| Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated. Certain reclassifications of prior years’ amounts have been made to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on net income, cash flows from operating activities or stockholders’ equity. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and various other factors believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, including those related to revenue recognition, collectability of receivables, realizability of inventory, goodwill and intangible assets, warranty provisions, stock-based compensation, valuation of warrant and derivative liabilities, tax reserves, and deferred tax assets. Provisions for depreciation are based on their estimated useful lives using the straight-line method. Some of these estimates can be subjective and complex and, consequently, actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. While for any given estimate or assumption made by the Company’s management there may be other estimates or assumptions that are reasonable, the Company believes that, given the current facts and circumstances, it is unlikely that applying any such other reasonable estimate or assumption would materially impact the financial statements. Cash Equivalents Cash equivalents consist of highly liquid instruments with maturities of three months or less that are regarded as high quality, low risk investments and are measured using such inputs as quoted prices, and are classified within Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy. Cash equivalents consist principally of certificates of deposits and money market accounts. Accounts Receivable Accounts receivable consist of amounts owed by commercial companies and government agencies. Accounts receivable are stated net of allowances for doubtful accounts. The Company’s accounts receivable relate principally to a limited number of customers. As of March 31, 2017 , Inox, accounted for approximately 52% , and SSE plc for approximately 17% of the Company’s total receivable balance, with no other customer accounting for greater than 10% of the balance. As of March 31, 2016 , Inox, accounted for approximately 84% of the Company’s total receivable balance, with no other customer accounting for greater than 10% of the balance. Changes in the financial condition or operations of the Company’s customers may result in delayed payments or non-payments which would adversely impact its cash flows from operating activities and/or its results of operations. As such the Company may require collateral, advanced payment or other security based upon the customer history and/or creditworthiness. In determining the allowance for doubtful accounts, the Company evaluates the collectability of accounts receivable based primarily on the probability of recoverability based on historical collection and write-off experience, the age of past due receivables, specific customer circumstances, and current economic trends. If the financial condition of the Company’s customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payment, additional allowances may be required. Failure to accurately estimate the losses for doubtful accounts and ensure that payments are received on a timely basis could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Inventory Inventories include material, direct labor and related manufacturing overhead, and are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value determined on a first-in, first-out basis. The Company records inventory when it takes delivery and title to the product according to the terms of each supply contract. Program costs may be deferred and recorded as inventory on contracts on which costs are incurred in excess of approved contractual amounts and/or funding, if future recovery of the costs is deemed probable. At each balance sheet date, the Company evaluates its ending inventories for excess quantities and obsolescence. Inventories that management considers excess or obsolete are reserved. Management considers forecasted demand in relation to the inventory on hand, competitiveness of product offerings, market conditions and product life cycles when determining excess and obsolescence and net realizable value adjustments. Once inventory is written down and a new cost basis is established, it is not written back up if demand increases. For the fiscal years ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 , the Company recorded inventory reserves of approximately $1.6 million and $2.7 million , respectively, based on evaluating its ending inventory on hand for excess quantities and obsolescence. For the fiscal years ended March 31, 2017 , 2016 , and 2015 , the Company recorded benefits of $1.4 million , $5.0 million , and $8.0 million , respectively, for the usage of inventories previously reserved. Property, Plant and Equipment Property, plant and equipment are carried at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. The Company accounts for depreciation and amortization using the straight-line method to allocate the cost of property, plant and equipment over their estimated useful lives as follows: Asset Classification Estimated Useful Life in Years Building 40 Process upgrades to the building 10-40 Machinery and equipment 3-10 Furniture and fixtures 3-5 Leasehold improvements Shorter of the estimated useful life or the remaining lease term Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. Upon retirement or other disposition of assets, the costs and related accumulated depreciation are eliminated from the accounts and the resulting gain or loss is reflected in operating expenses. Valuation of Long-Lived Assets The Company periodically evaluates its long-lived assets, consisting principally of fixed assets and amortizable intangible assets, for potential impairment. In accordance with the applicable accounting guidance for the treatment of long-lived assets, the Company reviews the carrying value of its long-lived assets or asset group that is held and used, including intangible assets subject to amortization, for impairment whenever events and circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable. Under the held and used approach, the asset