Sunrun Reports Third Quarter 2018 Financial Results


Total deployments of 100 MWs, an increase of 10% compared to the prior quarter

Net Earning Assets increased $99 million and Cash increased $5 million during the quarter

Reiterating full year guidance of 15% growth in deployments

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN), the nation’s largest provider of residential solar, storage and energy services, today announced financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2018.

“We installed a record amount of solar energy and home batteries this quarter and delivered more than 50% year-over-year growth in our direct business,” said Lynn Jurich, Sunrun’s chief executive officer. “Americans are united on the value of rooftop solar energy and batteries in their homes. It’s the future: clean, affordable and reliable energy, which results in less pollution and healthier communities. Our employees are proud to accelerate the country toward a carbon-free and resilient power system with our Brightbox home solar and battery service.”

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

On January 1, 2018, Sunrun adopted FASB’s new accounting standards for contracts with customers (“Topic 606”) and lease accounting rules (“ASC 842”), using retrospective methods. Adoption requires that prior financial results are recast to reflect the new standards. Unless otherwise specified, financial results for both the third quarter of 2018 and the third quarter of 2017 are presented in this release under Topic 606 and ASC 842. The financial results for the third quarter of 2017 may differ from those previously reported.

Key Operating Metrics

In the third quarter of 2018, MW deployed increased to 100 MW from 91 MW in the second quarter of 2018, a 10% increase.

Creation Cost per watt was $3.34 in the third quarter of 2018, flat compared to the third quarter of 2017. The presentation of Creation Cost for the third quarter of 2017 remains as previously reported, as the calculation due to the adoption of the new accounting standards and the resulting recast financials would have resulted in immaterial changes in the Creation Cost for that period.

NPV per watt in the third quarter of 2018 was $1.00.

NPV created in the third quarter of 2018 was $86 million. Project Value per watt in the third quarter of 2018 was $4.34.

Gross Earning Assets as of September 30, 2018 were $2.8 billion, up $760 million, or 37% since September 30, 2017. Net Earning Assets as of September 30, 2018 were $1.4 billion, up $198 million, or 17% from the prior year.

Financing Activities

As of November 7, 2018, closed transactions and executed term sheets provide us expected project debt capacity into the first quarter of 2019 and tax equity capacity well into the second quarter of 2019.

Third Quarter 2018 GAAP Results

Customer agreements and incentives revenue grew 86% year-over-year to $114.6 million. Solar energy systems and product sales increased 9% year-over-year to $90.4 million. Total revenue grew to $205.0 million in the third quarter of 2018, up $60.4 million, or 42% from the third quarter of 2017.

Total cost of revenue was $139.4 million, an increase of 19% year-over-year. Total operating expenses were $228.5 million, an increase of 20% year-over-year.

Net loss available to common stockholders was $2.9 million in the third quarter of 2018, compared to net income of $28.0 million in the third quarter of 2017.

Diluted net loss per share available to common stockholders was $(0.02) per share.

Guidance for Full Year 2018

The following statements are based on current expectations. These statements are forward-looking and actual results may differ materially.

For the full year 2018, we continue to expect deployments to grow 15% year-over-year.

Conference Call Information

Sunrun is hosting a conference call for analysts and investors to discuss its third quarter 2018 results and outlook for its fourth quarter 2018 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time today, November 7, 2018. A live audio webcast of the conference call along with supplemental financial information will be accessible via the “Investor Relations” section of the Company’s website at http://investors.sunrun.com. The conference call can also be accessed live over the phone by dialing (877) 470-1078 (domestic) or (615) 247-0087 (international) using ID #8373999. A replay will be available following the call via the Sunrun Investor Relations website or for one week at the following numbers (855) 859-2056 (domestic) or (404) 537-3406 (international) using ID #8373999.

About Sunrun

Sunrun (Nasdaq:RUN) is the nation’s leading residential solar, storage and energy services company. With a mission to create a planet run by the sun, Sunrun has led the industry since 2007 with its solar-as-a-service model, which provides clean energy to households with little to no upfront cost and at a saving compared to traditional electricity. The company designs, installs, finances, insures, monitors and maintains the systems, while families receive predictable pricing for 20 years or more. The company also offers a home solar battery service, Sunrun Brightbox, that manages household solar energy, storage and utility power with smart inverter technology. For more information, please visit: www.sunrun.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding our market leadership, competitive advantages, investments, market adoption rates, our future financial and operating guidance, operational and financial results such as growth, value creation, MW deployments, gross and net earning assets, project value, estimated creation costs and NPV, and the assumptions related to the calculation of the foregoing metrics, as well as our expectations regarding our growth and financing capacity. The risks and uncertainties that could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: the availability of additional financing on acceptable terms; changes in the retail prices of traditional utility generated electricity; changes in policies and regulations including net metering and interconnection limits or caps; the availability of rebates, tax credits and other incentives; the availability of solar panels and other raw materials; our limited operating history, particularly as a new public company; our ability to attract and retain our relationships with third parties, including our solar partners; our ability to meet the covenants in our investment funds and debt facilities; and such other risks identified in the reports that we file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, from time to time. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to us as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.



