| Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Estimates | Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Estimates Principles of Accounting and Consolidation The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and under the rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Fluence Energy, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Non-Controlling Interest As the sole managing member of Fluence Energy, LLC, Fluence Energy, Inc. operates and controls all the business and affairs of Fluence Energy, LLC and, through Fluence Energy, LLC and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, conducts the Co mpany’s business. Fluence Energy, LLC is a variable interest entity, of which Fluence Energy, Inc. beneficially owns a 71.14% inte rest as of December 31, 2023. For accounting purposes, Fluence Energy, Inc. is considered the primary beneficiary and therefore consolidates the results of Fluence Energy, LLC and its direct and indirect subsidiaries. The table below summarizes the ownership structure at the end of each respective period: December 31, 2023 September 30, 2023 Controlling Interest Ownership 71.14 % 66.99 % Non-Controlling Interest Ownership (AES) 28.86 % 33.01 % Unaudited Interim Financial Information The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2023, and for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 are unaudited. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited financial statements included in our 2023 Annual Report. In our opinion, such unaudited financial statements reflect all adjustments, including normal recurring items, that are necessary for the fair statement of the Company’s financial position as of December 31, 2023, the results of its operations for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, and its cash flows for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. The financial data and other information disclosed in these notes related to the three months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 are also unaudited. The results for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year ending September 30, 2024 and 2023, any other interim periods, or any future year or period. The balance sheet as of September 30, 2023 included herein was derived from the audited financial statements as of that date. Certain disclosures have been condensed or omitted in the interim financial statements. For a complete description of our significant accounting policies, refer to “Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Estimates ” in the audited consolidated financial statements included in our 2023 Annual Report. Use of Estimates The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. Items subject to such estimates and assumptions include: the relative fair value allocations to contingencies with multiple elements, the carrying amount and estimated useful lives of long-lived assets; impairment of goodwill, intangible assets, and long-lived assets; valuation allowances for inventories; deferred tax assets; revenue recognized under the percentage- of-completion method; accrued bonuses; and various project-related provisions including but not limited to estimated losses, warranty obligations, and liquidated damages. Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash Cash and cash equivalents include cash on-hand and highly liquid investments readily convertible to cash, with an original maturity of 90 days or less when purchased. Cash restricted for use as a result of financing or other obligations is classified separately as restricted cash. If the purpose of restricted cash relates to acquiring a long-term asset, liquidating a long-term liability, or is otherwise unavailable for a period longer than one year from the balance sheet date, the restricted cash is included in “other non-current assets.” Otherwise, restricted cash is included as a separate line item on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. The Company typically retains cash for operations within one or more bank accounts. These accounts may hold cash in excess of the FDIC limit of $250,000. As a result, we are subject to concentration risk associated with the underlying custodial banks with whom deposits of cash and cash equivalents in excess of the FDIC limits are held. If access to these accounts is delayed or suspended indefinitely, it could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s ability to meet its financial obligations required for operations. The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at the end of each respective period as shown in the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets. in thousands December 31, 2023 September 30, 2023 Cash and cash equivalents $ 317,614 $ 345,896 Restricted cash 135,864 106,835 Restricted cash included in “Other non-current assets” 23,079 10,000 Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 476,557 $ 462,731 Restricted cash at the end of each respective period consisted of the following: in thousands December 31, 2023 September 30, 2023 Collateral for credit card program $ 2,449 $ 2,406 Collateral for outstanding bank guarantees 133,415 104,429 Collateral for surety program included in “Other non-current assets” 23,079 10,000 Total restricted cash $ 158,943 $ 116,835 Revenue and Cost Recognition The Company’s revenue recognition policy included herein is based on the application of Accounting Standards Codification - Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC 606). As of December 31, 2023, the Company’s revenue was generated primarily from the sale of energy storage products and solutions, providing operational services, and the sale of digital applications and solutions. Revenue from Energy Storage Products and Solutions: The Company enters into