DEF 14A 1 d333813ddef14a.htm DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT
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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Filed by the Registrant  x                            Filed by a Party other than the Registrant  ¨

Check the appropriate box:

 

¨   Preliminary Proxy Statement
¨   Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
x   Definitive Proxy Statement
¨   Definitive Additional Materials
¨   Soliciting Material Pursuant to Section 240.14a-11(c) or Section 240.14a-12

SOLAR POWER, INC.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
x   No fee required.
¨   Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.
  1)  

Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:

 

 

   

 

  2)  

Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:

 

 

   

 

  3)  

Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):

 

 

   

 

  4)  

Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:

 

 

   

 

  5)   Total fee paid:
   
   

 

¨   Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
¨   Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
  1)  

Amount Previously Paid:

 

 

   

 

  2)  

Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:

 

 

   

 

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Filing Party:

 

 

   

 

  4)  

Date Filed:

 

 

   

 

 

 

 


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Solar Power, Inc.

2240 Douglas Boulevard, Suite 200

Roseville, California 95661-3875

Phone: (916) 770-8100

To the Shareholders of Solar Power, Inc.:

You are cordially invited to attend an Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Solar Power, Inc. (the “Company”) to be held at 10:00 a.m. (PDT), on Wednesday, June 27, 2012, at the Solar Power, Inc. San Francisco office, 201 California Street, 2nd Floor Conference Room, San Francisco, California 94111.

At the meeting, you will be asked (i) to elect five (5) directors of the Company, (ii) to approve an amendment to our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split, (iii) to approve an amendment to our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to decrease the authorized number of shares of common stock in connection with the reverse stock split, (iv) to ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2012, and (v) to consider any other matters that properly come before the meeting. These matters are disclosed in detail in the attached proxy statement. Your Board of Directors believes these proposals are in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders and recommends that you vote for them.

The accompanying Notice of the Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement contain information about the matters to be considered and acted upon, and you should read the material carefully.

We hope you will be able to attend the meeting. However, whether or not you plan to attend the meeting in person, to help assure us of a quorum, please vote by proxy via mail, telephone or the Internet as described on the enclosed proxy card. Your proxy may be revoked at any time prior to the time it is voted.

 

/s/ Xiaofeng Peng

Xiaofeng Peng
Chairman of the Board

April 30, 2012

Roseville, California


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

INFORMATION CONCERNING THE SOLICITATION

  

RECORD DATE AND VOTING RIGHTS

     2   

PROPOSAL 1 — ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

     6   

PROPOSAL 2 — APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT TO EFFECT REVERSE STOCK SPLIT

     8   

PROPOSAL 3 — APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT TO DECREASE AUTHORIZED NUMBER OF SHARES OF COMMON STOCK

     13   

PROPOSAL 4 — RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

     15   

DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, PROMOTERS AND CONTROL PERSONS

     16   

OTHER BUSINESS

     24   


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Solar Power, Inc.

2240 Douglas Boulevard, Suite 200

Roseville, California 95661-3875

Phone: (916) 770-8100

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

TO BE HELD JUNE 27, 2012

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Solar Power, Inc. (the “Company”), a California corporation, will be held at 10:00 a.m. (PDT), on Wednesday, June 27, 2012, at the Solar Power, Inc. San Francisco office, 201 California Street, 2nd Floor Conference Room, San Francisco, California 94111, for the following purposes:

 

1. To elect five (5) directors to hold office until the next Annual Meeting of Shareholders or until their successors are elected and qualified;

 

2. To approve an amendment to our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split;

 

3. To approve an amendment to our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to decrease the authorized number of shares in connection with the reverse stock split;

 

4. To ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2012; and

 

5. To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting.

This year, we are pleased to be using the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rule that allows companies to furnish their proxy materials over the Internet. As a result, we are mailing to many of our stockholders a notice instead of a paper copy of this proxy statement and our 2011 Annual Report. The notice contains instructions on how to access those documents over the Internet. The notice also contains instructions on how each of those stockholders can receive a paper copy of our proxy materials, including this proxy statement, our 2011 Annual Report and a form of proxy card or voting instruction card. All stockholders who do not receive a notice, including stockholders who have previously requested to receive paper copies of proxy materials, will receive a paper copy of the proxy materials by mail unless they have previously requested delivery of proxy materials electronically. Continuing to employ this distribution process will conserve natural resources and reduce the costs of printing and distributing our proxy materials.

The Board of Directors of the Company has fixed the close of business on May 3, 2012, as the record date for determining those shareholders who will be entitled to vote at the meeting or any postponement or adjournment thereof. Shareholders are invited to attend the meeting in person.

Please vote by proxy via mail, telephone or Internet as described on the enclosed proxy card whether or not you plan to attend the meeting in person. If you attend the meeting, you may vote in person if you wish, even if you previously have returned your proxy card or voted via telephone or Internet. The proxy may be revoked at any time prior to the time it is voted.

 

By Order of the Board of Directors

/s/ Sheila W. Cheung

Sheila W. Cheung
Corporate Secretary

April 30, 2012

San Francisco, California

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT.

YOU ARE URGED TO VOTE BY PROXY VIA MAIL, TELEPHONE OR INTERNET WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE MEETING. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR SHARES BE REPRESENTED REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER YOU OWN. ANY PROXY GIVEN BY YOU MAY BE REVOKED BY WRITTEN NOTIFICATION TO THE COMPANY’S CORPORATE SECRETARY, BY FILING A DULY EXECUTED PROXY BEARING A LATER DATE, OR BY ATTENDING THE ANNUAL MEETING IN PERSON AND VOTING BY BALLOT.


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Solar Power, Inc

2240 Douglas Boulevard, Suite 200

Roseville, California 95661-3875

Phone: (916) 770-8100

PROXY STATEMENT

FOR

2012 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

We are furnishing this proxy statement to you in connection with an Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Solar Power, Inc. (the “Company”) to be held on Wednesday, June 27, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. (PDT) at the Solar Power, Inc. San Francisco office, 201 California Street, 2nd Floor Conference Room, San Francisco, California 94111, and at any postponement or adjournment thereof (the “Annual Meeting”).

Only shareholders of record on May 3, 2012 are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. As used in this Proxy Statement, the terms “we,” “us” and “our” also refer to the Company.