Consolidated Balance Sheets
(In Thousands)

  September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
     
Assets    
Current assets:    
Cash $242,936  $202,525 
Restricted cash 32,049  39,265 
Accounts receivable, net 65,354  60,359 
State tax credits receivable   11,085 
Inventories 95,978  94,427 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 9,699  9,202 
Total current assets 446,016  416,863 
Restricted cash 148   
Solar energy systems, net 3,618,125  3,161,570 
Property and equipment, net 33,522  36,402 
Intangible assets, net 11,140  14,294 
Goodwill 87,543  87,543 
Other assets 336,705  246,464 
Total assets $4,533,199  $3,963,136 
Liabilities and total equity    
Current liabilities:    
Accounts payable $136,064  $115,193 
Distributions payable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests 15,387  13,583 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities 85,897  97,230 
Deferred revenue, current portion 46,571  42,609 
Deferred grants, current portion 8,719  8,193 
Finance lease obligations, current portion 8,372  7,421 
Non-recourse debt, current portion 27,496  21,529 
Pass-through financing obligation, current portion 55,355  5,387 
Total current liabilities 383,861  311,145 
Deferred revenue, net of current portion 539,863  522,243 
Deferred grants, net of current portion 220,274  227,519 
Finance lease obligations, net of current portion 7,301  5,811 
Recourse debt 247,000  247,000 
Non-recourse debt, net of current portion 1,290,102  1,026,416 
Pass-through financing obligation, net of current portion 306,642  132,823 
Other liabilities 37,717  42,743 
Deferred tax liabilities 98,954  83,119 
Total liabilities 3,131,714  2,598,819 
Redeemable noncontrolling interests 117,468  123,801 
Total stockholders’ equity 966,792  881,582 
Noncontrolling interests 317,225  358,934 
Total equity 1,284,017  1,240,516 
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and total equity $4,533,199  $3,963,136 



Consolidated Statements of Operations
(In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)

  Three Months Ended
September 30,
 Nine Months Ended
September 30,
  2018 2017 2018 2017
Revenue:        
Customer agreements and incentives $114,572  $61,717  $273,167  $168,918 
Solar energy systems and product sales 90,388  82,829  246,694  211,359 
Total revenue 204,960  144,546  519,861  380,277 
Operating expenses:        
Cost of customer agreements and incentives 63,195  47,299  175,540  135,201 
Cost of solar energy systems and product sales 76,179  69,588  205,026  179,957 
Sales and marketing 56,758  39,921  150,074  108,109 
Research and development 4,604  3,936  13,552  10,642 
General and administrative 26,720  27,925  87,743  77,761 
Amortization of intangible assets 1,051  1,052  3,153  3,154 
Total operating expenses 228,507  189,721  635,088  514,824 
Loss from operations (23,547) (45,175) (115,227) (134,547)
Interest expense, net 34,482  23,217  94,552  65,746 
Other expenses (income), net (4,517) (94) (5,701) 589 
Loss before income taxes (53,512) (68,298) (204,078) (200,882)
Income tax expense (benefit) (5,988) 14,517  6,593  30,698 
Net loss (47,524) (82,815) (210,671) (231,580)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests (44,628) (110,822) (243,216) (287,815)
Net income (loss) available to common stockholders $(2,896) $28,007  $32,545  $56,235 
Net income (loss) per share available to common stockholders        
Basic $(0.03) $0.26  $0.30  $0.54 
Diluted $(0.02) $0.26  $0.28  $0.52 
Weighted average shares used to compute net income per share available to common stockholders        
Basic 111,134  105,783  109,351  105,060 
Diluted 120,396  109,598  116,052  107,893 



Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(In Thousands)

  Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
  2018 2017 2018 2017
Operating activities:        
Net loss $(47,524) $(82,815) $(210,671) $(231,580)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:        
Depreciation and amortization, net of amortization of deferred grants 39,731  32,423  113,711  94,077 
Deferred income taxes (5,992) 14,518  6,590  30,697 
Stock-based compensation expense 5,741  5,105  21,983  16,494 
Interest on pass-through financing obligations 5,462  3,183  12,464  9,457 
Reduction in pass-through financing obligations (39,955) (5,657) (69,842) (13,799)
Other noncash losses and expenses 8,505  5,189  20,636  15,341 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:        
Accounts receivable (6,558) (8,449) (6,063) (8,783)
Inventories (14,674) (10,579) (1,551) 4,003 
Prepaid and other assets (20,144) (11,165) (54,157) (37,152)
Accounts payable 51,129  29,033  18,289  31,669 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities (14,688) 1,223  (16,727) (5,288)
Deferred revenue 6,392  13,132  21,582  30,834 
     Net cash used in operating activities (32,575) (14,859) (143,756) (64,030)
Investing activities:        
Payments for the costs of solar energy systems (224,219) (218,414) (571,181) (558,393)
Purchases of property and equipment (317) (1,492) (3,079) (5,956)
     Net cash used in investing activities (224,536) (219,906) (574,260) (564,349)
Financing activities:        
Proceeds from state tax credits, net of recapture 515  (386) 10,949  12,785 
Proceeds from issuance of recourse debt 15,000  34,000  17,000  125,400 
Repayment of recourse debt (15,000) (34,000) (17,000) (122,400)
Proceeds from issuance of non-recourse debt 238,144  94,561  488,376  294,086 
Repayment of non-recourse debt (175,356) (7,971) (224,033) (92,801)
Payment of debt fees (706) (1,377) (9,839) (6,332)
Proceeds from pass-through financing and other obligations 135,010  1,577  286,642  4,639 
Payment of finance lease obligations (2,309) (2,323) (6,390) (7,585)
Contributions received from noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests 80,236  167,777  247,704  471,322 
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests (17,425) (14,126) (50,726) (38,761)
Proceeds from exercises of stock options, net of withholding taxes paid on restricted stock units 3,732  218  8,676  (207)
     Net cash provided by financing activities 261,841  237,950  751,359  640,146 
Net change in cash and restricted cash 4,730  3,185  33,343  11,767 
Cash and restricted cash, beginning of period 270,403  232,945  241,790  224,363 
Cash and restricted cash, end of period $275,133  $236,130  $275,133  $236,130 



Key Operating Metrics and Financial Metrics

  Three Months Ended Sept. 30, 
  2018  2017 
MW Deployed (during the period)  100   90 
Cumulative MW Deployed (end of period)  1,460   1,117 
Gross Earning Assets under Energy Contract (end of period)(in millions)(1) $1,912  $1,359 
Gross Earning Assets Value of Purchase or Renewal (end of period)(in millions) $917  $709 
Gross Earning Assets (end of period)(in millions) $2,829  $2,068 
Net Earning Assets (end of period)(in millions)(1)(2)(3) $1,389  $1,192 
 

 

  
Three Months Ended Sept. 30,
 
  2018  2017 
Project Value, Contracted Portion (per watt) $3.79  $3.92 
Project Value, Renewal Portion (per watt) $0.55  $0.57 
Total Project Value (per watt) $4.34  $4.49 
Creation Cost (per watt)(4)(5) $3.34  $3.34 
Unlevered NPV (per watt)(1) $1.00  $1.15 
NPV (in millions)(1) $86  $93 


 (1) Numbers may not sum due to rounding.
   
 (2) Net Earning Assets for the period ending September 30, 2017 reflects changes owing to the adoption of new accounting standards.
   
 (3) Sunrun records income when it delivers tax benefits to its tax equity investors. Under partnership flip transactions this income is recognized beginning at the time of deployment. In pass-through financing transactions, income is recognized later, upon utility interconnection permission (PTO). Income recognition therefore lags in periods when the company is increasing its use of pass-through financing funds. Until PTO is received for a solar system in a pass-through financing obligation structure, the company records the expected value of tax benefits as a short term pass-through financing obligation, similar to deferred revenue accounting. The amount reflected within short-term pass-through financing obligation was $53.9 million in the third quarter of 2018, reflecting an increase of $17.8 million from the second quarter of 2018. As such, the pass-through financing obligation used to calculate Net Earning Assets is reduced by $53.9 million. The $17.8 million increase in the period depressed net income by $13.0 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, on a tax-effected basis.
   
 (4) The presentation of Creation Cost for periods commencing with March 31, 2018 reflects changes made to the calculation owing to the adoption of new accounting standards. The presentation of Creation Cost for periods prior to March 31, 2018 remain as previously reported, as the new calculation and resulting recast financials would have resulted in immaterial changes in the Creation Cost for such prior periods.