contracts with utility companies, developers, and commercial and industrial customers to design and build battery-based energy storage products. Each storage product is customized depending on the customer’s energy needs. Customer payments are due upon meeting certain milestones that are consistent with contract-specific phases of a project. The Company determines the transaction price based on the consideration expected to be received which includes estimates of liquidated damages (“LDs”) or other variable consideration that are included in the transaction price in accordance with ASC 606. We assess any variable consideration using an expected value method. The transaction price identified is allocated to each distinct performance obligation to deliver a good or service based on the relative standalone selling prices. Generally, the Company’s contracts to design and build battery-based storage products are determined to have one performance obligation. When shipping and handling activities are performed after the customer obtains control of the product, we elect to account for shipping and handling as activities to fulfill the promise to transfer the product. The Company recognizes revenue over time as we transfer control of our product to the customer. This transfer of control to the customer is supported by clauses in the contracts, that provides enforceable rights to payment of the transaction price associated with work performed to date for products that do not have an alternative use to the Company and/or as the project is built and control transfers depending on the contract terms. Revenue for these performance obligations is recognized using the percentage of completion method based on cost incurred as a percentage of total estimated contract costs. Standard inventory materials (including batteries, enclosures, chillers, and others, which are assembled into “cubes”) that could be used interchangeably on other projects are included in our measure of progress when they are integrated into, or restricted to, the production of the customer’s project. Due to the significance of the costs associated with cubes, our judgement on when such costs should be included in the measure of progress has a material impact on revenue recognition. Contract costs include all direct material and labor costs related to contract performance. Pre-contract costs with no future benefit are expensed in the period in which they are incurred. Since the revenue recognition of these contracts depends on estimates, which are assessed continually during the term of the contract, recognized revenues and profit are subject to revisions as the contract progresses to completion. The cumulative effects of revisions of estimated total contract costs and revenues, together with any contract reserves which may be deemed appropriate, are recorded in the period in which they occur. Due to the uncertainties inherent in the estimation process, it is reasonably possible that these estimates will be revised in a different period. When a loss is forecasted for a contract, the full amount of the anticipated loss is recognized in the period in which it is determined that a loss will occur. Refer to “Loss Contracts” below for further discussion. Our contracts generally provide our customers the right to liquidated damages against Fluence in the event specified milestones are not met on time, or equipment is not delivered according to contract specifications. Liquidated damages are accounted for as variable consideration, and the contract price is reduced by the expected penalty or LD amount when recognizing revenue. Variable consideration is included in the transaction price only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty is resolved. Estimating variable consideration requires certain estimates and assumptions, including whether and by how much a project will be delayed and/or will not meet performance contractual specifications. The existence and measurement of liquidated damages may also be impacted by our judgements about the probability of favorable outcomes of customer disputes involving whether certain events qualify as force majeure or the reason for the events that caused project delays. Variable consideration for liquidated damages is estimated using the expected value of the consideration to be received. Fluence may incur additional costs to execute on the performance of a contract. When this happens, we typically attempt to recover the revenue associated with these costs via a change order with the customer. When this fact pattern occurs, it can create a timing difference between when we have incurred the cost versus when we record the revenue as costs are recognized immediately when incurred and the revenue from the change order is recognized as an increase to contract price when it is legally enforceable, which is usually upon signing a respective change order or equivalent document confirming the claim acceptance by customer. Revenue is recorded net of any taxes assessed on and collected from customers, which are remitted to the governmental authorities. For our sale of energy storage products and solutions, services, and digital applications contracts where there are multiple performance obligations in a single contract or we sign separate contracts at or near the same time with the same customer that meet the criteria for combination, the Company allocates the consideration to the various obligations in the contract based on the relative standalone selling price. Standalone selling prices are estimated based on estimated costs plus margin taking into consideration pricing history and market factors. Revenue from Services: The Company also enters into long-term service agreements with customers to provide operational services related to battery-based