or asset group to be tested for impairment should represent the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other groups of assets and liabilities. The Company evaluates its long-lived assets whenever events or circumstances suggest that the carrying amount of an asset or group of assets may not be recoverable from the estimated undiscounted future cash flows. On April 3, 2017, the Board of Directors approved a plan to reduce the Company's global workforce by approximately 8% , effective April 4, 2017 primarily in its Devens, Massachusetts facility. The Board of Directors also approved a move from the Company's currently owned 355,000 square-foot facility in Devens, Massachusetts to a smaller facility better suited for its 2G wire process and systems manufacturing. Since the restructuring activities impacted its Superconductor and Corporate assets group, the Company concluded that there were indicators of potential impairment of its long-lived assets that required further analysis for these assets groups as of March 31, 2017. The Company conducted assessments of the recoverability of these assets by comparing the carrying value of the assets to the pre-tax undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets over their remaining book useful lives. Based on the calculations performed by management, the sum of the undiscounted cash flows forecasted to be generated by certain assets were less than the carrying value of those assets. Therefore, there were indicators that certain of its assets were impaired and the Company performed additional analysis. An evaluation of the level of impairment was made by comparing the fair value of the definite long-lived tangible and intangible assets of its reporting units against their carrying values. The fair values for the impacted property and equipment were based on what the Company could reasonably expect to sell each asset for from the perspective of a market participant. The determination of the fair value of its property and equipment includes estimates and judgments regarding marketability and ultimate sales price of individual assets. The Company utilized market data and approximations from comparable analyses to arrive at the fair value of the impacted property and equipment. The fair values of the amortizable intangible assets related to core technology and trade names were determined using primarily the relief-from-royalty method over the estimated economic lives of these assets from a perspective of a market participant. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017, the Company determined that the long-lived assets for the Superconductor and Corporate asset groups were not impaired as the estimated fair values exceeded the carrying values. Equity Method Investments The Company uses the equity method of accounting for investments in entities in which it has an ownership interest, but does not exercise a controlling interest in the operating and financial policies of an investee. Under this method, an investment is carried at the acquisition cost, plus the Company’s equity in undistributed earnings or losses since acquisition. The Company periodically tests its investments for potential impairment whenever events and circumstances indicate a loss in the fair value of the investments may be other than temporary. During the year ended March 31, 2016, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $0.7 million on its investment in Tres Amigas. During the year ended March 31, 2015, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $3.5 million on its investment in Blade Dynamics. Both of these minority investments have been sold as of March 31, 2017 . See Note 15, “Minority Investments”, for further discussion. Revenue Recognition The Company recognizes revenue for product sales upon customer acceptance, which can occur at the time of delivery, installation or post-installation where applicable, provided persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the sales price is fixed or determinable and the collectability is reasonably assured. Existing customers are subject to ongoing credit evaluations based on payment history and other factors. If it is determined during the arrangement that collectability is not reasonably assured, revenue is recognized on a cash basis of accounting. Certain of the Company’s contracts involve retention amounts which are contingent upon meeting certain performance requirements through the expiration of the contract warranty periods. For contractual arrangements that involve retention, the Company recognizes revenue for these amounts upon the expiration of the warranty period, meeting the performance requirements and when collection of the fee is reasonably assured. During the year ended March 31, 2011, the Company determined that revenues from certain of its customers in China could not be recorded for shipments made according to the delivery terms, as the fee was not fixed or determinable or collectability was not reasonably assured. For these customers, the Company is utilizing a cash basis of accounting with cash applied first against accounts receivable balances, then costs of shipments (inventory and value added taxes) before recognizing any gross margin. Payments of $0.9 million were received from these customers during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017, for past shipments and recorded as revenue. There were no payments received for past shipments in the fiscal years ended March 31, 2016 and 2015. For certain arrangements, such as contracts to perform research and development, prototype development contracts and certain product sales, the Company records revenues using the percentage-of-completion method, measured by the relationship of costs incurred to total estimated contract costs. Percentage-of-completion revenue recognition accounting is predominantly used on certain turnkey power systems installations for electric utilities and long-term prototype development contracts with the U.S. government. The Company follows this method since reasonably dependable estimates of the revenues and costs applicable to various stages of a contract can be made. However, the ability to reliably