The proxy solicited hereby, if properly signed and returned to us and not revoked prior to its use, will be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with the instructions contained therein. If no contrary instructions are given, each proxy received will be voted “FOR” the nominees for the Board of Directors, “FOR” the approval of the amendment to our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split, “FOR” the approval of the amendment to our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to decrease the authorized number of shares of common stock in connection with the reverse stock split, “FOR” the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the 2012 fiscal year, and at the proxy holder’s discretion, on such other matters, if any, which may properly come before the Annual Meeting (including any proposal to adjourn the Annual Meeting). Any stockholder giving a proxy has the power to revoke it at any time before it is exercised by: (i) filing with the Company written notice of its revocation addressed to: Corporate Secretary, Solar Power, Inc., 201 California Street, Suite 1250, San Francisco, California 94111, (ii) submitting a duly executed proxy bearing a later date, or (iii) appearing at the Annual Meeting and giving the Corporate Secretary notice of his or her intention to vote in person.

This proxy is solicited on behalf of our Board of Directors. We will bear the entire cost of preparing, assembling, printing and mailing proxy materials furnished by the Board of Directors to shareholders. Copies of proxy materials will be furnished to brokerage houses, fiduciaries and custodians to be forwarded to beneficial owners of the Company’s stock entitled to vote. In addition to the solicitation of proxies by use of the mail, some of our officers, directors and employees may, without additional compensation, solicit proxies by telephone or personal interview.

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, including financial statements, is included in this mailing. Such reports and financial statements are not a part of this proxy statement except as specifically incorporated herein.

This Proxy Statement and form of proxy were first mailed on or about May 8, 2012 to shareholders of record as of May 3, 2012.

 

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RECORD DATE AND VOTING RIGHTS

California law and our bylaws require that a quorum exist for the transaction of business at a stockholder meeting. A quorum for the actions to be taken at the Annual Meeting will consist of a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of stock that are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. Therefore, at the Annual Meeting, the presence, in person or by proxy, of the holders of shares of Common Stock representing at least 92,206,962 votes will be required to establish a quorum. Proxies marked as abstaining, and any proxies returned by brokers as “broker non-votes” on behalf of shares held in “street name” because beneficial owners’ discretion has been withheld as to one or more matters on the agenda for the Annual Meeting, will be treated as present and entitled to vote, and will count towards the establishment of a quorum.

Except with respect to the election of directors, each share of common stock is entitled to one vote at the Annual Meeting. In elections of directors, California law provides that a shareholder, or his or her proxy, may cumulate votes; that is, each shareholder has that number of votes per share, as described in the preceding sentence, multiplied by the number of directors to be elected, and the shareholder may cumulate such votes for a single candidate, or distribute such votes among as many candidates as he or she deems appropriate. However, a shareholder may cumulate votes only for a candidate or candidates whose names have been properly placed in nomination prior to the voting, and only if the shareholder has given notice at the Annual Meeting, prior to the voting, of his or her intention to cumulate votes for the candidates in nomination. The Company’s designated proxy holders (the “Proxy Holders”) have discretionary authority to cumulate votes represented by the proxies received in the election of directors. The Proxy Holders intend to vote all proxies received by them in such manner as will assure the election of as many of the nominees described under “Election of Directors” as possible. The five nominees receiving the highest number of votes will be elected to the Board of Directors (the “Board”). With respect to any other matter that properly comes before the Annual Meeting, the Proxy Holders will vote in accordance with their own discretion.

Under California law, abstentions and broker non-votes are counted as present for determining quorum. For the election of directors, the nominees for director who receive the most votes will become our directors, provided a quorum exists. Proposals Nos. 2 and 3 requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock. A majority of quorum is required to approve Proposal No. 4.

The record date for determination of shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting is May 3, 2012.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING

Why am I receiving these materials?

The Company has made these materials available to you on the Internet or, upon your request, has delivered printed versions of these materials to you by mail, in connection with the Company’s solicitation of proxies for use at the Annual Meeting, to be held on Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time, and at any postponement(s) or adjournment(s) thereof. These materials were first sent or given to shareholders on May 8, 2012. You are invited to attend the Annual Meeting and are requested to vote on the proposals described in this Proxy Statement. The Annual Meeting will be held in the Company’s San Francisco office located at the address shown above.

What is included in these materials?

These materials include:

 

   

this Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting; and

 

   

the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, as filed with the SEC (the “Annual Report”).

If you requested printed versions of these materials by mail, these materials also include the proxy card or vote instruction form for the Annual Meeting. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, including financial statements, is included in this mailing. Such reports and financial statements are not a part of this proxy statement except as specifically incorporated herein.

Who is entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting?

The record date for determination of shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting is May 8, 2012. Only stockholders of record at the close of business on that date are entitled to vote at the meeting. We are currently authorized to issue up to 250,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value. As of April 17, 2012, 184,413,923 shares of common stock were issued and outstanding. Each share of common stock shall be entitled to one (1) vote on all matters submitted for stockholder approval.

Am I entitled to vote if my shares are held in “street name”?

Yes, if a bank or brokerage firm holds your shares in street name for you, you are considered the “beneficial owner” of the shares. If your shares are held in street name, these proxy materials are being forwarded to you by your bank or brokerage firm (the “record holder”), along with a voting instruction card. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct the record holder how to vote your shares, and the record holder is required to vote your shares in accordance with your instructions.

 

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May I attend the annual meeting if I hold my shares in “street name”?

As the beneficial owner of shares, you are invited to attend the annual meeting. If you are not a record holder, however, you may not vote your shares in person at the meeting unless you obtain a proxy, executed in your favor, from the record holder of your shares.

What is the quorum requirement for the Annual Meeting?

The holders of a majority of the shares entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting must be present at the Annual Meeting for the transaction of business. This is called a quorum. Your shares will be counted for purposes of determining if there is a quorum, whether representing votes for, against or abstained, if you:

 

   

are present and vote in person at the Annual Meeting; or

 

   

have voted on the Internet, by telephone or by properly submitting a proxy card or vote instruction form by mail.

If a quorum is not present, the Annual Meeting will be adjourned until a quorum is obtained.

How are proxies voted?

All valid proxies received prior to the Annual Meeting will be voted. All shares represented by a proxy will be voted and, where a shareholder specifies by means of the proxy a choice with respect to any matter to be acted upon, the shares will be voted in accordance with the shareholder’s instructions.

What items will be voted on at the Annual Meeting?

