FuelCell Energy (FCEL) 10-Q 12 Mar 14 2014 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014	Mar. 06, 2014
Document and Entity Information	'	'
Entity Registrant Name	'FUELCELL ENERGY INC	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0000886128	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'
Document Period End Date	31-Jan-14	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2014	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'Q1	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--10-31	'
Entity Filer Category	'Accelerated Filer	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	253,924,151

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets_Un

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (USD $)	Jan. 31, 2014	Oct. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	$78,468	$67,696
Restricted cash and cash equivalents - short term	6,194	5,053
Accounts receivable, net	33,831	49,116
Inventories	51,852	56,185
Other current assets	6,871	11,279
Total current assets	177,216	189,329
Restricted cash and cash equivalents - long-term	19,950	4,950
Property, plant and equipment, net	23,947	24,225
Goodwill	4,075	4,075
Intangible Assets	9,592	9,592
Other assets, net	5,944	5,465
Total assets	240,724	237,636
Current liabilities:	'	'
Current portion of long-term debt	6,914	6,931
Accounts payable	18,397	24,535
Accrued liabilities	10,599	21,912
Deferred revenue	47,630	51,857
Preferred stock obligation of subsidiary	962	1,028
Total current liabilities	84,502	106,263
Long-term deferred revenue	20,248	18,763
Long-term preferred stock obligation of subsidiary	12,610	13,270
Long-term debt and other liabilities	37,173	52,675
Total liabilities	154,533	190,971
Redeemable preferred stock (liquidation preference of $64,020 at January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013)	59,857	59,857
Shareholders' equity (deficit)	'	'
Common stock ($.0001 par value); 275,000,000 shares authorized; 236,457,199 and 196,310,402 shares issued and outstanding at January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013, respectively.	24	20
Additional paid-in capital	809,013	758,656
Accumulated deficit	-781,793	-771,189
Accumulated other comprehensive income	81	101
Treasury stock, Common, at cost (5,679 shares at January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013)	-53	-53
Deferred Compensation Equity	53	53
Total shareholders' equity (deficit)	27,325	-12,412
Noncontrolling interest in subsidiaries	-991	-780
Total equity (deficit)	26,334	-13,192
Total liabilities and equity (deficit)	$240,724	$237,636

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets_Un1

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Jan. 31, 2014	Oct. 31, 2013
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]	'	'
Preferred Stock, Liquidation Preference, Value	$64,020	$64,020
Common stock, par value	$0.00	$0.00
Common stock, shares authorized	275,000,000	275,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	236,457,199	196,310,402
Common stock, shares outstanding	236,457,199	196,310,402
Treasury stock, shares	5,679	5,679

Consolidated_Statements_of_Ope

Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Jan. 31, 2014		Jan. 31, 2013
Revenues (1):	'		'
Product sales	$34,460		$29,065
Service agreements and license revenues	4,960		4,969
Advanced technologies contract revenues	5,014		2,324
Total revenues	44,434	[1]	36,358	[1]
Costs of revenues:	'		'
Cost of product sales	33,028		29,944
Cost of service agreements and license revenues	4,157		6,485
Cost of advanced technologies contract revenues	5,050		2,240
Total costs of revenues	42,235		38,669
Gross profit (loss)	2,199		-2,311
Operating expenses:	'		'
Administrative and selling expenses	4,854		5,432
Research and development expenses	4,915		3,327
Total costs and expenses	9,769		8,759
Loss from operations	-7,570		-11,070
Interest expense	-1,361		-566
Income from equity investment	0		46
Other income (expense), net	-1,774		-282
Loss before provision for income taxes	-10,705		-11,872
Provision for income taxes	-110		-7
Net Loss	-10,815		-11,879
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	211		198
Net loss attributable to FuelCell Energy, Inc.	-10,604		-11,681
Preferred stock dividends	-800		-800
Net loss attributable to common shareholders	($11,404)		($12,481)
Loss per share basic and diluted	'		'
Net loss per share attributable to common shareholders	($0.06)		($0.07)
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Basic and Diluted	200,637,819		187,553,306
[1]	Includes revenue from a related party. Refer to Related Parties in Note 1 to the financial statements.

Statement_of_Comprehensive_Los

Statement of Comprehensive Loss Statement (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jan. 31, 2014	Jan. 31, 2013
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]	'	'
Net Loss	($10,815)	($11,879)
Foreign currency translation adjustments	-20	76
Comprehensive loss	($10,835)	($11,803)

Consolidated_Statements_of_Cas

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jan. 31, 2014	Jan. 31, 2013
Cash flows from operating activities:	'	'
Net loss	($10,815)	($11,879)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:	'	'
Share-based compensation	621	509
Income from equity investment	0	-46
Gain (loss) from change in fair value of embedded derivatives	225	-3
Make whole derivative expense	2,422	0
Depreciation	1,068	1,012
Interest expense on preferred stock obligation	492	511
Other non-cash transactions, net	-696	207
Decrease (increase) in operating assets:	'	'
Accounts receivable	15,227	17,020
Inventories	4,333	3,236
Other assets	2,530	-739
Increase (decrease) in operating liabilities:	'	'
Accounts payable	-6,138	-5,345
Accrued liabilities	-11,151	-1,026
Deferred revenue	-2,742	27,434
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	-5,074	30,897
Cash flows from investing activities:	'	'
Capital expenditures	-790	-1,397
Cash acquired from acquisition	0	357
Net cash used in investing activities	-790	-1,040
Cash flows from financing activities:	'	'
Repayment of debt	-95	-63
Proceeds from debt	250	0
Increase in restricted cash and cash equivalents	-16,141	-5,000
Payment of preferred dividends and return of capital	-1,113	-1,113
Proceeds from sale of common stock, net of registration fees	33,755	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	16,656	-6,176
Effects on cash from changes in foreign currency rates	-20	76
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	10,772	23,757
Cash and cash equivalents-beginning of period	67,696	46,879
Cash and cash equivalents-end of period	78,468	70,636
Supplemental cash flow disclosures:	'	'
Cash interest paid	1,535	55
Noncash financing and investing activity:	'	'
Common stock issued for Employee Stock Purchase Plan in settlement of prior year accrued employee contributions	106	85
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Conversion of Convertible Securities	12,960	0
Common stock issued for acquisition	0	3,562
Debt Conversion and Make Whole Obligation [Member]	'	'
Noncash financing and investing activity:	'	'
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Conversion of Convertible Securities	$17,200	'

