environment.
We may not achieve production cost reductions necessary to competitively price our products, which would adversely affect our sales.
We believe that we will need to reduce the unit production cost of our products over time to maintain our ability to offer competitively priced products. Our ability to achieve cost reductions will depend on our ability to develop low-cost design enhancements, to obtain necessary tooling and favorable supplier contracts, and to increase sales volumes so we can achieve economies of scale. We can make no assurance that we will be able to achieve any such production cost reductions. Our failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Our products involve a lengthy sales cycle and we may not anticipate sales levels appropriately, which could impair our results of operations.
The sale of our products typically involves a significant commitment of capital by customers, with the attendant delays frequently associated with large capital expenditures. For these and other reasons, the sales cycle associated with our products is typically lengthy and subject to a number of significant risks over which we have little or no control. We expect to plan our production and inventory levels based on internal forecasts of customer demand, which is highly unpredictable and can fluctuate substantially. If sales in any period fall significantly below anticipated levels, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow would suffer. If demand in any period increases well above anticipated levels, we may have difficulties in responding, incur greater costs to respond, or be unable to fulfill the demand in sufficient time to retain the order, which would negatively impact our operations. In addition, our operating expenses are based on anticipated sales levels, and a high percentage of our expenses are generally fixed in the short term. As a result of these factors, a small fluctuation in timing of sales can cause operating results to vary materially from period to period.
The economic viability of our projects depends on the price spread between fuel and electricity, and the variability of these prices creates a risk that our projects will not be economically viable and that potential customers will avoid such energy price risks.
The economic viability of our CHP products depends on the spread between natural gas fuel and electricity prices. Volatility in one component of the spread, such as the cost of natural gas and other fuels (e.g., propane or distillate oil), can be managed to some extent by means of futures contracts. However, the regional rates charged for both base load and peak electricity may decline periodically due to excess generating capacity or general economic recessions.
Our products and on-site utility service could become less competitive if electric rates were to fall substantially in the future, although, historically, electric rates have not had any sustained decline in price. Potential customers may perceive the risk of unpredictable swings in natural gas and electricity prices as a risk of investing in on-site CHP, and may decide not to purchase CHP products.
We may make acquisitions or take other corporate strategic actions that could harm our financial performance.
To expedite development of our business, including with regard to equipment installation and service functions, we anticipate investigating and potentially pursuing future acquisitions of complementary businesses. Risks associated with such acquisitions include the diversion of management attention and cash from operations to cover the costs associated with acquisitions, disruption of our existing operations, loss of key personnel in the acquired companies, dilution through the issuance of additional securities, assumptions of existing liabilities, and commitment to further increase operating expenses. If any or all of these problems actually occur, acquisitions could negatively impact our financial performance and future stock value.
We completed our merger with ADGE in May 2017. As we complete the integration of ADGE's assets and business model into its operations, our financial condition, cash flows, and results of operations could be negatively impacted.
Expiring customer contracts may lead to decreases in revenue and increases in expenses.
Each year, a portion of our customer contracts expire and need to be renewed or replaced. We may not be able to renew or extend contracts with existing customers or obtain replacement contracts at attractive rates or for the same term as the expiring contracts. To the extent we are unable to extend customer contracts prior to their expiration date, energy production revenue will decline due to less energy billing. Expiring customer contracts can also lead to an increase in expenses because we
are obligated to remove the equipment from the customer location at our own expense at the end of the customer contract. The investment required to obtain replacement contracts, to include the manufacture and installation of the cogeneration or chiller equipment and the costs to incorporate this equipment into a facility are significant. To the extent that we do not have sufficient liquidity, may have an adverse impact on our ability to add new energy contracted sites.
Our revenue from energy billing may be adversely impacted by reductions in utility rates for electrical power, by the weather, or by an increase in remote work environment, all of which could reduce our revenue.
Over the past several years, there has been a sharp decrease in electric rates, subsequent to the vast majority of customer contract dates, causing the billable value of the electrical power generated by our systems to decrease which has an adverse effect on our results of operations. In warmer months the customers do not use as much thermal energy because they do not have as much demand for heat at their locations. Due to lower demand in warmer months we may not be able to bill for thermal energy and in turn may have a decrease in revenue. Also, the increase in the number of student and employees conducting their studies or work remotely, which has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, has resulted in a significant decrease in commercial electricity generated by our systems, which has resulted in decreased revenues and has adversely effected our results of operations.