Shareholders will vote on five items at the Annual Meeting:

 

   

To elect five (5) directors to hold office until the next Annual Meeting of Shareholders or until their successors are elected and qualified;

 

   

To approve an amendment to our amended and restated articles of incorporation to effect a reverse stock split;

 

   

To approve an amendment to our amended and restated articles of incorporation to decrease the authorized number of shares in connection with the reverse stock split;

 

   

To ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2012; and

 

   

To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting.

How does the Board of Directors recommend that I vote on the proposals?

The Board recommends that you vote “FOR” each proposal in this proxy statement.

How does LDK Solar Co., Ltd., our controlling shareholder, intend to vote?

LDK Solar Co., Ltd. (“LDK”) owns approximately seventy percent (70%) of the issued and outstanding common stock of the Company on an as converted, fully-diluted basis as of the Record Date. LDK has indicated that it intends to vote in favor of each of the proposals, thereby assuring approval of those proposals.

Why did I receive a notice in the mail regarding the Internet availability of proxy materials instead of a paper copy of the proxy materials?

Pursuant to rules adopted by the SEC, the Company has elected to provide access to its proxy materials over the Internet. Accordingly, the Company is sending a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”) to the Company’s shareholders of record and beneficial owners. All shareholders will have the ability to access the proxy materials on the website referred to in the Notice or request to receive a printed set of the proxy materials. Instructions on how to access the proxy materials over the Internet or to request a printed copy may be found in the Notice. In addition, shareholders may request to receive proxy materials in printed form by mail or electronically by email on an ongoing basis. The Company encourages you to take advantage of the availability of the proxy materials on the Internet in order to help reduce the environmental impact of the Annual Meeting.

How can I get electronic access to the proxy materials?

The Notice will provide you with instructions regarding how to:

 

   

view the Company’s proxy materials for the Annual Meeting on the Internet; and

 

   

instruct the Company to send future proxy materials to you electronically by email.

 

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The Company’s proxy materials are also available on the Company’s website at www.solarpowerinc.net.

Choosing to receive future proxy materials by email will save the Company the cost of printing and mailing documents to you and will reduce the impact of the Company’s annual meetings on the environment. If you choose to receive future proxy materials by email, you will receive an email message next year with instructions containing a link to those materials and a link to the proxy voting website. Your election to receive proxy materials by email will remain in effect until you terminate it.

How may I obtain a paper copy of the proxy materials?

Stockholders receiving a notice about the Internet availability of the proxy materials will find instructions about how to obtain a paper copy of the proxy materials on their notice. Stockholders receiving notice of the availability of the proxy materials by e-mail will find instructions about how to obtain a paper copy of the proxy materials as part of that e-mail. All stockholders who do not receive a notice or an e-mail will receive a paper copy of the proxy materials by mail.

How do I vote if I am a registered stockholder?

1. You may vote by mail. If you are a registered stockholder (that is, if you hold your stock directly and not in street name), you may vote by mail by completing, signing and dating the accompanying proxy card and returning it in the enclosed postage prepaid envelope. Your proxy will then be voted at the annual meeting in accordance with your instructions.

2. You may vote by telephone or on the Internet. If you are a registered stockholder, you may vote by telephone or on the Internet by following the instructions included on the proxy card. Stockholders with shares registered directly with Computershare, the Company’s transfer agent, may vote (i) on the Internet at the following web address: http://www.edocumentview.com/Solar-Power or (ii) by telephone by dialing 1-800-652-VOTE (8683) (toll free from the United States and Canada). If you vote by telephone or on the Internet, you do not have to mail in your proxy card. If you wish to attend the meeting in person, however, you will need to bring the admission ticket attached to the proxy card with you. Internet and telephone voting are available 24 hours a day. Votes submitted through the Internet or by telephone must be received by 12:00 a.m. (PDT) on June 27, 2012.

NOTE: If you vote on the Internet, you may elect to have next year’s proxy statement and annual report to stockholders delivered to you via the Internet. We strongly encourage you to enroll in Internet delivery. It is a cost-effective way for us to send you proxy materials and annual reports.

3. You may vote in person at the meeting. If you are a registered stockholder and attend the meeting (please remember to bring your admission ticket or other acceptable evidence of stock ownership as of the record date), you may deliver your completed proxy card in person.

How do I vote if I hold my shares in “street name”?

If you are a beneficial owner of shares registered in the name of your broker, bank, or other agent, you should have received a voting card and voting instructions with these proxy materials from that organization rather than from Solar Power. Your bank or broker may permit you to vote your shares electronically by telephone or on the Internet. A large number of banks and brokerage firms participate in programs that offer telephone and Internet voting options. If your shares are held in an account at a bank or brokerage firm that participates in such a program, you may vote those shares electronically by telephone or on the Internet by following the instructions set forth on the voting form provided to you by your bank or brokerage firm.

These Internet and telephone voting procedures, which comply with California law, are designed to authenticate stockholders’ identities, allow stockholders to vote their shares and confirm that stockholders’ votes have been recorded properly. Stockholders voting via either telephone or the Internet should understand that there may be costs associated with electronic access, such as usage charges from Internet access providers and telephone companies that must be borne by the stockholder using such services. Also, please be aware that Solar Power is not involved in the operation of these voting procedures and cannot take responsibility for any access, Internet or telephone service interruptions that may occur or any inaccuracies, erroneous or incomplete information that may appear.

What happens if I do not give specific voting instructions?

Shareholders of Record. If you are a shareholder of record and you:

 

   

indicate when voting on the Internet or by telephone that you wish to vote as recommended by the Board, or

 

   

sign and return a proxy card without giving specific voting instructions, then the proxy holders will vote your shares in the manner recommended by the Board on all matters presented in this Proxy Statement and as the proxy holders may determine in their discretion with respect to any other matters properly presented for a vote at the Annual Meeting. See the section entitled “Other Matters” below.

Beneficial Owners of Shares Held in Street Name. If you are a beneficial owner of shares held in street name and do not provide the organization that holds your shares with specific voting instructions, under the rules of various national and regional securities exchanges, the organization that holds your shares may generally vote on routine matters but cannot vote on non-routine matters. If the

 

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organization that holds your shares does not receive instructions from you on how to vote your shares on a non-routine matter, the organization that holds your shares will inform the inspector of election that it does not have the authority to vote on this matter with respect to your shares. This is generally referred to as a “broker non-vote.”

Which ballot measures are considered “routine” or “non-routine”?