energy storage products and solutions. The services include maintenance, monitoring, and other minor services. The Company accounts for the services as a single performance obligation as the services are substantially the same and have the same pattern of transfer to customers. We typically recognize revenue overtime using a straight-line recognition method for these types of services. The Company believes using a time-based method to measure progress is appropriate as the performance obligations are satisfied evenly over time based on the fact that customers receive the services evenly. Revenue is recognized by dividing the total transaction price over the service period. Some of the agreements also provide a commitment to perform augmentation activities which would typically be represented by installation of additional batteries, and other components as needed, to compensate for partially lost capacity due to degradation of batteries over time. The obligation to perform augmentation activities can take the form of either maintaining battery capacity above a given threshold for a stated term while others provide a fixed number of augmentations over a contract term. Augmentation arrangements that require us to maintain battery capacity above an established thresholds for a given term may be considered service-type warranties depending on the contract terms. These represent a stand-ready obligation in which the customer benefits evenly overtime, of which we recognize revenue for these arrangements using a straight-line recognition method. Alternatively, augmentation arrangements that require us to perform a fixed number of augmentations over a contract term follow the percentage of completion revenue recognition method. Since these arrangements require a fixed number of augmentations we must perform, we use the pattern of cost as a proxy to identify when our obligations are satisfied and to recognize revenue. Revenue from Digital Applications and Solutions: The Company provides access to proprietary cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (“Saas”) through the Fluence IQ platform. The Fluence IQ platform currently includes Fluence Mosaic and Fluence Nispera. Fluence Mosaic is an intelligent bidding software for utility-scale storage and renewable assets, enabling customers to optimize asset trading in wholesale electricity markets. Fluence Mosaic is currently available in the NEM (Australia), CAISO (California), and ERCOT (Texas) markets. Fluence Nispera is our asset performance management (APM) software, which we acquired in 2022. Fluence Nispera helps customers monitor, analyze, forecast, and optimize the performance and value of renewable energy assets. Its flagship offering is an AI-driven utility-scale asset performance management platform that supports portfolios of energy storage, solar, and wind assets. Customers do not receive legal title or ownership of the applications as a result of these arrangements. The use of the Fluence IQ platform is separately identifiable from other promises that the Company offers to its customers (i.e., it is not highly interrelated or integrated with other solutions). As such, we determined that the Fluence IQ platform is accounted for as a separate performance obligation when combined with other products and services. We consider access to the platform and related support services in a customer contract to be a series of distinct services which comprise a single performance obligation because they are substantially the same and have the same pattern of transfer. We recognize revenue over time using a straight-line recognition method. Cost of Goods and Services: Cost of goods and services consists primarily of product costs, including purchased materials and supplies, as well as costs related to shipping, customer support, product warranty and personnel. Personnel costs in cost of goods and services includes both direct labor costs as well as costs attributable to any individuals whose activities relate to the transformation of raw materials or component parts into finished goods or the transportation of materials to the customer. Cost of goods and services are recognized when services are performed, or control of goods are transferred to the customers, which is generally based upon International Commercial Terms (commonly referred to as ‘‘incoterms’’) stated in corresponding supply agreements or purchase orders. Standard inventory materials that could be used interchangeably on other projects are included in cost of goods sold when they are integrated into, or restricted to, the production of the customer’s project . Deferred Revenue: Deferred revenue represents the excess billings to date over the amount of revenue recognized to date. Contract advances represent amounts received by the Company upon signing of the related contracts with customers. The advances are offset proportionately against progress billings. Any outstanding portion is included in deferred revenue on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Loss Contracts: A contract becomes a loss contract when its estimated total costs are expected to exceed its total revenue. The Company accrues the full loss expected in the period a loss contract is identified in “Current liabilities — Accruals and provisions” and “Cost of goods and services” on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, respectively. Inventory, Net Inventory consists of cubes, batteries and equipment, enclosures, inverters, and spare parts which are used in ongoing battery storage projects for sale. Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value with cost being determined by the specific identification method. Costs include cost of purchase, costs of conversion and other costs incurred in bringing the inventories to their present location and condition. The Company periodically reviews its inventory for potential obsolescence and write down of its inventory, as appropriate, to net realizable value based on its assessment of usefulness and marketability conditions. Software Development Cost s Our software development costs primarily relate to three categories: (i) internal-use software development costs, (ii) hosting arrangements which are service contracts, and (iii) external-use software development costs. We capitalize costs incurred to purchase or develop software for internal use and software to be sold or leased externally. Internal-use software development costs are capitalized during the application development stage in accordance with ASC 350-40, Internal-Use Software . These capitalized costs are reflected in “Intangible assets, net” on the consolidated balance sheets and are amortized over the estimated useful life of the software. Our internal-use software relates to our (i) SaaS customer offerings and is amortized to “Cost of goods and services” and (ii) internally developed solutions and are amortized to “General and administrative.” The useful life of our internal-use software development costs is generally 3 to 5 years. During the three months ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company capitalized $0.9 million and $0 million, respectively, of internal-use software. Internal-use software development costs associated with hosting arrangements are capitalized during the application development stage. These are generally cloud-computing arrangements that are service contracts. The capitalized costs are reflected in “Other long-term assets” on the consolidated balance sheets and are amortized to “General and administrative” once ready for intended use over the remaining hosting period. During the three months ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company capitalized $1.5 million and $0 million, respectively, of development costs related to hosting arrangements. External-use software development costs developed to be sold or leased externally are capitalized upon the establishment of technological feasibility for a product in accordance with ASC 985-20, Software to be Sold or Leased Externally. These software development costs are reflected in “Intangible assets, net” on our consolidated balance sheets and amortized to “Cost of goods and services” on a product basis by the greater of the straight-line method over the estimated economic life of the product or the ratio that current gross revenues for a product bear to the total current and anticipated future gross revenues for that product. The useful life of our external-use software development costs is generally 5 years. During the three months ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company capitalized $0.2 million and $0 million, respectively, of external-use software to be sold. Fair Value Measurements The fair value of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities reflects management’s estimate of amounts that the Company would have received in connection with the sale of the assets or paid in connection with the transfer of the liabilities in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. In connection with measuring the fair value of its assets and liabilities, the Company seeks to maximize the use of observable inputs and to minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The following fair value hierarchy, defined by ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements , is used to classify assets and liabilities based on the observable inputs and unobservable inputs used to value the assets and liabilities: Level 1—Quoted prices are available in active markets for identical assets or liabilities as of the reporting date. Active markets are those in which transactions for the asset or liability occur in sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis. Level 2—Pricing inputs are other than quoted prices in active markets included in Level 1, which are either directly or indirectly observable as of the reporting date. Level 2 inputs include those financial instruments that are valued using models or other valuation methodologies. These models are primarily industry-standard models that consider various assumptions, including quoted prices, time value, volatility factors, and current market and contractual prices for the underlying instruments, as well as other relevant economic measures. Substantially all of these assumptions are observable in the marketplace throughout the full term of the instrument, can be derived from observable data or are supported by observable levels at which transactions are executed in the marketplace. Level 3—Pricing inputs include significant inputs that are generally less observable from objective sources. These inputs may be used with internally developed methodologies that result in management’s best estimate of fair value from the perspective of a market participant. The Company does not have significant recurring Level 3 fair value measurements. The Company’s cash equivalents include term deposits with original maturity of less than 90 days and are recorded at amortized cost. Fair value of cash equivalents approximates the carrying amount. The carrying amounts of trade receivables, accounts payable and short-term debt obligations approximate fair values due to their short maturities. Loss per Share As of December 31, 2023, the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes three classes of common stock: Class A, Class B-1 and Class B-2. Loss per share is calculated and reported under the “two-class” method. The “two-class” method is an earnings allocation method under which loss per share is calculated for each class of common stock considering both