Nature_of_Business_and_Basis_o

Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation	'
	Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation
	FuelCell Energy, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”, “FuelCell Energy”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) is a leading integrated fuel cell company with a growing global presence. We design, manufacture, install, operate and service ultra-clean, efficient and reliable stationary fuel cell power plants. Our Direct FuelCell power plants produce reliable 24/7 base load electricity and usable high quality heat for commercial, industrial, government and utility customers. We have commercialized our stationary carbonate fuel cells and are also pursuing the complementary development of planar solid oxide fuel cell and other fuel cell technologies. We continue to invest in new product and market development and we are not currently generating net income from our operations.  Our operations are funded primarily through cash generated from product sales, service and advanced technologies contracts, license fee income and sales of equity and debt securities. In order to continually produce positive cash flow from operations, we need to be successful at increasing annual order volume, production and cost reduction efforts.
	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regarding interim financial information. Accordingly, they do not contain all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all normal and recurring adjustments necessary to fairly present our financial position as of January 31, 2014 have been included. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
	Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America have been condensed or omitted.  The balance sheet as of October 31, 2013 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, but it does not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended October 31, 2013, which are contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The results of operations for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the full fiscal year.
	Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior year amounts to conform to the current year presentation.
	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Estimates are used in accounting for, among other things, revenue recognition, excess, slow-moving and obsolete inventories, product warranty costs, reserves on service agreements ("SA"), allowance for uncollectible receivables, depreciation and amortization, impairment of intangible and long-lived assets, income taxes, purchase accounting, and contingencies. Estimates and assumptions are reviewed periodically, and the effects of revisions are reflected in the consolidated financial statements in the period they are determined to be necessary.  Due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, actual results in future periods may differ from those estimates.
	Related Parties
	POSCO Energy (“POSCO”), which is a related party, owns approximately 13 percent of the outstanding common shares of the Company as of January 31, 2014. Revenues from POSCO Energy for the three months ended January 31, 2014 and 2013 represent 73% and 69%, respectively, of consolidated revenues.

Inventories

Inventories	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Inventories	'
	Inventories
	The components of inventory at January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013 consisted of the following:
		January 31,		October 31,
		2014		2013
	Raw materials	$	19,563	$	20,599
	Work-in-process (1)	32,289		35,586
	Inventories	$	51,852	$	56,185
	-1	Work-in-process includes the standard components of inventory used to build the typical modules or stack components that are intended to be used in future power plant orders or to service SA's. Included in work-in-process as of January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013 is $6.5 million and $5.8 million, respectively, of completed standard components.
	Raw materials consist mainly of various nickel powders and steels, various other components used in producing cell stacks and purchased components for balance of plant. Work-in-process inventory is comprised of material, labor, and overhead costs incurred to build fuel cell stacks, which are subcomponents of a power plant. Work in process also includes costs related to modules which have not yet been dedicated to a particular commercial customer contract.
	Raw materials and work-in-process are net of valuation reserves of approximately $1.2 million and $1.4 million at January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013, respectively.

Accounts_Receivable

Accounts Receivable	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Receivables [Abstract]	'
Accounts Receivable	'
	Accounts Receivable
	Accounts receivable at January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013 consisted of the following:
		January 31, 2014		October 31, 2013
	Advanced Technology (including U.S. Government(1)):
	Amount billed	$	1,962	$	786
	Unbilled recoverable costs	1,355		639
		3,317		1,425
	Commercial Customers:
	Amount billed	15,286		17,344
	Unbilled recoverable costs	15,228		30,347
		30,514		47,691
	Accounts receivable, net	$	33,831	$	49,116
	-1	Total U.S. Government accounts receivable outstanding at January 31, 2014 is $1.4 million .
	We bill customers for power plant and module kit sales based on certain milestones being reached. We bill SA's based on the contract price and billing terms of the contracts. The majority of advanced technology contracts are with the U.S. Government. We bill the U.S. Government based on actual recoverable costs incurred, typically in the month subsequent to incurring costs. The remainder of advanced technology contracts are billed based on milestones or costs incurred. Unbilled recoverable costs relate to revenue recognized on customer contracts that have not been billed. Unbilled amounts at January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013 included $0.3 million and $17.8 million due from Dominion under the Bridgeport fuel cell park project and $8.6 million and $6.7 million due from POSCO Energy. Accounts receivable are presented net of an allowance for doubtful accounts of $0.07 million and $0.01 million at January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013, respectively.
	Commercial Customers accounts receivable (including Unbilled recoverable costs) include amounts due from POSCO Energy of $20.3 million and $17.4 million at January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013, respectively.

Other_Current_Assets_Notes

Other Current Assets (Notes)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Prepaid Expense and Other Assets, Current [Abstract]	'
Other Current Assets [Text Block]	'
	Other Current Assets
	Other current assets at January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013 consisted of the following:
			31-Jan-14		31-Oct-13
	Advance payments to vendors (1)		$	1,808	$	4,235
	Debt issuance costs (2)		299		494
	Notes receivable (3)		575		478
	Prepaid expenses and other (4)		4,189		6,072
	Other current assets		$	6,871	$	11,279
	-1	Advance payments to vendors relate to inventory purchases.
	-2	Represents the current portion of capitalized debt issuance costs relating to the convertible debt issuance which will be amortized over the five year term of the convertible notes.
	-3	Current portion of long-term notes receivable.
	-4	Primarily relates to other prepaid vendor expenses including insurance, rent and lease payments.