estimate total costs at completion is challenging, especially on long-term prototype development contracts, and could result in future changes in contract estimates. For contracts where reasonably dependable estimates of the revenues and costs cannot be made, the Company follows the completed-contract method. The Company enters into sales arrangements that may provide for multiple deliverables to a customer. Sales of certain products may include extended warranty and support or service packages, and at times include performance bonds. As these contracts progress, the Company continually assesses the probability of a payout from the performance bond. Should the Company determine that such a payout is likely; the Company would record a liability. The Company would reduce revenue to the extent a liability is recorded. In addition, the Company enters into licensing arrangements that include training services. Deliverables are separated into more than one unit of accounting when (1) the delivered element(s) have value to the customer on a stand-alone basis, and (2) delivery of the undelivered element(s) is probable and substantially in the control of the Company. In general, revenues are separated between the different product shipments which have stand-alone value, and the various services to be provided. Revenue for product shipments is recognized in accordance with the Company’s policy for product sales, while revenues for the services are recognized over the period of performance. The Company identifies all goods and/or services that are to be delivered separately under a sales arrangement and allocates revenue to each deliverable based on the element’s fair value as determined by vendor-specific objective evidence (“VSOE”), which is the price charged when that element is sold separately, or third-party evidence (“TPE”). When VSOE and TPE are unavailable, fair value is based on the Company’s best estimate of selling price utilizing a cost plus reasonable margin consistent with how the Company has set pricing historically for similar products and services. When the Company’s estimates are used to determine fair value, management makes its estimates using reasonable and objective evidence to determine the price. The Company reviews VSOE and TPE at least annually. If the Company concludes it is unable to establish fair values for one or more undelivered elements within a multiple-element arrangement using VSOE then the Company uses TPE or the best estimate of the selling price for that unit of accounting, being the price at which the vendor would transact if the unit of accounting were sold by the vendor regularly on a standalone basis. The Company’s license agreements provide either for the payment of contractually determined paid-up front license fees or milestone based payments in consideration for the grant of rights to manufacture and or sell products using its patented technologies or know-how. Some of these agreements provide for the release of the licensee from intellectual property infringements past and future claims. When the Company can determine that it has no further obligations other than the grant of the license and that the Company has fully transferred the technology know-how, the Company recognizes the revenue under a completed contract model. In other license arrangements, the Company may also agree to provide training services to transfer the technology know-how. In these arrangements, the Company has determined that the licenses have no standalone value to the customer and are not separable from training services as the Company can only fully transfer the technology know-how through the training component. Accordingly, the Company accounts for these arrangements as a single unit of accounting, and recognizes revenue over the period of its performance and milestones that have been achieved. Costs for these arrangements are expensed as incurred. In December 2015, the Company entered into a set of strategic agreements valued at approximately $210.0 million with Inox, which includes a multi-year supply contract pursuant to which the Company will supply electric control systems to Inox and a license agreement allowing Inox to manufacture a limited number of electrical control systems over the next three to four years. The Company determined this license has standalone value to the customer and can be separated from the supply contract. The license agreement includes customer acceptance criteria to demonstrate that the know-how to manufacture the electrical control systems has been fully transferred. The Company is deferring recognition of the revenue allocable to the license until this acceptance criteria has been met. In March 2016, the Company entered into a set of agreements to jointly develop an advanced, low cost manufacturing process for second generation high temperature superconductor wire with BASF. Under the joint development agreement, the Company’s manufacturing know-how for its Amperium® superconductor wire and BASF's chemical solution deposition production technology will be combined. As part of the agreements, the Company also entered into a royalty-bearing, non-exclusive license under which the Company agreed to provide BASF a specified portion of its second generation (2G) high temperature superconductor (HTS) wire manufacturing technology. The Company determined that the license rights it provides to BASF have standalone value from the ongoing joint development effort. The Company transferred the license rights to BASF in March 2016 recording $3.0M of license revenue in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016 as there were no remaining obligations associated with these rights. Any newly developed intellectual property as a result of the joint development will be owned by BASF. Should this development effort be successful, the Company has the right to incorporate this new technology into its manufacturing process on a royalty-free basis. BASF has also agreed to make guaranteed annual payments to the Company through fiscal 2017 and has an option to continue the joint development through fiscal 2018. The Company is recording revenue for the research and development services being