distributions declared or accumulated and participation rights in undistributed losses as if all such loss had been distributed during the period. Basic loss per share of Class A common stock is computed by dividing net loss attributable to Class A common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of Class A common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted net loss per share of Class A common stock is computed by adjusting the net loss available to Class A common stockholders and the weighted average shares of Class A common stock outstanding to give effect to potentially dilutive securities. Shares of our Class B-1 and Class B-2 common stock are not entitled to receive any distributions or dividends. When a common unit of Fluence Energy, LLC is redeemed for cash or Class A common stock, at the Company’s election, by a Founder who holds shares of our Class B-1 or Class B-2 common stock, as applicable, such Founder will be required to surrender a share of Class B-1 or Class B-2 common stock, as the case may be, which we will cancel for no consideration. In the event of cash settlement, the Company is required to issue new shares of Class A common stock and use the proceeds from the sale of these newly-issued shares of Class A common stock to fully fund the cash settlement. Therefore, we did not include shares of our Class B-1 or Class B-2 common stock in the computation of basic loss per share. As we have incurred losses for all periods presented, diluted loss per share is equal to basic loss per share because the effect of potentially dilutive securities would be antidilutive. The following table presents the potentially dilutive securities that were excluded from the computation of diluted loss per share: Three Months Ended December 31, 2023 2022 Class B-1 common stock 51,499,195 58,586,695 Outstanding pre-IPO options (“2020 Unit Option Plan”) 4,846,089 7,835,243 Outstanding phantom units 256,935 513,865 Outstanding restricted stock units (“RSUs”) 2,351,121 2,011,690 Outstanding performance share units (“PSUs”) 329,055 — Outstanding non-qualified stock options (“NQSOs”) 132,524 — Outstanding restricted stock (“Nispera”) 354,134 531,202 Basic and diluted net loss per share of Class A common stock for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, have been computed as follows: Three Months Ended December 31, In thousands, except share and per share amounts 2023 2022 Net loss $ (25,556) $ (37,193) Less: Net loss attributable to the non-controlling interest (8,813) (12,551) Net loss attributable to Fluence Energy, Inc. $ (16,743) $ (24,642) Weighted average number of Class A common stock - basic and diluted 121,113,282 115,393,437 Loss per share of Class A common stock - basic and diluted $ (0.14) $ (0.21) Recent Accounting Standards Adopted The following table presents accounting standards adopted during the three months ended December 31, 2023. Standard Description Period of Adoption Effect on the financial statements and other significant matters Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2022-04: Liabilities-Supplier Finance Programs (Subtopic 405-50): Disclosure of Supplier Finance Program Obligations ASU 2022-04 requires entities to disclose the key terms of supplier finance programs they use in connection with the purchase of goods and services, along with the amount of obligations outstanding at the end of each period and an annual roll forward of such obligations. This standard does not affect the recognition, measurement, or financial statement presentation of supplier finance program obligations. As of the three months ended December 31, 2023. The Company presented the key terms of its supply chain financing programs along with a roll forward of activity in “Footnote 16 - Supply Chain Financing.” There was no impact as a result of the adoption on financial statement presentation or results of operations for any period presented. Recent Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted The following table presents accounting standards not yet adopted: Standard Description Required date of adoption Effect on the financial statements and other significant matters Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2023-07: Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures ASU 2023-07 requires disclosure of incremental segment information on an annual and interim basis for all public entities to enable investors to develop more decision-useful financial analyses. The update requires other specified segment items and amounts, such as depreciation, amortization, and depletion expense, to be disclosed under certain circumstances. The amendments in this Update do not change or remove those disclosure requirements. The amendments in this Update also do not change how a public entity identifies its operating segments, aggregates those operating segments, or applies the quantitative thresholds to determine its reportable segments. ASU 2023-07 is effective for the Company’s annual report for fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. The Company is evaluating the impact that this guidance will have on its disclosures. The Company only has one reportable segment. Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2023-09: Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures ASU 2023-09 adopts certain amendments to improve the effectiveness of income tax disclosures, including jurisdictional information, by requiring (1) consistent categories and greater disaggregation of information in the rate reconciliation, and (2) Income taxes paid, disaggregated by jurisdiction. ASU 2023-09 is effective for the Company’s annual report for fiscal year ending September 30 2026. The Company is evaluating the impact this guidance will have on income tax disclosures. Reclassifications |