The election of directors (Proposal No. 1) is no longer considered routine by the SEC. The approval of the amendment of our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to effect the reverse stock split (Proposal No. 2), the approval of the amendment to our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to decrease the authorized shares in connection with the reverse stock split (Proposal No. 3) are also considered non-routine. A broker or other nominee cannot vote without instructions on non-routine matters, and therefore there may be broker non-votes on Proposal Nos. 1-3.

The ratification of the Company’s independent registered accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2012 (Proposal No. 4) is a matter the Company believes will be considered routine. A broker or other nominee may generally vote on routine matters, and therefore no broker non-votes are expected to exist in connection with Proposal No. 4.

How are broker non-votes treated?

Broker non-votes are counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present. For the purpose of determining whether the shareholders have approved all matters other than the ratification of independent registered accounting firm (Proposal No. 4), broker non-votes have the same effect as an “AGAINST” vote. The Company encourages you to provide voting instructions to the organization that holds your shares by carefully following the instructions provided in the Notice.

How are abstentions treated?

Abstentions are counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present. Shares not present at the Annual Meeting and abstentions have no effect on the ratification of independent registered accounting firm (Proposal No. 4). For the purpose of determining whether the shareholders have approved all other matters, abstentions have the same effect as an “AGAINST” vote.

Can I change my vote after I have voted?

You may revoke your proxy and change your vote at any time before the final vote at the Annual Meeting. You may vote again on a later date via the Internet or by telephone (only your latest Internet or telephone proxy submitted prior to the Annual Meeting will be counted), by signing and returning a new proxy card or vote instruction form with a later date, or by attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person. However, your attendance at the Annual Meeting will not automatically revoke your proxy unless you vote again at the Annual Meeting or specifically request that your prior proxy be revoked by delivering to the Company’s Corporate Secretary at 201 California Street, Suite 1250, San Francisco, California 94111 a written notice of revocation prior to the Annual Meeting.

Where can I find the voting results of the Annual Meeting?

The preliminary voting results will be announced at the Annual Meeting. The final voting results will be tallied by the inspector of election and published in the Company’s Report on Form 8-K, which is due within 4 business days after the Annual Meeting.

Who is paying for the cost of this proxy solicitation?

This proxy is solicited on behalf of our Board of Directors. We will bear the entire cost of preparing, assembling, printing and mailing proxy materials furnished by the Board of Directors to shareholders. Copies of proxy materials will be furnished to brokerage houses, fiduciaries and custodians to be forwarded to beneficial owners of the Company’s stock entitled to vote. In addition to the solicitation of proxies by use of the mail, some of our officers, directors and employees may, without additional compensation, solicit proxies by telephone or personal interview.

 

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PROPOSAL 1 — ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

General Information

Our Bylaws presently provide that the authorized number of directors may be determined by a resolution of a majority of the total number of directors of the Board (the “Board”) from time to time. The Board has set the number of directors at five (5). At the Annual Meeting, shareholders will be asked to elect the nominees for director listed below.

Nominees for Director

The nominees for director have consented to being named as nominees in this Proxy Statement and have agreed to serve as directors, if elected. Unless otherwise instructed, the proxy holders will vote the proxies received by them for the five (5) nominees named below. If any nominee of the Company is unable or declines to serve as a director at the time of the Annual Meeting, the proxies will be voted for any nominee designated by the present Board to fill the vacancy. The Board has no reason to believe that any of the nominees will be unavailable for election. The directors who are elected shall hold office until the next Annual Meeting of Shareholders or until the earlier of death, resignation or removal, or until their successors are elected and qualified.

The following sets forth the persons nominated by the Board for election and certain information with respect to those individuals:

 

Nominee

   Age  

Xiaofeng Peng

     37   

Steve C. Kircher

     58   

Francis W. Chen

     63   

Jack Lai

     58   

Dennis Wu

     70   

Biographies

Xiaofeng Peng

Mr. Peng has served as Chairman of our Board since January 10, 2011. Mr. Peng was appointed Chairman of the Board pursuant to the terms of the Stock Purchase Agreement entered into between the Company and LDK Solar Co., Ltd. (“LDK”). Mr. Peng founded LDK in July 2005 and is its chairman of the board and chief executive officer. Prior to founding LDK, Mr. Peng founded Suzhou Liouxin in March 1997 and was its chief executive officer until February 2006. Suzhou Liouxin is a leading manufacturer of personal protective equipment in Asia. Mr. Peng graduated from Jiangxi Foreign Trade School in 1993 with a diploma in international business and from Beijing University Guanghua School of Management with an executive MBA degree in 2002.

Mr. Peng’s experience as founder of LDK and his previous experience in founding and managing manufacturing operations qualify him to be a director of the Company.

Steve C. Kircher

Mr. Kircher has served as our director since May 2006. Mr. Kircher previously served as the Chairman of our Board from September 2006 through January 10, 2011. Mr. Kircher has served as our Chief Executive Officer since May 2006 and President since December 29, 2006. Prior to that, Mr. Kircher served as a consultant to International DisplayWorks, Inc. from December 2004 through April 2006. Mr. Kircher also served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of International DisplayWorks, Inc. from July 2001 until December 2004. Mr. Kircher has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, San Diego. Mr. Kircher was the subject of NASD disciplinary proceedings relating to potential violations of NASD Conduct rules for events occurring in 1999 in connection with Mr. Kircher’s status and duties as a principal of CapBay Financial Services. The NASD complaint alleged improper markups based on CapBay’s contemporaneous cost in connection with the purchase and sale of two stocks, failure of brokers to make required penny stock disclosure in connection with the purchase and sale of one stock, and failure to maintain and enforce supervisory procedures designed to achieve compliance with securities rules and regulations. CapBay Financial Services ceased operations in approximately 2001, and Mr. Kircher also ceased working in the industry to manage operations at International DisplayWorks, Inc., as noted above, at the same time. Mr. Kircher later entered into a letter of acceptance, consent and waiver (“AWC”) with the NASD, pursuant to which Mr. Kircher consented to the imposition of disciplinary sanctions, including his agreement that he would not associate with any NASD member in the future without NASD consent. The letter was accepted by NASD in March 2002, and, along with Mr. Kircher’s payment of an agreed upon fine, constituted the final disposition of this matter.

The Board believes that Mr. Kircher’s broad base of management and oversight skills and extensive background experience with respect to establishing manufacturing operations in China and domestically makes him an excellent candidate to serve as CEO and director of the Company. As our present Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kircher has an extensive understanding of our structure, history and goals and serves as our chief strategist for our business model. Mr. Kircher is also one of our significant investors. As such, not only does Mr. Kircher bring to our Board a wealth of management and oversight experience and expertise, his personal interests are also inextricably aligned with our future success.