Our financial condition and results of operations could suffer if there is an impairment of goodwill or intangible assets.
As of December 31, 2020, our goodwill was $2,406,156, and our intangible assets were $1,360,319. We recognized goodwill impairment relating to our energy production segment of $2,875,711 and $3,693,198 in the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. We are required to test intangible assets with indefinite lives, including goodwill, annually or, in certain instances, more frequently, and may be required to record impairment charges, which would reduce any earnings or increase any loss for the period in which the impairment was determined to have occurred. Our goodwill impairment analysis is sensitive to changes in key assumptions used in our analysis. If the assumptions used in our analysis are not realized, it is possible that an impairment charge may need to be recorded in the future. We cannot accurately predict the amount and timing of any impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets. However, any such impairment would have an adverse effect on our results of operations.
Risks Related to our Technology and Business Operations
If we are unable to maintain our technological expertise in design and manufacturing processes, we will not be able to successfully compete.
We believe that our future success will depend upon our ability to continue to develop and provide innovative products and product enhancements that meet the increasingly sophisticated needs of our customers.
However, this requires that we successfully anticipate and respond to technological changes in design and manufacturing processes in a cost-effective and timely manner. The development of new, technologically advanced products and enhancements is a complex and uncertain process requiring high levels of innovation, as well as the accurate anticipation of technological and market trends. There can be no assurance that we will successfully identify new product opportunities, develop and bring new or enhanced products to market in a timely manner, successfully lower costs, and achieve market acceptance of our products, or that products and technologies developed by others will not render our products or technologies obsolete or noncompetitive.
The introduction of products embodying new technologies and the shifting of customer demands or changing industry standards could render our existing products obsolete and unmarketable. We may experience delays in releasing new products and product enhancements in the future. Material delays in introducing new products or product enhancements may cause customers to forego purchases of our products and purchase those of our competitors.
Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Risks
Our business is subject to product liability and warranty claims.
Our business exposes us to potential product liability claims, which are inherent in the manufacturing, marketing and sale of our products, and we may face substantial liability for damages resulting from the faulty design of products, manufacture of products or improper use of products by end users. We currently maintain a moderate level of product liability insurance, but there can be no assurance that this insurance will provide sufficient coverage in the event of a claim. Also, we cannot predict whether we will be able to maintain such coverage on acceptable terms, if at all, or that a product liability claim would not harm our business or financial condition. In addition, negative publicity in connection with the faulty design or manufacture of our products would adversely affect our ability to market and sell our products.
We sell our products with limited warranties. There can be no assurance that the provision in our financial statements for estimated product warranty expense will be sufficient. We cannot ensure that our efforts to reduce our risk through warranty disclaimers will effectively limit our liability. Any significant occurrence of warranty expense in excess of estimates could have a material adverse effect on our operating results, financial condition and cash flow. Further, we have at times undertaken programs to enhance the performance of units previously sold. These enhancements have at times been provided at no cost or below our cost. If we choose to offer such programs again in the future, such actions could result in significant costs.
Agreements with our customers may include potential liquidated damages relating to construction delays or performance guaranties.
Turnkey construction contracts to which we are a party may contain liquidated damages provisions resulting from failure to achieve agreed milestones relating to construction activity. Agreements relating to the sale of equipment or energy may include performance and other obligations that may result in payment obligations to customers.
Utilities or governmental entities could hinder our entry into and growth in the marketplace, and we may not be able to effectively sell our products.
Utilities or governmental entities on occasion have placed barriers to the installation of our products or their interconnection with the electric grid, and they may continue to do so. Utilities may charge additional fees to customers who install on-site CHP and rely on the grid for back-up power. These types of restrictions, fees, or charges could make it harder for customers to install our products or use them effectively, as well as increasing the cost to our potential customers. This could make our systems less desirable, thereby adversely affecting our revenue and other operating results.
The reduction, elimination or expiration of government and economic incentives for applications of our equipment could reduce demand for our equipment and harm our business.
The market for cogeneration equipment depends in part on the availability and size of government and economic incentives that vary by geographic market. Because our sales to customers are typically into geographic areas with such incentives, elimination, or expiration of government subsidies and economic incentives for cogeneration equipment may negatively affect the competitiveness of equipment relative to other sources of electricity, heating, and cooling equipment, and could harm or halt the growth of the cogeneration industry and our business. In particular, the Company depends on the New York State Energy Development Authority CHP Program (PON 2568) and the New Jersey Smart Start Combined Heat and Power Incentive.