Definitions

Creation Cost includes (i) certain installation and general and administrative costs after subtracting the gross margin on solar energy systems and product sales divided by watts deployed during the measurement period and (ii) certain sales and marketing expenses under new Customer Agreements, net of cancellations during the period divided by the related watts deployed.

Customers refers to all residential homeowners (i) who have executed a Customer Agreement or cash sales agreement with us and (ii) for whom we have internal confirmation that the applicable solar energy system has reached notice to proceed or “NTP”, net of cancellations.

Customer Agreements refers to, collectively, solar power purchase agreements and solar leases.

Gross Earning Assets represent the remaining net cash flows (discounted at 6%) we expect to receive during the initial term of our Customer Agreements (typically 20 or 25 years) for systems that have been deployed as of the measurement date, plus a discounted estimate of the value of the Customer Agreement renewal term or solar energy system purchase at the end of the initial term. Gross Earning Assets deducts estimated cash distributions to investors in consolidated joint ventures and estimated operating, maintenance and administrative expenses for systems deployed as of the measurement date. In calculating Gross Earning Assets, we deduct estimated cash distributions to our project equity financing providers. In calculating Gross Earning Assets, we do not deduct customer payments we are obligated to pass through to investors in pass-through financing obligations as these amounts are reflected on our balance sheet as long-term and short-term pass-through financing obligations, similar to the way that debt obligations are presented. In determining our finance strategy, we use pass-through financing obligations and long-term debt in an equivalent fashion as the schedule of payments of distributions to pass-through financing investors is more similar to the payment of interest to lenders than the internal rates of return (IRRs) paid to investors in other tax equity structures. We calculate the Gross Earning Assets value of the purchase or renewal amount at the expiration of the initial contract term assuming either a system purchase or a five year renewal (for our 25-year Customer Agreements) or a 10-year renewal (for our 20-year Customer Agreements), in each case forecasting only a 30-year customer relationship (although the customer may renew for additional years, or purchase the system), at a contract rate equal to 90% of the customer’s contractual rate in effect at the end of the initial contract term. After the initial contract term, our Customer Agreements typically automatically renew on an annual basis and the rate is initially set at up to a 10% discount to then-prevailing power prices. Gross Earning Assets Under Energy Contract represents the remaining net cash flows during the initial term of our Customer Agreements (less substantially all value from SRECs prior to July 1, 2015), for systems deployed as of the measurement date.

Gross Earning Assets Under Energy Contract represents the remaining net cash flows during the initial term of our Customer Agreements (less substantially all value from SRECs prior to July 1, 2015), for systems deployed as of the measurement date.

Gross Earning Assets Value of Purchase or Renewal is the forecasted net present value we would receive upon or following the expiration of the initial Customer Agreement term (either in the form of cash payments during any applicable renewal period or a system purchase at the end of the initial term), for systems deployed as of the measurement date.

MW Deployed represents the aggregate megawatt production capacity of our solar energy systems, whether sold directly to customers or subject to executed Customer Agreements, for which we have (i) confirmation that the systems are installed on the roof, subject to final inspection or (ii) in the case of certain system installations by our partners, accrued at least 80% of the expected project cost.

Net Earning Assets represents Gross Earning Assets less both project level debt and pass-through financing obligations, as of the same measurement date. Because estimated cash distributions to our project equity financing partners are deducted from Gross Earning Assets, a proportional share of the corresponding project level debt is deducted from Net Earning Assets.

NPV equals Unlevered NPV multiplied by leased megawatts deployed in period.

NTP or Notice to Proceed refers to our internal confirmation that a solar energy system has met our installation requirements for size, equipment and design.

Project Value represents the value of upfront and future payments by customers, the benefits received from utility and state incentives, as well as the present value of net proceeds derived through investment funds. Specifically, Project Value is calculated as the sum of the following items (all measured on a per-watt basis with respect to megawatts deployed under Customer Agreements during the period): (i) estimated Gross Earning Assets, (ii) utility or upfront state incentives, (iii) upfront payments from customers for deposits and partial or full prepayments of amounts otherwise due under Customer Agreements and which are not already included in Gross Earning Assets and (iv) finance proceeds from tax equity investors, excluding cash true-up payments or the value of asset contributions in lieu of cash true-up payments made to investors. Project Value includes contracted SRECs for all periods after July 1, 2015.

Unlevered NPV equals the difference between Project Value and estimated Creation Cost on a per watt basis.


Investor Relations Contact:

Patrick Jobin
Vice President, Finance & Investor Relations
investors@sunrun.com
(415) 510-4986

Media Contact:

Georgia Dempsey
Director of Corporate Communications
press@sunrun.com
(415) 518-9418