 

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Francis W. Chen

Mr. Chen has served as our director since November 23, 2009. Mr. Chen is currently vice chairman at WI Harper Group, a venture capital firm with offices in San Francisco, Beijing and Taipei, a position he has held since 2008. Prior to this, Mr. Chen was a co-founder of Pacific Advantage International in 2002. He continues to serve as chairman of Pacific Advantage International. Mr. Chen also serves as a member of the boards for Mail.com Media Corporation, SB2, Stealth Peptides, and LogicEase Solutions. Mr. Chen has twenty years of prior management experience in the healthcare industry with Becton-Dickinson, Baxter International and a number of biotechnology start-ups. Mr. Chen received a Ph.D. in immunology from Harvard University in 1976, and holds a M.S. and a B.S. in chemistry from Tufts University (1970).

Mr. Chen has broad experience and expertise serving on the boards of directors of various Chinese companies. From his positions as a director, Mr. Chen has invaluable knowledge and experience managing operations of public companies, specifically including biotechnology companies. The Board believes that Mr. Chen’s broad experience on various boards is an asset to the Company and complements the experience and knowledge of the other members of the Board.

We believe that the Board of Directors is and should be composed of individuals with significant, specific and applicable experience and knowledge, both specific and general, in a broad array of fields that relate to our operation and management and that, collectively, the members of our Board have the appropriate experience and knowledge for the successful management and oversight of the Company.

Jack Lai

Mr. Lai has served as our director since January 10, 2011. Mr. Lai was appointed director pursuant to the terms of the Stock Purchase Agreement entered into between the Company and LDK. Mr. Lai is currently an executive vice president, chief financial officer and secretary of LDK. He joined LDK in August 2006. Mr. Lai has over 20 years of experience in finance, strategic planning and corporate management. Prior to joining LDK, Mr. Lai served as the chief financial officer and vice president of Silicon Storage Technology, Inc. He was the vice president of finance and administration and the chief financial officer of Aplus Flash Technology, Inc. in San Jose, California from 2000 to 2003. He served as vice president of finance and administration, chief financial officer and general manager of Wirex Corporation, Inc. in Portland, Oregon, from 1998 to 2000. Mr. Lai graduated from Tamkang University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1976, from Chinese Culture University with an MBA degree in 1978 and from San Jose State University with an MBA degree in 1982.

Mr. Lai’s broad experience and expertise serving as Chief Financial Officer of LDK Solar as well as his previous experience in the technology sector qualifies him to serve as a director of the Company.

Dennis Wu

Mr. Wu has served as our director since July 22, 2011 and serves as the Chairman of our Audit and Compensation Committees. Mr. Wu is co-founder of WuHoover & Co. LLP, a professional accounting firm focused on serving emerging and mid-sized businesses. Mr. Wu currently serves as an independent Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee and member of the Compensation and Transaction Committees for Recology. From June 2005 to March 2008, Mr. Wu served as Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of UCBH Holdings, Inc. (“UCBH”) and its wholly owned subsidiary United Commercial Bank (“UCB”). He was previously elected as an independent Director and Chairman of the respective Audit Committee of UCBH (a NASDAQ listed company) and UCB. Mr. Wu has also served as the Chairman of the Investment and Risk Management Committees of UCBH and UCB. Mr. Wu graduated with a B.S. and M.B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley, Haas School of Business. He retired in 2004 after a 37-year career at Deloitte & Touche, LLP, at the firm’s San Francisco office. Mr. Wu began at Deloitte as an auditor and ultimately held various managing partner positions. Mr. Wu is a California Certified Public Accountant.

Mr. Wu’s broad experience and expertise as an independent director and as a member of audit, compensation, investment, risk management, and transaction committees previously, as well as his previous experience in the technology sector qualifies him to serve as a director of the Company.

RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT THE SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR”

THE NOMINEES LISTED ABOVE.

 

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PROPOSAL 2 — APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT TO AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES OF CORPORATION TO EFFECT REVERSE STOCK SPLIT

Overview

Our Board has unanimously approved an amendment to our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (“Articles”) to effect a reverse stock split of all outstanding shares of our common stock at an exchange ratio ranging from one-for-three (1:3) to one-for-five (1:5) and at an exchange ratio of one-for-ten (1:10). You are now being asked to vote upon this amendment to our Articles. Should we receive the required stockholder approval, the Board will have the sole authority to elect, at any time prior to March 31, 2013: (1) whether or not to effect a reverse stock split, and (2) if so, the number of whole shares of our common stock, between and including three, five and ten, which will be combined into one share of our common stock. The Board believes that providing the flexibility for the Board to choose an exact split ratio based on then-current market conditions is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. Even with stockholder approval of this proposal, the Board would not be obligated to pursue the reverse stock split. Rather, the Board would have the flexibility to decide whether or not a reverse stock split (and at what ratio) would be in the best interests of the Company.

The text of the form of proposed amendment to our Articles, which assumes the Board determines to implement the reverse stock split, is attached hereto as Appendix A. By approving this Proposal No. 2, stockholders will approve a series of amendments to our Articles pursuant to which any whole number of outstanding shares between and including three, five and ten could be combined into one share of common stock, and authorize the Board to file only one such amendment, as determined by the Board in the manner described herein, and to abandon each amendment not selected by the Board. The Board may also elect not to undertake any reverse stock split.

If approved by the stockholders, and following such stockholder approval, the Board determines that effecting a reverse stock split is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders, the reverse stock split will become effective upon filing one such amendment with the Secretary of State of the State of California. The amendment filed thereby will contain the number of shares selected by the Board within the limits set forth in this proposal to be combined into one share of common stock.

Except for adjustments that may result from the treatment of fractional shares as described below, each stockholder will hold the same percentage of the outstanding common stock immediately following the reverse stock split as such stockholder held immediately prior to the reverse stock split. The par value of the Company’s common stock would remain unchanged at $0.0001 per share. The amendment would not change the number of authorized shares of common stock. Accordingly, the reverse stock split will have the effect of creating additional authorized and unreserved shares of our common stock. We currently have no other current plans, arrangements or understandings providing for the issuance of additional shares that would be made available for issuance upon effectiveness of the reverse stock split, these additional shares may be used by us for various purposes in the future without further stockholder approval. These purposes may include, among other things:

 

   

raising capital;

 

   

providing equity incentives to our employees, officers or directors;

 

   

establishing strategic relationships with other companies; and

 

   

expanding our business or product lines through the acquisition of other businesses or products.