We may incorporate price reduction on equipment sold to customers based on the anticipated receipt of governmental economic incentive payments and apply and collect the incentives payments. If such incentives become unavailable to us our financial condition may be adversely affected.
Competing sources of electricity, heating, and cooling equipment may successfully lobby for changes in the relevant legislation in their markets that are harmful to the cogeneration industry. Reductions in, or eliminations or expirations of, governmental incentives in regions where we focus our sales efforts could result in decreased demand for and lower revenue from cogeneration equipment there, which would adversely affect us. In addition, our ability to successfully penetrate new geographic markets may depend on new geographic areas adopting and maintaining incentives to promote cogeneration, to the extent such incentives are not currently in place. Additionally, electric utility companies may establish pricing structures or interconnection requirements that could adversely affect our sales and be harmful to cogeneration.
We may be exposed to substantial liability claims if we fail to fulfill our obligations to our customers or our on-site equipment malfunctions.
We enter into contracts with large commercial and not-for-profit customers under which we assume responsibility for meeting a portion of the customers' building energy demand and equipment installation. We may be exposed to substantial liability claims if we fail to fulfill our obligations to customers. If the equipment malfunctions, it may be costly to repair or replace. There can be no assurance that we will not be vulnerable to claims by customers and by third parties that are beyond any contractual protections that we are able to negotiate. As a result, liability claims could cause us significant financial harm.
We may be subject to litigation, which is expensive and could divert management attention.
Our share price may be volatile and in the past companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock have been subject to an increased incidence of securities class action litigation. 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.
Although we maintain directors’ and officers’ insurance coverage, there can be no assurances that this insurance coverage will be sufficient to cover the substantial fees and expenses of lawyers and other professional advisors relating to any future litigation, our obligations to indemnify our officers and directors who are or may become parties to such pending and
future actions, or the amount of any judgments or settlements that we may be obligated to pay in connection with such actions. We may be required to make material payments in connection with the defense of or to settle such litigation or to satisfy any adverse judgment. In addition, actions that arise in the future could be excluded from coverage or, if covered, could exceed our deductibles and/or the coverage provided. In addition, an adverse outcome of litigation could cause our insurance premiums and retention amounts to increase in the future. Any of these consequences could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. For more information regarding litigation, see "Item 3. Legal Proceedings" and Note 11 "Commitments and Contingencies" in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere herein.
Credit and Liquidity Risks
We are exposed to credit risks with respect to some of our customers.
To the extent our customers do not advance us sufficient funds to finance our costs during the execution phase of our contracts, we are exposed to the risk that they may be unable to accept delivery or that they will be unable to make payment at the time of delivery or within agreed upon payment terms. Our provision for doubtful accounts receivable increased $608,397 in the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. We have experienced customer payment delays due to COVID-19, which are attributable to temporary business shutdowns, resulting in declines in revenues and cash flows from our customers and delays in project completion due to delays in government project inspections and a general slowdown in business activity and in some cases, customers ceasing business activities altogether.
Risks Relating to Ownership of our Common Stock
Investment in our Common Stock is subject to price fluctuations and market volatility.
Historically, valuations of many small companies have been highly volatile. The securities of many small companies have experienced significant price and trading volume fluctuations unrelated to the operating performance or the prospects of such companies. The market price of shares 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:
•results and timing of our product development;
•results of the development of our competitors’ products;
•regulatory actions with respect to our products or our competitors’ products;
•actual or anticipated fluctuations in our financial condition and operating results;
•actual or anticipated changes in our growth rate relative to our competitors;
•actual or anticipated fluctuations in our competitors’ operating results or changes in their growth rate;
•competition from existing products or new products that may emerge;
•announcements by us or our competitors of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, collaborations, or capital commitments;
•issuance of new or updated research or reports by securities analysts;
•fluctuations in the valuation of companies perceived by investors to be comparable to us;
•share price and volume fluctuations attributable to inconsistent trading volume levels of our shares;
•additions or departures of key management or personnel;
•disputes or other developments related to proprietary rights, including patents, litigation matters, and our ability to obtain, maintain, defend or enforce proprietary rights relating to our products and technologies;
•announcement or expectation of additional financing efforts;
•sales of our Common Stock by us, our insiders, or our other stockholders; and
•general economic and market conditions.
Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic and at other times, the U.S. 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. 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 negatively impact the market price of shares of our common stock. In addition, such fluctuations could subject us to securities class action litigation, which could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention from other business concerns, which could potentially harm our business.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our share price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our shares will depend on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. There can be no assurance that analysts will cover us or provide favorable coverage. If one or more analysts downgrade our shares or change their opinion of our share price would likely decline. In addition, if one or more analysts cease coverage of us or fails to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause our share price or trading volume to decline.
Because our directors and executive officers are among our largest stockholders, they can exert influence over our business and affairs and have actual or potential interests that may differ from other stockholders or investors.
As of the date of this report, our directors and executive officers collectively beneficially own approximately 13% of our issued and outstanding shares. John Hatsopoulos, a director, beneficially owns approximately 9% of our issued and outstanding shares. Additionally, the holdings of our directors and executive officers may increase in the future upon vesting or exercise of the options or other stock awards they may hold or in the future may be granted or if they otherwise acquire additional shares in the open market or otherwise. The interests of such persons may differ from the interests of our other stockholders. As a result, in addition to their board seats and offices, such persons will have influence over corporate actions requiring shareholder approval.
Such persons’ stock ownership may discourage a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to acquire us, which in turn could reduce our stock price or prevent our stockholders from realizing a premium over our stock price.
Current stockholdings may be diluted if we make future equity issuances or if outstanding options are exercised for shares of our common stock.
“Dilution” refers to the reduction in the voting effect and proportionate ownership interest of a given number of shares of common stock as the total number of shares increases. Our issuance of additional stock, convertible preferred stock, or convertible debt may result in dilution to the interests of shareholders and may also result in the reduction of your stock price. The sale of a substantial number of shares into the market, or even the perception that sales could occur, could depress the price of our Common Stock. Also, the exercise of options may result in additional dilution.
The holders of outstanding options, warrants and convertible securities or derivatives, if any are subsequently issued have the opportunity to profit from a rise in the market price of our shares, if any, without assuming the risk of ownership, with a resulting dilution in the interests of other stockholders. We may find it more difficult to raise additional equity capital if it should be needed for our business while the options, warrants and convertible securities are outstanding.
Future sales of our shares by our existing stockholders may cause our stock price to fall.
The market price of our shares could decline as a result of sales by our existing stockholders of shares of our shares in the market or the perception that these sales could occur. These sales might also make it more difficult for us to conduct an equity or equity-based financing at a time and price that we deem appropriate and thus inhibit our ability to raise additional capital when it is needed.
Because we have not and do not intend to pay cash dividends, our stockholders receive no current income from holding our stock.
We have paid no cash dividends on our capital stock to date and we currently intend to retain our future earnings, if any, to fund the development and growth of our business. We currently expect to retain earnings for use in the operation and expansion of our business, and therefore do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. In addition, the terms of our credit facility may restrict our ability to pay any cash dividends. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our Common Stock could be the sole source of gain for our stockholders for the foreseeable future.
We incur substantial costs to operate as a public reporting company.
We incur substantial legal, financial, accounting and other costs and expenses to operate as a public reporting company. We believe that these costs are a disproportionately larger percentage of our revenues than they are for many larger companies. In addition, the rules and regulations of the SEC impose significant requirements on public companies, including ongoing disclosure obligations and mandatory corporate governance practices. Our senior management and other personnel need to devote a substantial amount of time to ensure ongoing compliance with these requirements. Our common stock is currently quoted on the OTC Markets Group’s OTCQX tier. Under the OTC Markets Group Inc.’s OTCQX continued qualification requirements, we are required to have a minimum bid price of $0.10 per share as of the close of business for at least one of every 30 consecutive calendar days, a market capitalization of at least $5 million for at least one of every 30 consecutive calendar days, and at least two market makers. Also, we must be current in our SEC reporting obligations. If we determine to list our stock for trading on a national securities exchange or quoted on the Nasdaq Stock Market, we will be
subject to additional disclosure and governance obligations. There can be no assurance that we will continue to meet all of the public company requirements to which we are subject on a timely basis, or at all, or that our compliance costs will not continue to be material.
Because our common stock is not traded on a national securities exchange, our stock has limited liquidity and our ability to raise capital is impaired.
On June 19, 2020, we voluntarily delisted our common stock from Nasdaq and transitioned the quotation of our shares to OTC Markets Group Inc.’s OTCQX Best Market. Our common stock has been quoted on the OTC Markets Group Inc.’s OTCQX Best Market since June 19, 2020, under the symbol “TGEN”. We believe that trading “over the counter” has limited our stock’s liquidity and may impair our ability to raise additional capital.