Other_Assets_net

Other Assets, net	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Other Assets, Noncurrent [Abstract]	'
Other Assets, net	'
	Other Assets, net
	Other assets, net at January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013 consisted of the following:
		January 31, 2014		October 31, 2013
	Long-term stack residual value (1)	$	4,136	$	2,898
	Debt issuance costs (2)	1,024		1,721
	Other (3)	784		846
	Other assets, net	$	5,944	$	5,465
	-1	In circumstances where the useful life of the module extends beyond the contractual term of the SA and the Company retains title for the module from the customer upon expiration or non-renewal of the SA, the cost of the module exchanges is recorded as a long term asset and is depreciated over its expected life. If the Company does not obtain rights to title from the customer, the cost of the module is expensed at the time of the module exchange. Accumulated depreciation was $2.4 million and $2.1 million for the periods ended January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013, respectively.
	(2) Represents the long-term portion of capitalized debt issuance costs relating to the convertible debt issuance which will be amortized over the five year term of the convertible notes.
	(3) Includes security deposits and notes receivable.

Accrued_Liabilities

Accrued Liabilities	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]	'
Accrued Liabilities	'
	Accrued Liabilities
	Accrued liabilities at January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013 consisted of the following:
		January 31, 2014		October 31, 2013
	Accrued payroll and employee benefits (1)	$	3,266	$	4,647
	Accrued contract and operating costs (2)	34		87
	Reserve for product warranty cost (3)	1,043		860
	Reserve for service agreement costs (4)	3,048		4,186
	Reserve for repair and upgrade program and modules due POSCO Energy (5)	389		7,267
	Accrued taxes, legal, professional and other (6)	2,819		4,865
	Accrued Liabilities	$	10,599	$	21,912
	-1	Balance relates to amounts owed to employees for compensation and benefits as of the end of the period. The decrease in the period reflects payments of employee bonuses offset by other activity, net.
	-2	Balance includes estimated losses accrued on product sales contracts.
	-3	Activity in the reserve for product warranty costs for the three months ended January 31, 2014 included additions for estimates of potential future warranty obligations of $1.2 million on contracts in the warranty period and reserve reductions related to actual warranty spend of $1.0 million as contracts progress through the warranty period or are beyond the warranty period.
	-4	As of January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013, the loss reserve on SA's totaled $2.2 million and $3.7 million, respectively. Also included in this line item is a reserve for performance guarantees penalties under the terms of our customer contracts, which based on our ongoing analysis of historical fleet performance, totaled $0.9 million and $0.5 million as of January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013, respectively.
	-5	The decrease in the reserve as of January 31, 2014 compared to October 31, 2013 is a result of three replacement modules having been provided to POSCO Energy under the terms of the Master Service Agreement with POSCO Energy.
	-6	Balance includes accrued sales, use and payroll taxes as well as estimated legal, professional and other expense estimates as of the end of the period.

Debt_and_Leases

Debt and Leases	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Debt and Capital Lease Obligations [Abstract]	'
Debt and Capital Leases Disclosures [Text Block]	'
	Debt and Leases
	At January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013, debt consisted of the following:
			31-Jan-14			31-Oct-13
	Revolving credit facility		$	6,500		$	6,500
	Senior Unsecured Convertible Notes		23,000			38,000
	Connecticut Development Authority Note		3,190			3,246
	Connecticut Clean Energy and Finance Investment Authority Note		6,061			5,744
	Capitalized lease obligations		451			497
	Total debt		$	39,202		$	53,987
	Less: Unamortized debt discount (1)		(1,767		)	(3,106		)
			37,435			50,881
	Less: Current portion of long-term debt		(6,914		)	(6,931		)
	Long-term debt		$	30,521		$	43,950
	(1) The debt discount recorded in connection with the issuance of the Company’s unsecured convertible notes is recorded on the consolidated balance sheets as a reduction to associated debt balance. The Company amortizes the debt discount to interest expense over the term of the debt.
	Aggregate annual principal payments under our loan agreements and capital lease obligations, excluding payments relating to the revolving credit facility, for the years subsequent to January 31, 2014 are as follows:
	Year 1	$	414
	Year 2	386
	Year 3	282
	Year 4	260
	Year 5	25,299
	Thereafter	6,061
		$	32,702
	On June 25, 2013, the Company sold $38.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 8.0% Senior Unsecured Convertible Notes ("Notes"). Under the terms of the Notes, interest is payable semi-annually in arrears on December 15 and June 15 of each year. The Company made its first interest payment on December 15, 2013. The Notes will mature on June 15, 2018, unless earlier redeemed, repurchased or converted. The Notes are convertible into shares of the Company's common stock at a conversion rate of 645.1613 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount of convertible notes, equivalent to a conversion price of approximately $1.55 per share of common stock plus a "make-whole" payment in regard to interest. During the first quarter of 2014, $15.0 million of outstanding principal was converted by Note holders and the Company issued 9,677,425 shares of common stock. In connection with the conversion of the Notes, the Company recorded an increase in common stock and additional paid in capital based on the carrying value of the converted Notes which included the converted Notes principal, a proportional amount of unamortized debt discount, and a proportional amount of unamortized debt issuance costs.
	The change of control put redemption and interest make-whole payment upon conversion features embedded in the Notes require bifurcation from the host debt contract. The aggregate fair value of these derivatives at January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013 is $2.7 million and $4.7 million, respectively. As a result of the Note conversions, 2,344,080 shares were issued and a payment of $0.3 million was made to settle the make-whole payment. The total fair value of the shares issued for the make-whole payment was $4.2 million which resulted in a charge of $2.4 million and a reduction to the embedded derivative of $1.8 million. The derivatives are included in Long term debt and other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets and the make-whole charge is included in Other income (expense), net on the consolidated statements of operations.
	As of January 31, 2014, the Company has an $8.0 million revolving credit facility with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and the Export-Import Bank of the United States. The credit facility is used for working capital to finance the manufacture and production and subsequent export sale of the Company’s products or services. The agreement has a one year term with renewal provisions and the current expiration date is April 2, 2014.  The outstanding principal balance of the facility will bear interest, at the option of the Company of either the one-month LIBOR plus 1.5 percent or the prime rate of JP Morgan Chase. The facility is secured by certain working capital assets and general intangibles, up to the amount of the outstanding facility balance. At January 31, 2014, and October 31, 2013 the outstanding amount owed under this facility was $6.5 million and is classified as current portion of long-term debt and other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.
	The outstanding balance on the Connecticut Development Authority loan was $3.2 million as of January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013.
	On March 5, 2013 the Company closed on a new long-term loan agreement with the Connecticut Clean Energy and Finance Investment Authority (CEFIA) totaling $5.9 million in support of the Bridgeport fuel cell park project. The loan agreement carries an interest rate of 5.0%. Interest only payments commenced in January 2014 and principal payments will commence on the eighth anniversary of the project's provisional acceptance date, which is December 20, 2021, payable in forty eight equal monthly installments. Outstanding amounts are secured by future cash flows from the Bridgeport service agreement. The outstanding balance on the CEFIA Note as of January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013 was $6.1 million and $5.7 million, respectively.