Certain of our officers and directors have an interest in this reverse stock split as a result of their ownership of shares of our stock, as set forth in the section entitled “Stock Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” below.

 

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Reasons for the Reverse Stock Split

The Board believes that a reverse stock split is desirable for a number of reasons. Primarily, the Board believes that a reverse stock split may enable the Company to meet the initial listing requirements of the NYSE-Amex. Additionally, the Board of Directors believes that a reverse stock split could improve the marketability and liquidity of the common stock.

Listing on the NYSE-Amex. In the near future, we plan to seek a listing of our common stock on a national securities exchange such as NYSE-Amex or NASDAQ. Eligibility for listing on a national exchange is subject to a number of criteria, such as public float, minimum share price, number of stockholders, market capitalization, net income and other factors. We currently meet most, but not all, of the listing criteria for NYSE-Amex. One of the listing requirements that we do not currently meet is that we have a minimum per share price of $2.00 or $3.00, depending on the specific eligibility determination used. We believe that the reverse stock split will increase our ability to meet the minimum share price requirement at such time, if ever, that we meet the other listing criteria and the Board determines it is in the best interest of the Company to apply for listing on such exchange.

Potential Increased Investor Interest. The Board also believes that the increased market price of the common stock expected as a result of implementing a reverse stock split will improve the marketability and liquidity of the common stock and will encourage interest and trading in the common stock. A reverse stock split could allow a broader range of institutions to invest in our stock (namely, funds that are prohibited from buying stocks whose price is below a certain threshold), potentially increasing trading volume and liquidity of our common stock. A reverse stock split could help increase analyst and broker interest in our stock as their policies can discourage them from following or recommending companies with low stock prices. Because of the trading volatility often associated with low-priced stocks, many brokerage houses and institutional investors have internal policies and practices that either prohibit them from investing in low-priced stocks or tend to discourage individual brokers from recommending low-priced stocks to their customers. Some of those policies and practices may function to make the processing of trades in low-priced stocks economically unattractive to brokers. Additionally, because brokers’ commissions on low-priced stocks generally represent a higher percentage of the stock price than commissions on higher-priced stocks, the current average price per share of common stock can result in individual stockholders paying transaction costs representing a higher percentage of their total share value than would be the case if the share price were substantially higher.

The Board of Directors does not intend for this transaction to be the first step in a series of plans or proposals of a “going private transaction” within the meaning of Rule 13e-3 of the Securities Exchange Act.

Risks of Proposed Reverse Stock Split

The proposed reverse stock split may not increase our stock price, which would prevent us from realizing some of the anticipated benefits of the reverse stock split. The Board expects that a reverse stock split of our common stock will increase the market price of our common stock so that the Company could meet the initial listing requirements of the NYSE-Amex. However, the effect of a reverse stock split upon the market price of our common stock cannot be predicted with any certainty, and the history of similar stock splits for companies in like circumstances is varied. It is possible that the per share price of our common stock after the reverse stock split will not rise in proportion to the reduction in the number of shares of our common stock outstanding resulting from the reverse stock split, and there can be no assurance that the market price per post-reverse stock split share will either exceed or remain in excess of the minimum bid price required for listing with NYSE-Amex for a sustained period of time, nor that the reverse stock split would result in a per share price that would attract brokers and investors who do not trade in lower priced stocks. The market price of our common stock may also be based on other factors which may be unrelated to the number of shares outstanding, including our future performance. In addition, there can be no assurance that we will be qualified to meet other continued listing requirements of NYSE-Amex even if the market price per post-reverse stock split share of our common stock remains in excess of the required minimum bid price per share.

The proposed reverse stock split may decrease the liquidity of our stock. The liquidity of our common stock may be harmed by the proposed reverse stock split given the reduced number of shares that would be outstanding after the reverse stock split, particularly if the stock price does not increase as a result of the reverse stock split.

Even if we effect a reverse stock split, the market price of our common stock may decrease due to factors unrelated to the stock split. The market price of the common stock would also be based on the Company’s performance and other factors, some of which are unrelated to the number of shares outstanding. If the reverse stock split is consummated and the trading price of the common stock declines, the percentage decline as an absolute number and as a percentage of the Company’s overall market capitalization may be greater than would occur in the absence of the reverse stock split.

Board Discretion to Implement the Reverse Stock Split

If the reverse stock split is approved by the stockholders, it will be effected, if at all, only upon a determination by the Board that a reverse stock split (with an exchange ratio determined by the Board as described above) is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. Such determination shall be based upon certain factors, including meeting the listing requirements for NYSE-Amex, existing and expected marketability and liquidity of the common stock, prevailing market conditions and the likely effect on the market price of the common stock. Notwithstanding approval of the reverse stock split by the stockholders, the Board may, in its sole discretion, abandon the proposed amendment and determine prior to the effectiveness of any filing with the Secretary of State of the State of California not to effect the reverse stock split prior to March 31, 2013. If the Board of Directors fails to implement any of the reverse stock splits prior to March 31, 2013, stockholder approval again would be required prior to implementing any reverse stock split.

 

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Principal Effects of the Reverse Stock Split

After the effective date of the proposed reverse stock split, each stockholder will own a reduced number of shares of common stock. However, the proposed reverse stock split will affect all stockholders uniformly and will not affect any stockholder’s percentage ownership interest in the Company (except to the extent that whole shares will be exchanged in lieu of fractional shares as described below). Proportionate voting rights and other rights and preferences of the holders of common stock will not be affected by the proposed reverse stock split (except to the extent that whole shares will be exchanged in lieu of fractional shares as described below). For example, a holder of 2% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of common stock immediately prior to the reverse stock split would continue to hold approximately 2% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of common stock immediately after the reverse stock split. The number of stockholders of record also will not be affected by the proposed reverse stock split (except to the extent that whole shares will be exchanged in lieu of fractional shares as described below).

The following table contains approximate information relating to the common stock under the proposed reverse stock split ratios, without giving effect to any adjustments for fractional shares of common stock, as of April 17, 2012.