Certain provisions of our charter and bylaws may discourage mergers and other transactions.
Certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may make it more difficult for someone to acquire control of us. These provisions may make it more difficult for stockholders to take certain corporate actions and could delay or prevent someone from acquiring our business. These provisions could limit the price that certain investors might be willing to pay for shares of our common stock. The ability to issue “blank check” preferred stock is a traditional anti-takeover measure. This provision may be beneficial to our management and the board of directors in a hostile tender offer and may have an adverse impact on stockholders who may want to participate in such tender offer, or who may want to replace some or all of the members of the board of directors.
Our board of directors may issue additional shares of preferred stock without stockholder approval.
Our certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock. Accordingly, our board of directors may, without shareholder approval, issue one or more new series of preferred stock with rights which could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of outstanding shares of our common stock. In addition, the issuance of shares of preferred stock may have the effect of rendering more difficult or discouraging, an acquisition or change of control of us. Although we do not have any current plans to issue any shares of preferred stock, we may do so in the future.
In order to comply with public reporting requirements, we must continue to strengthen our financial systems and internal controls, and failure to do so could adversely affect our ability to provide timely and accurate financial statements.
Refinement of our internal controls and procedures will be required as we manage future growth and operate effectively as a public company. Such refinement of our internal controls, as well as compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and related requirements, will be costly and will place a significant burden on management. We cannot assure you that measures already taken, or any future measures, will enable us to provide accurate and timely financial reports, particularly if we are unable to hire additional personnel in our accounting and financial department, or if we lose personnel in this area. Any failure to improve our disclosure controls or other problems with our financial systems or internal controls could result in delays or inaccuracies in reporting financial information, or non-compliance with SEC reporting and other regulatory requirements, any of which could adversely affect our business and stock price.
Investor confidence in the price of our stock may be adversely affected if we are unable to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. As of the end of the period covered by this report, our principal executive officers and principal accounting officer have concluded there is a material weakness in our disclosure controls and procedures and our internal control over financial reporting, which could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations.
As a public company, we are subject to the rules adopted by the SEC pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which require us to include in our annual report on Form 10-K our management’s report on, and assessment of the effectiveness of, our internal control over financial reporting (“management’s report”). If we fail to achieve and maintain the adequacy of our disclosure control or internal control over financial reporting, there is a risk that we will not comply with all of the requirements imposed by Section 404. Moreover, effective internal control over financial reporting, particularly that relating to revenue recognition, is necessary for us to produce reliable financial reports and is important in helping to prevent financial fraud. Any of these possible outcomes could result in an adverse reaction in the financial marketplace due to a loss in investor confidence in the reliability of our financial statements, which ultimately could harm our business and could negatively impact the market price of our common stock. Investor confidence and the price of our common stock may be adversely affected if we are unable to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
As of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report, December 31, 2020, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer performed an evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures and concluded that our controls were not effective to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file under the
Securities Exchange Act, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported when required. Management conducted an evaluation of our internal control over financial reporting and based on this evaluation, management concluded that the company’s internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of December 31, 2020. We have a small number of employees dealing with general controls over information technology security and user access. This constitutes a material weakness in financial reporting. Any failure to implement effective internal controls could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. Inadequate internal controls could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our common stock and may require us to incur additional costs to improve our internal control system.
General Business Risks
We are implementing a new enterprise resource planning system and, if this new system proves ineffective or if we experience issues with the transition, we may be unable to timely or accurately prepare financial reports, make payments to our suppliers and employees, or invoice and collect from our users.
We are implementing a new enterprise resource planning, or ERP system. Our ERP system is critical to our ability to accurately maintain books and records and to prepare our financial statements. The transition to our new ERP system may be disruptive to our business if the ERP system does not work as planned or if we experience issues relating to the implementation. Such disruptions could impact our ability to timely or accurately make payments to our suppliers and employees, and could also inhibit our ability to invoice, and collect from our customers. Data integrity problems or other issues may be discovered which, if not corrected, could impact our business or financial results. In addition, we may experience periodic or prolonged disruption of our financial functions arising out of this conversion, general use of such system, other periodic upgrades or updates, or other external factors that are outside of our control. If we encounter unforeseen problems with our ERP system or other related systems and infrastructure, it could adversely affect our financial reporting systems and our ability to produce financial reports, the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting, and our business, operating results and financial condition could be adversely affected.