provided over the term of the arrangement. The Company has elected to record taxes collected from customers on a net basis and does not include tax amounts in revenue or costs of revenue. Customer deposits received in advance of revenue recognition are recorded as deferred revenue until customer acceptance is received. Deferred revenue also represents the amount billed to and/or collected from commercial and government customers on contracts which permit billings to occur in advance of contract performance/revenue recognition. Product Warranty Warranty obligations are incurred in connection with the sale of the Company’s products. The Company generally provides a one to three year warranty on its products, commencing upon installation. The costs incurred to provide for these warranty obligations are estimated and recorded as an accrued liability at the time of sale. Future warranty costs are estimated based on historical performance rates and related costs to repair given products. The accounting estimate related to product warranty involves judgment in determining future estimated warranty costs. Should actual performance rates or repair costs differ from estimates, revision to the estimated warranty liability would be required. Research and Development Costs Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Income Taxes The Company’s provision for income taxes is comprised of a current and a deferred portion. The current income tax provision is calculated as the estimated taxes payable or refundable on tax returns for the current year. The deferred income tax provision is calculated for the estimated future tax effects attributable to temporary differences and carry-forwards using expected tax rates in effect in the years during which the differences are expected to reverse. Deferred income taxes are recognized for the tax consequences in future years of differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their financial reporting amounts at each fiscal year end based on enacted tax laws and statutory tax rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce net deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. The Company has provided a valuation allowance against its U.S. and certain foreign deferred income tax assets since the Company believes that it is more likely than not that these deferred tax assets are not currently realizable due to uncertainty around profitability in the future. Accounting for income taxes requires a two-step approach to recognizing and measuring uncertain tax positions. The first step is to evaluate the tax position for recognition by determining if, based on the technical merits, it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon audit, including resolution of related appeals or litigation processes, if any. The second step is to measure the tax benefit as the largest amount that is more than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The Company reevaluates these uncertain tax positions on a quarterly basis. This evaluation is based on factors including, but not limited to, changes in facts or circumstances, changes in tax law, effectively settled issues under audit and new audit activity. Any changes in these factors could result in the recognition of a tax benefit or an additional charge to the tax provision. The Company includes interest and penalties related to gross unrecognized tax benefits within the provision for income taxes. See Note 11, “Income Taxes,” for further information regarding its income tax assumptions and expenses. The Company evaluates its permanent reinvestment assertions with respect to foreign earnings at each reporting period. The Company has not recorded a deferred tax asset for the temporary difference associated with the excess of the tax basis over its book basis in its Austrian and Chinese subsidiaries as the future tax benefit is not expected to reverse in the foreseeable future. The Company has recorded a deferred tax liability as of March 31, 2017 for the undistributed earnings of its remaining foreign subsidiaries for which it can no longer assert are permanently reinvested. The total amount of undistributed earnings available to be repatriated at March 31, 2017 was $2.1 million resulting in the recording of a $0.7 million net deferred federal and state income tax liability. See Note 11, “Income Taxes,” for further information regarding its income tax assumptions and expenses. Stock-Based Compensation The Company accounts for stock-based payment transactions using a fair value-based method and recognizes the related expense in the results of operations. Stock-based compensation is estimated at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized as expense over the requisite service period of the award. The fair value of restricted stock awards is determined by reference to the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the fair value of awards with service and performance conditions. For awards with service conditions only, the Company recognizes compensation cost on a straight-line basis over the requisite service/vesting period. For awards with performance conditions, accruals of compensation cost are made based on the probable outcome of the performance conditions. The cumulative effect of changes in the probability outcomes are recorded in the period in which the changes occur. Determining the appropriate fair value model and related assumptions requires judgment, including estimating stock price volatilities of the Company’s common stock and expected terms. The expected volatility rates are estimated based on historical and implied volatilities of the Company’s common stock. The expected term represents the average time that the options that vest are expected to be outstanding based on the vesting provisions and the Company’s historical exercise, cancellation and expiration patterns. The Company estimates pre-vesting forfeitures when recognizing compensation expense based on historical and forward-looking factors. Changes in estimated forfeiture rates and differences between estimated forfeiture rates and actual experience may result in significant, unanticipated increases or decreases in stock-based