Table 1. Shares and Reverse Stock Split

 

STATUS

  NUMBER OF SHARES  OF
COMMON STOCK
AUTHORIZED
    NUMBER OF SHARES  OF
COMMON STOCK
ISSUED

AND OUTSTANDING
    NUMBER OF SHARES  OF
COMMON STOCK
AUTHORIZED BUT
UNISSUED
 

Pre-Reverse Split

    250,000,000        184,413,923        65,586,077   

Post-Reverse Split 1:3

    250,000,000        61,471,308        188,528,692   

Post-Reverse Split 1:4

    250,000,000        46,103,481        203,896,519   

Post-Reverse Split 1:5

    250,000,000        36,882,785        213,117,215   

Post-Reverse Split 1:10

    250,000,000        18,441,392        231,558,068   

The proposed reverse stock split will also reduce the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the Company’s 2006 Equity Incentive Plan, in proportion to the exchange ratio selected by the Board within the limits set forth in this proposal. The Company also has outstanding stock options pursuant to which shares of common stock will be issued or released upon exercise or vesting, as applicable, under one or more of the foregoing plans or agreements. Under the terms of the applicable stock plan and/or award agreements, the number of shares subject to outstanding stock options will be proportionately reduced by the exchange ratio selected by the Board within the limits set forth in this proposal. In addition, the exercise price of each outstanding stock option will be proportionately increased by the exchange ratio selected by the Board within the limits set forth in this proposal.

If the proposed reverse stock split is implemented, it will increase the number of stockholders of the Company who own “odd lots” of less than 100 shares of common stock. Brokerage commission and other costs of transactions in odd lots are generally higher than the costs of transactions of more than 100 shares of common stock.

Effective Date

The proposed reverse stock split would become effective on the date of filing of a Certificate of Amendment to the Articles with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of California. On the effective date, shares of common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior thereto will be combined and converted, automatically and without any action on the part of the stockholders, into new shares of common stock in accordance with the reverse stock split ratio determined by the Board within the limits set forth in this proposal.

Treatment of Fractional Shares

No scrip or fractional shares would be issued if, as a result of the reverse stock split, a registered stockholder would otherwise become entitled to a fractional share. Instead, stockholders who otherwise would be entitled to receive fractional shares because they hold a number of shares not evenly divisible by the ratio of the reverse stock split, will automatically be entitled to receive an additional share of common stock. In other words, any fractional share will be rounded up to the nearest whole number.

Effect on Non-registered Stockholder

Non-registered stockholders holding common stock through a bank, broker or other nominee should note that such banks, brokers or other nominees may have different procedures for processing the consolidation than those that would be put in place by the Company for registered stockholders. If you hold your shares with such a bank, broker or other nominee and if you have questions in this regard, you are encouraged to contact your nominee.

Exchange of Stock Certificates

If the reverse stock split is authorized by the stockholders, and the Board elects to implement the reverse stock split, stockholders will be notified as soon as practicable after the effective date that the reverse stock split has been effected. The Company’s transfer agent

 

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will act as “exchange agent” for purposes of implementing the exchange of stock certificates. Holders of pre-reverse split shares will be asked to surrender to the exchange agent certificates representing pre-reverse split shares in exchange for post-reverse split shares, including whole shares to be issued in lieu of fractional shares (if any) in accordance with the procedures to be set forth in a letter of transmittal to be sent by the Company. Until surrender, each certificate representing shares before the reverse stock split would continue to be valid and would represent the adjusted number of shares based on the exchange ratio of the reverse stock split rounded up to the nearest whole share. No new post-reverse split share certificates, including those representing whole shares to be issued in lieu of fractional shares will be issued to a stockholder until such stockholder has surrendered such stockholder’s outstanding certificate(s) together with the properly completed and executed letter of transmittal to the exchange agent.

STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD NOT DESTROY ANY PRE-SPLIT STOCK CERTIFICATE AND SHOULD NOT SUBMIT ANY CERTIFICATES UNTIL THEY ARE REQUESTED TO DO SO.

Accounting Consequences

The par value per share of common stock would remain unchanged at $0.0001 per share after the reverse stock split. As a result, on the effective date of the reverse stock split, the stated capital on the Company’s balance sheet attributable to the common stock will be reduced proportionally, based on the exchange ratio of the reverse stock split, from its present amount, and the additional paid-in capital account shall be credited with the amount by which the stated capital is reduced. The per share common stock net income or loss and net book value will be increased because there will be fewer shares of common stock outstanding. We will reclassify prior period per share amounts and the Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the effect of the reverse stock split for any prior periods in our financial statements and reports such that prior periods are comparable to current period presentation. The Company does not anticipate that any other accounting consequences would arise as a result of the reverse stock split.

No Appraisal Rights

Our stockholders are not entitled to dissenters’ or appraisal rights under California corporate law with respect to the proposed amendments to the amended and restated articles of incorporation to effect the reverse stock split, and the Company will not independently provide the stockholders with any such right.

Material Federal U.S. Income Tax Consequence of the Reverse Stock Split

The following is a summary of certain material United States federal income tax consequences of the reverse stock split to the Company’s stockholders. This summary does not purport to be a complete discussion of all of the possible federal income tax consequences of the reverse stock split and is included for general information only. Further, it does not address any state, local or foreign income or other tax consequences. Also, it does not address the tax consequences to stockholders that are subject to special tax rules, such as banks, insurance companies, regulated investment companies, personal holding companies, foreign entities, nonresident alien individuals, broker-dealers and tax-exempt entities. Other stockholders may also be subject to special tax rules, including but not limited to: stockholders who received common stock as compensation for services or pursuant to the exercise of an employee stock option, or stockholders who have held, or will hold, stock as part of a straddle, hedging, or conversion transaction for federal income tax purposes. This summary also assumes you are a United States holder (defined below) who has held, and will hold, shares of common stock as a “capital asset,” as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (i.e., generally, property held for investment). Finally, the following discussion does not address the tax consequences of transactions occurring prior to or after the reverse stock split (whether or not such transactions are in connection with the reverse stock split) including, without limitation, the exercise of options or rights to purchase common stock in anticipation of the reverse stock split.

The tax treatment of a stockholder may vary depending upon the particular facts and circumstances of such stockholder. You should consult with your own tax advisor with respect to the tax consequences of the reverse stock split. As used herein, the term United States holder means a stockholder that is, for federal income tax purposes: a citizen or resident of the United States; a corporation or other entity taxed as a corporation created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state, including the District of Columbia; an estate the income of which is subject to federal income tax regardless of its source; or a trust that (i) is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and the control of one of more U.S. persons or (ii) has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.