Shareholders_Equity_Deficit

Shareholders' Equity (Deficit)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Equity [Abstract]	'
Shareholders' Equity (Deficit)	'
	Shareholders’ Equity (Deficit)
	Changes in shareholders’ equity (deficit)
	Changes in shareholders’ equity (deficit) were as follows for the three months ended January 31, 2014:
		Total			Noncontrolling			Total
		Shareholders’			interest			Equity (Deficit)
		Equity (Deficit)
	Balance at October 31, 2013	$	(12,412	)	$	(780	)	$	(13,192	)
	Common stock issued for convertible note conversions	12,960			—			12,960
	Common stock issued to settle make-whole obligation	4,240			—			4,240
	Share-based compensation	621			—			621
	Sale of common stock, net of registration fees	33,246			—			33,246
	Taxes paid upon vesting of restricted stock awards, net of stock issued under benefit plans	94			—			94
	Preferred dividends – Series B	(800		)	—			(800		)
	Other comprehensive loss - foreign currency translation adjustments	(20		)	—			(20		)
	Net loss	(10,604		)	(211		)	(10,815		)
	Balance at January 31, 2014	$	27,325		$	(991	)	$	26,334
	Common Stock Issuances
	During the first quarter of 2014, certain investors elected to convert a total of $15.0 million principal of $38.0 million in aggregate principal of the 8.0% Senior Unsecured Convertible Notes. Under the terms of the Notes, they are convertible into shares of the Company's common stock at a conversion rate of 645.1613 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount of convertible notes, equivalent to a conversion price of approximately $1.55 per share of common stock plus a "make-whole" payment in regard to interest.  As a result of these conversions, the Company issued 9,677,425 shares of common stock related to the conversions, 2,344,080 shares to settle the make-whole obligation and 26,674 shares for accrued interest
	On January 23, 2014, the Company completed a public offering of 25.3 million shares of common stock, including 3.3 million shares sold pursuant to the full exercise of an over-allotment option granted to the underwriters. All shares were offered by the Company at a price of $1.25 per share. Total net proceeds to the Company were approximately $29.5 million.
	The Company may sell common stock on the open market from time to time. The proceeds of these sales may be used to pay obligations related to the Company's outstanding Series I and Series B preferred shares and the 8.0% Senior Unsecured Convertible Notes or for general corporate purposes. During the first quarter of 2014, the Company sold 2,704,200 shares, respectively of the Company's common stock at prevailing market prices through periodic trades on the open market and raised approximately $3.7 million, net of fees.
	Warrant Issuance
	On September 4, 2013, the Company entered into a co-marketing agreement with NRG Energy ("NRG") for the marketing and sales of the Company's power plants. The terms of the agreement included the issuance of warrants to NRG that permit NRG to purchase up to 5.0 million shares of the Company's common stock at predetermined prices based on attaining minimum sales goals. There are three tranches of warrants with varying strike prices, varying minimum levels of qualifying orders, and different vesting and expiration dates. The weighted average strike price for all 5.0 million warrants is $2.18. The qualifying order vesting dates range from March 2014 through September 2015 and the expiration dates range from February 2017 through August 2018. Any costs associated with the warrants will be recorded as a reduction of potential future revenue recorded under the arrangement. No warrants were vested and no expense was recorded as of January 31, 2014.

Loss_Per_Share

Loss Per Share	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Loss Per Share	'
	Loss Per Share
	The calculation of basic and diluted loss per share was as follows:
		Three Months Ended January 31,
		2014			2013
	Numerator
	Net loss	$	(10,815	)	$	(11,879	)
	Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	211			198
	Preferred stock dividend	(800		)	(800		)
	Net loss attributable to common shareholders	$	(11,404	)	$	(12,481	)
	Denominator
	Weighted average basic common shares	200,637,819			187,553,306
	Effect of dilutive securities (1)	—			—
	Weighted average diluted common shares	200,637,819			187,553,306
	Basic loss per share	$	(0.06	)	$	(0.07	)
	Diluted loss per share (1)	$	(0.06	)	$	(0.07	)
	-1	Diluted loss per share was computed without consideration to potentially dilutive instruments as their inclusion would have been antidilutive. Potentially dilutive instruments include stock options, convertible preferred stock, senior unsecured convertible notes and warrants. At January 31, 2014 and 2013, there were options to purchase 3.1 million shares of common stock. On September 4, 2013, the Company entered into a co-marketing agreement with NRG for the marketing and sales of the Company's power plants which include the issuance of warrants to purchase up to 5.0 million shares of the Company's common stock.

Restricted_Cash

Restricted Cash	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Restricted cash	'
	Restricted Cash
	As of January 31, 2014 $26.1 million of cash and cash equivalents was pledged as collateral for letters of credit for certain banking requirements and contractual commitments, compared to $10.0 million of cash and cash equivalents pledged as of October 31, 2013. The increase in the restricted cash balance is related to the terms of the Bridgeport Equipment and Installation contract with Dominion for the provisional acceptance payment which was made to the Company during the first quarter of fiscal 2014 totaling $15.0 million which has been placed in a Grantor's Trust account to secure certain FCE obligations under the 15-year SA and has been classified as Restricted cash and cash equivalents - long-term. As of January 31, 2014, outstanding letters of credit totaled $8.5 million compared to $7.7 million at October 31, 2013. These expire on various dates through April 2019.