compensation expense from period to period. The termination of employment of certain employees who hold large numbers of stock-based awards may also have a significant, unanticipated impact on forfeiture experience and, therefore, on stock-based compensation expense. The Company will update these assumptions on at least an annual basis and on an interim basis if significant changes to the assumptions are warranted. The Company's adoption of ASU 2016-09 Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting also resulted in the prospective classification of excess tax benefits as cash flows from operating activities in the same manner as other cash flows related to income taxes within the consolidated statements of cash flows. Based on the prospective method of adoption chosen, the classification of excess tax benefits within the consolidated statements of cash flows for prior periods presented has not been adjusted to reflect the change. Computation of Net Loss per Common Share Basic net loss per share (“EPS”) is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted EPS is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares and dilutive common equivalent shares outstanding during the period, calculated using the treasury stock method. Common equivalent shares include the effect of restricted stock, exercise of stock options and warrants and contingently issuable shares. For the fiscal years ended March 31, 2017 , 2016 , and 2015 , common equivalent shares of 1,538,418 , 1,552,959 , and 1,567,352 , respectively, were not included in the calculation of diluted EPS as they were considered antidilutive. The following table reconciles the numerators and denominators of the EPS calculation for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2017 , 2016 , and 2015 (in thousands except per share amounts): Fiscal year ended March 31, 2017 2016 2015 Numerator: Net loss $ (27,373 ) $ (23,139 ) $ (48,656 ) Denominator: Weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding 14,231 13,295 8,559 Weighted-average shares subject to repurchase (427 ) (117 ) (82 ) Shares used in per-share calculation ― basic 13,804 13,178 8,477 Shares used in per-share calculation ― diluted 13,804 13,178 8,477 Net loss per share ― basic $ (1.98 ) $ (1.76 ) $ (5.74 ) Net loss per share ― diluted $ (1.98 ) $ (1.76 ) $ (5.74 ) Foreign Currency Translation The functional currency of all the Company’s foreign subsidiaries is the U.S. dollar, except for AMSC Austria, for which the local currency (Euro) is the functional currency, and AMSC China, for which the local currency (Renminbi) is the functional currency. The assets and liabilities of AMSC Austria and AMSC China are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate in effect at the balance sheet date and income and expense items are translated at average rates for the period. Cumulative translation adjustments are excluded from net loss and shown as a separate component of stockholders’ equity. Net foreign currency gains (losses) are included in net loss and were $0.1 million , $(2.3) million , and $2.8 million for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2017 , 2016 and 2015 , respectively. The Company has no restrictions on the foreign exchange activities of its foreign subsidiaries, including the payment of dividends and other distributions. Risks and Uncertainties The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates and would impact future results of operations and cash flows. The Company invests its available cash in high credit, quality financial instruments and invests primarily in investment-grade marketable securities, including, but not limited to, government obligations, money market funds and corporate debt instruments. Several of the Company’s government contracts are being funded incrementally, and as such, are subject to the future authorization, appropriation, and availability of government funding. The Company has a history of successfully obtaining financing under incrementally-funded contracts with the U.S. government and it expects to continue to receive additional contract modifications in the year ending March 31, 2018 and beyond as incremental funding is authorized and appropriated by the government. Contingencies From time to time, the Company may be involved in legal and administrative proceedings and claims of various types. The Company records a liability in its consolidated financial statements for these matters when a loss is known or considered probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. Management reviews these estimates in each accounting period as additional information is known and adjusts the loss provision when appropriate. If the loss is not probable or cannot be reasonably estimated, a liability is not recorded in the consolidated financial statements. If, with respect to a matter, it is not both probable to result in liability and the amount of loss cannot be reasonably estimated, an estimate of possible loss or range of loss is disclosed unless such an estimate cannot be made. The Company does not recognize gain contingencies until they are realized. Legal costs incurred in connection with loss contingencies are expensed as incurred. See Note 13, “Commitments and Contingencies,” for further information regarding the Company’s pending litigation. Disclosure of Fair Value of Financial Instruments The Company’s financial instruments consist principally of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses, warrants to purchase shares of common stock, derivatives, and a senior secured term loan. The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, short-term debt, accounts payable, and accrued expenses due to their short nature approximate fair value at March 31, 2017 and 2016 . The estimated fair values have been determined through information obtained from market sources and management estimates. The fair value for the warrant arrangements has been estimated by management based on the terms that it believes it could obtain in the current market for debt with the same terms and similar maturities. The Company classifies the estimates used to fair value these instruments as Level 3 inputs See Note 3, |