Our intellectual property may not be adequately protected.
We seek to protect our intellectual property rights through patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secret laws, confidentiality agreements, and licensing arrangements, but we cannot ensure that we will be able to adequately protect our technology from misappropriation or infringement. We cannot ensure that our existing intellectual property rights will not be invalidated, circumvented, challenged, or rendered unenforceable.
Our competitors may successfully challenge the validity of our patents, design non-infringing products, or deliberately infringe our patents. There can be no assurance that other companies are not investigating or developing other similar technologies. In addition, our intellectual property rights may not provide a competitive advantage to us or ensure that our products and technology will be adequately covered by our patents and other intellectual property. Any of these factors or the expiration, termination, or invalidity of one or more of our patents may have a material adverse effect on our business.
Others may assert that our technology infringes their intellectual property rights.
We may be subject to infringement claims from time to time. The defense of any claims of infringement made against us by third parties could involve significant legal costs and require our management to divert time from our business operations. If we are unsuccessful in defending any claims of infringement, we may be forced to obtain licenses or to pay additional royalties to continue to use our technology. We may not be able to obtain any necessary licenses on commercially reasonable terms or at all. If we fail to obtain necessary licenses or other rights, or if these licenses are costly, our operating results would suffer either from reductions in revenues through our inability to serve customers or from increases in costs to license third-party technologies.
Our business and financial performance may be adversely affected by information systems interruptions, cybersecurity attacks or other disruptions which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results from operations.
We depend upon information technology, infrastructure, including network, hardware and software systems to conduct our business. Despite our implementation of network and other cybersecurity measures, our information technology system and networks could be disrupted or experience a security breach from computer viruses, break-ins and similar disruptions from unauthorized tampering with our computer systems. Our security measures may not be adequate to protect against highly targeted sophisticated cyber-attacks, or other improper disclosures of confidential and/or sensitive information. Additionally, we may have access to confidential or other sensitive information of our customers, which despite our efforts to protect, may be vulnerable to security breaches, theft, or improper disclosure any of which could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.
Our success is dependent upon attracting and retaining highly qualified personnel and the loss of key personnel could significantly hurt our business.
To achieve success, we must attract and retain highly qualified technical, operational and executive employees. The loss of the services of key employees or an inability to attract, train and retain qualified and skilled employees, specifically engineering, operations, and business development personnel, could result in the loss of business or could otherwise negatively impact our ability to operate and grow our business successfully.
Our business may be impacted by political events, war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters and other circumstances that are not within our control.
War, terrorism, geopolitical uncertainties, public health issues, and other business interruptions have caused and could cause damage or disruption to international commerce and the global economy, and thus could have a material adverse effect on us, our suppliers, and manufacturing vendors. Our business operations are subject to interruption by natural disasters, fire, power shortages, nuclear power plant accidents, terrorist attacks, and other hostile acts, labor disputes, public health issues, and other events beyond our control. Such events could decrease demand for our products, make it difficult or impossible for us to make and deliver products to our customers, or to receive products from our manufacturers and suppliers, and create delays and inefficiencies in our supply chain. If major public health issues, including pandemics, arise, we could be adversely affected by more stringent employee travel restrictions, additional limitations in freight services, governmental actions limiting the movement of products between regions, delays in production ramps of new products, and disruptions in the operations of our manufacturing vendors and suppliers. In the event of a natural disaster, we could incur significant losses, require substantial recovery time and experience significant expenditures in order to resume operations.
We depend on a small number of customers for a substantial portion of our product revenues. The loss of one or more of these customers, or our inability to collect outstanding receivables from such customers could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, one customer accounted more than 10% of our revenues and during the year ended December 31, 2019, one customer accounted for more than 10% of our revenues. There was no customers who represented more than 10% of the accounts receivable balance as of December 31, 2020, and one as of December 31, 2019. The loss of any one or more of our major customers or our inability to collect on outstanding accounts receivable from one or more of these customers could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition. Our provision for doubtful accounts receivable increased $608,397 in the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. We continue to seek to increase our customer base and reduce our reliance on a limited number of customers. Although we are seeking to diversify our customer base and reduce our reliance upon sales to a small number of customers, we expect sales to such customers to continue to constitute a significant portion of our revenues in the near term given we actively pursue large contracts and projects. The loss of any one or more of such customers or an inability to collect such accounts receivable could have a material adverse effect our business, financial condition and results of operations.