Subsequent_Events_Notes

Subsequent Events (Notes)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Subsequent Event [Line Items]	'
Subsequent Events [Text Block]	'
	Subsequent Events
	During the second quarter of 2014, certain investors elected to convert a total of $22.0 million principal of the $38.0 million in aggregate principal of the 8.0% Senior Unsecured Convertible Notes. Under the terms of the Notes they are convertible into shares of the Company's common stock at a conversion rate of 645.1613 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount of convertible notes, equivalent to a conversion price of approximately $1.55 per share of common stock plus a "make-whole" payment equal to the lesser of three years of interest payments or interest payments from the date of conversion through maturity of the convertible notes.  As a result of these conversions, the Company retired $22.0 million of outstanding principal and issued 17.5 million shares of common stock.  The remaining principal balance of the 8.0% Senior Unsecured Convertible Notes is $1.0 million.

Accounts_Receivable_Level_2_Po

Accounts Receivable Level 2 (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Receivables [Abstract]	'
Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]	'
	We bill customers for power plant and module kit sales based on certain milestones being reached. We bill SA's based on the contract price and billing terms of the contracts. The majority of advanced technology contracts are with the U.S. Government. We bill the U.S. Government based on actual recoverable costs incurred, typically in the month subsequent to incurring costs. The remainder of advanced technology contracts are billed based on milestones or costs incurred. Unbilled recoverable costs relate to revenue recognized on customer contracts that have not been billed.

Inventories_Tables

Inventories (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Inventories [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Inventory, Current [Table Text Block]	'
	The components of inventory at January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013 consisted of the following:
		January 31,		October 31,
		2014		2013
	Raw materials	$	19,563	$	20,599
	Work-in-process (1)	32,289		35,586
	Inventories	$	51,852	$	56,185
	-1	Work-in-process includes the standard components of inventory used to build the typical modules or stack components that are intended to be used in future power plant orders or to service SA's. Included in work-in-process as of January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013 is $6.5 million and $5.8 million, respectively, of completed standard components.

Accounts_Receivable_Tables

Accounts Receivable (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Receivables [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Table Text Block]	'
	Accounts receivable at January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013 consisted of the following:
		January 31, 2014		October 31, 2013
	Advanced Technology (including U.S. Government(1)):
	Amount billed	$	1,962	$	786
	Unbilled recoverable costs	1,355		639
		3,317		1,425
	Commercial Customers:
	Amount billed	15,286		17,344
	Unbilled recoverable costs	15,228		30,347
		30,514		47,691
	Accounts receivable, net	$	33,831	$	49,116
	-1	Total U.S. Government accounts receivable outstanding at January 31, 2014 is $1.4 million .

Other_Current_Assets_Tables

Other Current Assets (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Prepaid Expense and Other Assets, Current [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Other Current Assets [Table Text Block]	'
	Other current assets at January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013 consisted of the following:
			31-Jan-14		31-Oct-13
	Advance payments to vendors (1)		$	1,808	$	4,235
	Debt issuance costs (2)		299		494
	Notes receivable (3)		575		478
	Prepaid expenses and other (4)		4,189		6,072
	Other current assets		$	6,871	$	11,279
	-1	Advance payments to vendors relate to inventory purchases.
	-2	Represents the current portion of capitalized debt issuance costs relating to the convertible debt issuance which will be amortized over the five year term of the convertible notes.
	-3	Current portion of long-term notes receivable.
	-4	Primarily relates to other prepaid vendor expenses including insurance, rent and lease payments.

Other_Assets_net_Tables

Other Assets, net (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Other Assets, Noncurrent [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Other Current Assets [Table Text Block]	'
	Other assets, net at January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013 consisted of the following:
		January 31, 2014		October 31, 2013
	Long-term stack residual value (1)	$	4,136	$	2,898
	Debt issuance costs (2)	1,024		1,721
	Other (3)	784		846
	Other assets, net	$	5,944	$	5,465
	-1	In circumstances where the useful life of the module extends beyond the contractual term of the SA and the Company retains title for the module from the customer upon expiration or non-renewal of the SA, the cost of the module exchanges is recorded as a long term asset and is depreciated over its expected life. If the Company does not obtain rights to title from the customer, the cost of the module is expensed at the time of the module exchange. Accumulated depreciation was $2.4 million and $2.1 million for the periods ended January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013, respectively.
	(2) Represents the long-term portion of capitalized debt issuance costs relating to the convertible debt issuance which will be amortized over the five year term of the convertible notes.
	(3) Includes security deposits and notes receivable.

Accrued_Liabilities_Tables

Accrued Liabilities (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Accrued Liabilities, Current [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Accrued Liabilities [Table Text Block]	'
	Accrued liabilities at January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013 consisted of the following:
		January 31, 2014		October 31, 2013
	Accrued payroll and employee benefits (1)	$	3,266	$	4,647
	Accrued contract and operating costs (2)	34		87
	Reserve for product warranty cost (3)	1,043		860
	Reserve for service agreement costs (4)	3,048		4,186
	Reserve for repair and upgrade program and modules due POSCO Energy (5)	389		7,267
	Accrued taxes, legal, professional and other (6)	2,819		4,865
	Accrued Liabilities	$	10,599	$	21,912
	-1	Balance relates to amounts owed to employees for compensation and benefits as of the end of the period. The decrease in the period reflects payments of employee bonuses offset by other activity, net.
	-2	Balance includes estimated losses accrued on product sales contracts.
	-3	Activity in the reserve for product warranty costs for the three months ended January 31, 2014 included additions for estimates of potential future warranty obligations of $1.2 million on contracts in the warranty period and reserve reductions related to actual warranty spend of $1.0 million as contracts progress through the warranty period or are beyond the warranty period.
	-4	As of January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013, the loss reserve on SA's totaled $2.2 million and $3.7 million, respectively. Also included in this line item is a reserve for performance guarantees penalties under the terms of our customer contracts, which based on our ongoing analysis of historical fleet performance, totaled $0.9 million and $0.5 million as of January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013, respectively.
	-5	The decrease in the reserve as of January 31, 2014 compared to October 31, 2013 is a result of three replacement modules having been provided to POSCO Energy under the terms of the Master Service Agreement with POSCO Energy.
	-6	Balance includes accrued sales, use and payroll taxes as well as estimated legal, professional and other expense estimates as of the end of the period.

Debt_and_Leases_Tables

Debt and Leases (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'
Schedule of Debt [Table Text Block]	'
	At January 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013, debt consisted of the following:
			31-Jan-14			31-Oct-13
	Revolving credit facility		$	6,500		$	6,500
	Senior Unsecured Convertible Notes		23,000			38,000
	Connecticut Development Authority Note		3,190			3,246
	Connecticut Clean Energy and Finance Investment Authority Note		6,061			5,744
	Capitalized lease obligations		451			497
	Total debt		$	39,202		$	53,987
	Less: Unamortized debt discount (1)		(1,767		)	(3,106		)
			37,435			50,881
	Less: Current portion of long-term debt		(6,914		)	(6,931		)
	Long-term debt		$	30,521		$	43,950
	(1) The debt discount recorded in connection with the issuance of the Company’s unsecured convertible notes is recorded on the consolidated balance sheets as a reduction to associated debt balance. The Company amortizes the debt discount to interest expense over the term of the debt.
schedule of future minimum debt and lease payments [Text Block]	'
	Aggregate annual principal payments under our loan agreements and capital lease obligations, excluding payments relating to the revolving credit facility, for the years subsequent to January 31, 2014 are as follows:
	Year 1	$	414
	Year 2	386
	Year 3	282
	Year 4	260
	Year 5	25,299
	Thereafter	6,061
		$	32,702

Shareholders_Equity_Tables

Shareholders' Equity (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Equity [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Stockholders Equity [Table Text Block]	'
	Changes in shareholders’ equity (deficit) were as follows for the three months ended January 31, 2014:
		Total			Noncontrolling			Total
		Shareholders’			interest			Equity (Deficit)
		Equity (Deficit)
	Balance at October 31, 2013	$	(12,412	)	$	(780	)	$	(13,192	)
	Common stock issued for convertible note conversions	12,960			—			12,960
	Common stock issued to settle make-whole obligation	4,240			—			4,240
	Share-based compensation	621			—			621
	Sale of common stock, net of registration fees	33,246			—			33,246
	Taxes paid upon vesting of restricted stock awards, net of stock issued under benefit plans	94			—			94
	Preferred dividends – Series B	(800		)	—			(800		)
	Other comprehensive loss - foreign currency translation adjustments	(20		)	—			(20		)
	Net loss	(10,604		)	(211		)	(10,815		)
	Balance at January 31, 2014	$	27,325		$	(991	)	$	26,334

Loss_Per_Share_Tables

Loss Per Share (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014
Loss Per Share [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Table Text Block]	'
	The calculation of basic and diluted loss per share was as follows:
		Three Months Ended January 31,
		2014			2013
	Numerator
	Net loss	$	(10,815	)	$	(11,879	)
	Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	211			198
	Preferred stock dividend	(800		)	(800		)
	Net loss attributable to common shareholders	$	(11,404	)	$	(12,481	)
	Denominator
	Weighted average basic common shares	200,637,819			187,553,306
	Effect of dilutive securities (1)	—			—
	Weighted average diluted common shares	200,637,819			187,553,306
	Basic loss per share	$	(0.06	)	$	(0.07	)
	Diluted loss per share (1)	$	(0.06	)	$	(0.07	)
	-1	Diluted loss per share was computed without consideration to potentially dilutive instruments as their inclusion would have been antidilutive. Potentially dilutive instruments include stock options, convertible preferred stock, senior unsecured convertible notes and warrants. At January 31, 2014 and 2013, there were options to purchase 3.1 million shares of common stock. On September 4, 2013, the Company entered into a co-marketing agreement with NRG for the marketing and sales of the Company's power plants which include the issuance of warrants to purchase up to 5.0 million shares of the Company's common stock.

Nature_of_Business_and_Basis_o1

Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Details) (POSCO Energy [Member])	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014	Jan. 31, 2013
POSCO Energy [Member]	'	'
Common stock ownership percentage	13.00%	'
significant customer revenue percentage	73.00%	69.00%

Inventories_Details

Inventories (Details) (USD $)	Jan. 31, 2014		Oct. 31, 2013
Inventory, Net [Abstract]	'		'
Raw materials	$19,563,000		$20,599,000
Work in process	32,289,000	[1]	35,586,000	[1]
Inventory, Net	51,852,000		56,185,000
Completed Standard Component	6,500,000		5,800,000
Inventory Valuation Reserves	$1,200,000		$1,400,000
[1]	Work-in-process includes the standard components of inventory used to build the typical modules or stack components that are intended to be used in future power plant orders or to service SA's. Included in work-in-process as of JanuaryB 31, 2014 and OctoberB 31, 2013 is $6.5 million and $5.8 million, respectively, of completed standard components.

Accounts_Receivable_Details

Accounts Receivable (Details) (USD $)	Jan. 31, 2014		Oct. 31, 2013
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]	'		'
Government Contract Receivable	$1,962,000		$786,000
Government Contract Receivable, Unbilled Amounts	1,355,000		639,000
U.S. Government accounts receivable total	3,317,000	[1]	1,425,000
Contract Receivable	15,286,000		17,344,000
Unbilled Contracts Receivable	15,228,000		30,347,000
Commercial Customers accounts receivable	30,514,000		47,691,000
Accounts Receivable, Net, Current	33,831,000		49,116,000
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable, Current	70,000		10,000
POSCO Energy [Member]	'		'
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]	'		'
Accounts Receivable, Related Parties, Current	20,300,000		17,400,000
Government [Member]	'		'
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]	'		'
Government Contract Receivable	1,400,000		'
POSCO Energy [Member]	'		'
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]	'		'
Unbilled Contracts Receivable	8,600,000		6,700,000
Dominion Bridgeport FuelCell Park [Member]	'		'
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]	'		'
Unbilled Contracts Receivable	$300,000		$17,800,000
[1]	Total U.S. Government accounts receivable outstanding at January 31, 2014 is $1.4 million .

Other_Current_Assets_Details

Other Current Assets (Details) (USD $)	Jan. 31, 2014		Oct. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Prepaid Expense and Other Assets, Current [Abstract]	'		'
Advance payments to vendors	$1,808	[1]	$4,235	[1]
Debt issuance costs	299	[2]	494	[2]
Notes receivable	575	[3]	478	[3]
Prepaid expenses and other	4,189	[4]	6,072	[4]
Total	$6,871		$11,279
[1]	Advance payments to vendors relate to inventory purchases.
[2]	Represents the current portion of capitalized debt issuance costs relating to the convertible debt issuance which will be amortized over the five year term of the convertible notes.
[3]	Current portion of long-term notes receivable.
[4]	Primarily relates to other prepaid vendor expenses including insurance, rent and lease payments.

Other_Assets_net_Details

Other Assets, net (Details) (USD $)	Jan. 31, 2014		Oct. 31, 2013
Other Assets, Noncurrent [Abstract]	'		'
Long-term stack residual value	$4,136,000	[1]	$2,898,000	[1]
Debt issuance costs	1,024,000	[2]	1,721,000	[2]
Other	784,000	[3]	846,000	[3]
Other assets, net	5,944,000		5,465,000
Accumulated depreciation on long-term stacks	$2,400,000		$2,100,000
[1]	In circumstances where the useful life of the module extends beyond the contractual term of the SA and the Company retains title for the module from the customer upon expiration or non-renewal of the SA, the cost of the module exchanges is recorded as a long term asset and is depreciated over its expected life. If the Company does not obtain rights to title from the customer, the cost of the module is expensed at the time of the module exchange. Accumulated depreciation was $2.4 million and $2.1 million for the periods ended JanuaryB 31, 2014 and OctoberB 31, 2013, respectively.
[2]	Represents the long-term portion of capitalized debt issuance costs relating to the convertible debt issuance which will be amortized over the five year term of the convertible notes.
[3]	Includes security deposits and notes receivable.

Accrued_Liabilities_Details

Accrued Liabilities (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014		Oct. 31, 2013
Accrued Liabilities, Current [Abstract]	'		'
Accrued payroll and employee benefits	$3,266,000	[1]	$4,647,000	[1]
Accrued contract and operating costs	34,000	[2]	87,000	[2]
Reserve for product warranty costs	1,043,000	[3]	860,000	[3]
Reserve for service agreement costs	3,048,000	[4]	4,186,000	[4]
Reserve for repair and upgrade program and modules due POSCO Energy	389,000	[5]	7,267,000	[5]
Accrued taxes, legal, professional and other	2,819,000	[6]	4,865,000	[6]
Accrued Liabilities, Current	10,599,000		21,912,000
Product Warranty Accrual, Warranties Issued	1,200,000		'
Product Warranty Accrual, Payment and Adjustments	1,000,000		'
Loss Reserve on Service Agreements	2,200,000		3,700,000
Reserve for Performance Guarantees	$900,000		$500,000
[1]	Balance relates to amounts owed to employees for compensation and benefits as of the end of the period.
[2]	Balance includes estimated losses accrued on product sales contracts.
[3]	Activity in the reserve for product warranty costs for the three months ended January 31, 2014 included additions for estimates of potential future warranty obligations of $1.2 million on contracts in the warranty period and reserve reductions related to actual warranty spend of $1.0 million as contracts progress through the warranty period or are beyond the warranty period.
[4]	As of JanuaryB 31, 2014 and October 31, 2013, the loss reserve on SA's totaled $2.2 million and $3.7 million, respectively. Also included in this line item is a reserve for performance guarantees penalties under the terms of our customer contracts, which based on our ongoing analysis of historical fleet performance, totaled $0.9 million and $0.5 million as of JanuaryB 31, 2014 and OctoberB 31, 2013, respectively.
[5]	The decrease in the reserve as of January 31, 2014 compared to October 31, 2013 is a result of three replacement modules having been provided to POSCO Energy under the terms of the Master Service Agreement with POSCO Energy.
[6]	Balance includes accrued sales, use and payroll taxes as well as estimated legal, professional and other expense estimates as of the end of the period.

Debt_and_Leases_Details

Debt and Leases (Details) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2014

Jan. 31, 2014

Mar. 07, 2014

Oct. 31, 2013

Jun. 25, 2013

Jun. 25, 2013

Jan. 31, 2014

Oct. 31, 2013

Mar. 05, 2013

Jan. 31, 2014

Oct. 31, 2013

Mar. 05, 2013

Jan. 31, 2014

Convertible Debt [Member]

Connecticut Development Authority Note [Member]

Connecticut Development Authority Note [Member]

Connecticut Clean Energy Fund [Member]

Connecticut Clean Energy and Finance Investment Authority [Member]

Connecticut Clean Energy and Finance Investment Authority [Member]

Connecticut Clean Energy and Finance Investment Authority [Member]

Convertible debt make-whole obligation [Member]

Debt Instrument [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding

'

$6,500,000

'

$6,500,000

'

'

$3,190,000

$3,246,000

'

$6,061,000

$5,744,000

'

'

Senior Unsecured Convertible Notes

'

23,000,000

1,000,000

38,000,000

38,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Capital Lease Obligations

'

451,000

'

497,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Long-term Debt, Gross

'

39,202,000

'

53,987,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount

'

-1,767,000

[1]

'

-3,106,000

[1]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Long-term Debt

'

37,435,000

'

50,881,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Long-term Debt, Current Maturities

'

-6,914,000

'

-6,931,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Long-term Debt, Excluding Current Maturities

'

30,521,000

'

43,950,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity

'

8,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

5,900,000

'

'

'

'

Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage

'

'

'

'

'

8.00%

'

'

'

'

'

5.00%

'

Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Ratio

'

645.1613

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Debt Conversion, Converted Instrument, Amount

'

1,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Price

'

$1.55

'

'

$1.55

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

embedded derivative cash payment

'

300,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Embedded Derivative, Fair Value of Embedded Derivative Liability

'

2,700,000

'

4,700,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Conversion of Convertible Securities

17,500,000

9,677,425

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Other

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

2,344,080

Stock Issued During Period, Value, Other

'

4,240,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Embedded Derivative, Loss on Embedded Derivative

'

2,400,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Embedded Derivative, No Longer Bifurcated, Amount Reclassified to Stockholders' Equity

'

1,800,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Debt Conversion, Original Debt, Amount

$22,000,000

$15,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

[1]

The debt discount recorded in connection with the issuance of the Companybs unsecured convertible notes is recorded on the consolidated balance sheets as a reduction to associated debt balance. The Company amortizes the debt discount to interest expense over the term of the debt.

Debt_and_Leases_Debt_Details

Debt and Leases Debt (Details) (USD $)	Jan. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'
Debt and Capital Leases, minimum payment due in less than 12 months	$414
Debt and Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Two Years	386
Debt and Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Three Years	282
Debt and Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Four Years	260
Debt and Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Five Years	25,299
Debt and Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due Thereafter	6,061
Debt and Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due	$32,702

Shareholders_Equity_Details

Shareholders' Equity (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2014	Jan. 31, 2014	Jan. 31, 2013	Mar. 07, 2014	Jan. 23, 2014	Oct. 31, 2013	Jun. 25, 2013
Debt Conversion, Original Debt, Amount	$22,000,000	$15,000,000	'	'	'	'	'
Senior Unsecured Convertible Notes	'	23,000,000	'	1,000,000	'	38,000,000	38,000,000
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Conversion of Convertible Securities	17,500,000	9,677,425	'	'	'	'	'
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Ratio	'	645.1613	'	'	'	'	'
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Price	'	$1.55	'	'	'	'	$1.55
Common stock issued relating to full exercise of an over allottment option	'	'	'	'	3,300,000	'	'
Price Per Share for New Common Stock Issuance	'	'	'	'	$1.25	'	'
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues	'	25,300,000	'	'	'	'	'
Class of Warrant or Right, Number of Securities Called by Warrants or Rights	'	5,000,000	'	'	'	'	'
Class of Warrant or Right, Exercise Price of Warrants or Rights	'	2.18	'	'	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Stockholders' equity (decifit), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	26,334,000	-13,192,000	'	'	'	'	'
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Conversion of Convertible Securities	'	12,960,000	0	'	'	'	'
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Other	'	4,240,000	'	'	'	'	'
Stock Granted During Period, Value, Share-based Compensation, Net of Forfeitures	'	621,000	'	'	'	'	'
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues	'	33,246,000	'	'	'	'	'
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Employee Benefit Plan	'	94,000	'	'	'	'	'
Dividends, Preferred Stock	'	-800,000	-800,000	'	'	'	'
Foreign currency translation adjustments	'	-20,000	76,000	'	'	'	'
Net Loss	'	-10,815,000	-11,879,000	'	'	'	'
Stockholders' equity (deficit), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	'	26,334,000	'	'	'	'	'
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	'	33,755,000	0	'	'	'	'
Common Stock, Capital Shares Reserved for Future Issuance	'	5,000,000	'	'	'	'	'
Public stock offering [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	'	29,500,000	'	'	'	'	'
Parent [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Stockholders' equity (decifit), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	'	-12,412,000	'	'	'	'	'
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Conversion of Convertible Securities	'	12,960,000	'	'	'	'	'
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Other	'	4,240,000	'	'	'	'	'
Stock Granted During Period, Value, Share-based Compensation, Net of Forfeitures	'	621,000	'	'	'	'	'
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues	'	33,246,000	'	'	'	'	'
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Employee Benefit Plan	'	94,000	'	'	'	'	'
Dividends, Preferred Stock	'	-800,000	'	'	'	'	'
Foreign currency translation adjustments	'	-20,000	'	'	'	'	'
Net Loss	'	-10,604,000	'	'	'	'	'
Stockholders' equity (deficit), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	'	27,325,000	'	'	'	'	'
Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Stockholders' equity (decifit), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	'	-780,000	'	'	'	'	'
Net Loss	'	-211,000	'	'	'	'	'
Stockholders' equity (deficit), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	'	-991,000	'	'	'	'	'
Common Stock [Member] | Common Stock [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues	'	2,704,200	'	'	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	'	$3,700,000	'	'	'	'	'
Convertible debt make-whole obligation [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Other	'	2,344,080	'	'	'	'	'
Interest Expense [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Other	'	26,674	'	'	'	'	'

Loss_Per_Share_Details

Loss Per Share (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Jan. 31, 2014		Jan. 31, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'		'
Class of Warrant or Right, Number of Securities Called by Warrants or Rights	5,000,000		'
Numerator [Abstract]	'		'
Net Loss	($10,815)		($11,879)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	211		198
Dividends, Preferred Stock	-800		-800
Net loss attributable to common shareholders	($11,404)		($12,481)
Demoninator [Abstract]	'		'
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Diluted	200,637,819		187,553,306
Weighted Average Number Diluted Shares Outstanding Adjustment	0	[1]	0	[1]
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Basic	200,637,819		187,553,306
Earnings Per Share, Basic	($0.06)		($0.07)
Earnings Per Share, Diluted	($0.06)	[1]	($0.07)	[1]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Number	3,097,364		3,181,464
[1]	Diluted loss per share was computed without consideration to potentially dilutive instruments as their inclusion would have been antidilutive. Potentially dilutive instruments include stock options, convertible preferred stock, senior unsecured convertible notes and warrants. At January 31, 2014 and 2013, there were options to purchase 3.1 million shares of common stock. On September 4, 2013, the Company entered into a co-marketing agreement with NRG for the marketing and sales of the Company's power plants which include the issuance of warrants to purchase up to 5.0 million shares of the Company's common stock.

Restricted_Cash_Details

Restricted Cash (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2014	Oct. 31, 2013
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]	'	'
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents	$26,100,000	$10,000,000
Restricted cash and cash equivalents - long-term	19,950,000	4,950,000
Letter of Credit Date of Expiration	1-Apr-19	'
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	8,500,000	7,700,000
Dominion Bridgeport FuelCell Park [Member]	'	'
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]	'	'
Restricted cash and cash equivalents - long-term	$15,000,000	'

Subsequent_Events_Details

Subsequent Events (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2014	Jan. 31, 2014	Mar. 07, 2014	Oct. 31, 2013	Jun. 25, 2013
Subsequent Event [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Debt Conversion, Original Debt, Amount	$22,000,000	$15,000,000	'	'	'
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Conversion of Convertible Securities	17,500,000	9,677,425	'	'	'
Senior Unsecured Convertible Notes	'	23,000,000	1,000,000	38,000,000	38,000,000
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Ratio	'	645.1613	'	'	'
Debt Conversion, Converted Instrument, Amount	'	$1,000	'	'	'
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Price	'	$1.55	'	'	$1.55