The following discussion is based on the Code, applicable Treasury Regulations, judicial authority and administrative rulings and practice, all as of the date hereof. The Internal Revenue Service could adopt a contrary position. In addition, future legislative, judicial or administrative changes or interpretations could adversely affect the accuracy of the statements and conclusions set forth herein. Any such changes or interpretations could be applied retroactively and could affect the tax consequences described herein. No ruling from the Internal Revenue Service or opinion of counsel has been obtained in connection with the reverse stock split.

No gain or loss should be recognized by a stockholder upon such stockholder’s exchange of pre-reverse stock split shares of common stock for post-reverse stock split shares of common stock pursuant to the reverse stock split. The aggregate tax basis of the post-reverse stock split shares received in the reverse stock split (including any whole share received in exchange for a fractional share) will be the same as the stockholder’s aggregate tax basis in the pre-reverse stock split shares exchanged therefore. The stockholder’s holding period for the post-reverse stock split shares will include the period during which the stockholder held the pre-reverse stock split shares surrendered in the reverse stock split.

 

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THE PRECEDING DISCUSSION IS INTENDED ONLY AS A SUMMARY OF CERTAIN FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE REVERSE STOCK SPLIT AND DOES NOT PURPORT TO BE A COMPLETE ANALYSIS OR DISCUSSION OF ALL POTENTIAL TAX EFFECTS RELEVANT THERETO. YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR OWN TAX ADVISORS AS TO THE PARTICULAR FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, FOREIGN, AND OTHER TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE REVERSE STOCK SPLIT, IN LIGHT OF YOUR SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES.

Required Vote and Recommendation of the Board of Directors

In accordance with California law, approval and adoption of an amendment to our Articles to implement a reverse stock split of our common stock requires the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote either in person or by proxy at the Annual Meeting.

If you ABSTAIN from voting, it will have the same effect as an AGAINST vote. Broker non-votes will have the same effect as AGAINST votes.

RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS

A VOTE “FOR” PROPOSAL NO. 2.

 

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PROPOSAL 3 — APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT TO AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION TO DECREASE THE AUTHORIZED NUMBER OF SHARES OF COMMON STOCK

Our Board has unanimously approved an amendment to our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to reduce the authorized shares of Common Stock in connection with the reverse stock split proposed in Proposal No. 2 for split ratios ranging from one-for-three (1:3) to one-for-five (1:5), and for one-for-ten (1:10). The reduction in the number of authorized shares would be in the same ratio as the reverse stock split ratio elected by the Board following stockholder approval of Proposal No. 2. Should we receive the required stockholder approval, the reduction in the authorized shares of Common Stock will occur if, and only if, Proposal No. 2 has been approved by the stockholders of the Company and the Board has elected, prior to March 31, 2013 to effect a reverse stock split at a ratio ranging from one-for-three (1:3) to one-for-five (1:5), or for one-for-ten (1:10).

The Board believes that reducing the authorized number of shares of common stock upon the effectiveness of a reverse stock split as discussed in Proposal No. 2 is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. Even with stockholder approval of this proposal, the Board of Directors would not be obligated to pursue the reverse stock split. Rather, directors would have the flexibility to decide whether or not a reverse stock split (and at what ratio) would be in the best interests of the Company.

The Company is asking stockholders to vote on two proposals separately: the reverse stock split in Proposal No. 2 and the reduction in the number of authorized shares of common stock in this Proposal No. 3. There are four possible voting outcomes for these proposals: (1) stockholders approve both proposals; (2) stockholders approve the reverse stock split but do not approve the reduction in the number of authorized shares of common stock; (3) stockholders approve the reduction in the number of authorized shares of common stock but do not approve the reverse stock split; or (4) stockholders do not approve either proposal. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT THE STOCKHOLDERS APPROVE BOTH PROPOSALS.

The Board will take action based on the actual voting outcome as follows:

Stockholders approve both proposals. If the stockholders approve both proposals, the Board would, in its discretion, be able to effect the reverse stock split and the number of authorized shares of common stock would be automatically reduced by the reverse stock ratio, with no further action by the Board, by causing a Certificate of Amendment of the Articles in the form attached hereto as Appendix B to be filed with the Secretary of State of the State of California. The Board may determine in its discretion not to effect the reverse stock split, in which case the reduction in the number of authorized shares of common stock would also not occur and the Board would not file the amendment to the Articles. No further action on the part of stockholders will be required to either implement or abandon the reverse stock split and the reduction in the number of authorized shares of common stock.

Stockholders approve the reverse stock split but not the reduction in the number of authorized shares of common stock. If the stockholders approve the proposal to effect the reverse stock split, but do not approve the reduction in the number of authorized shares of Common Stock, the Board may effect the reverse stock split without a corresponding reduction in the number of authorized shares of common stock. The Board may determine in its discretion not to effect the reverse stock split if the Board determines that the reverse stock split would not be in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. No further action on the part of stockholders will be required to either implement or abandon the reverse stock split.

Stockholders approve the reduction in the number of authorized shares of Common Stock but not the reverse stock split. The Board will not implement a reduction in the number of authorized shares of common stock without a reverse stock split. If the stockholders approve only the reduction in the number of authorized shares of common stock, but not the proposal to effect the reverse stock split, the Board would not effect a reverse stock split or a reduction in the number of authorized shares of Common Stock.

Stockholders do not approve either proposal. If the stockholders do not approve either proposal, the Board would not have the authority to effect a reverse stock split or a reduction in the number of authorized shares of common stock.

Purpose of the Reduction in the Number of Authorized Shares of Common Stock in Connection with a Reverse Stock Split

The Board believes that it is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to reduce the number of issued and outstanding shares through the reverse stock split described in Proposal No. 2, in which immediately following the completion of the reverse stock split, the number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding or held in treasury will be reduced proportionately based on the reverse stock split ratio of 1-for-3, 1-for-4, 1-for-5, or 1-for-10.

The Board believes it is appropriate to reduce the authorized number of shares of Common Stock in the same ratio as the reverse split ratio selected by the Board, so that the reverse stock split does not result in a substantial increase in the amount of authorized but unissued shares of common stock and in the ratio of authorized but unissued shares of common stock to issued and outstanding shares of common stock.

No further action on the part of stockholders will be required to either implement or abandon, if authorized by the stockholders, the reverse stock split and, if authorized by the stockholders, the reduction in the number of authorized shares of common stock. If the reverse stock split proposal is approved by stockholders and the Board determines to implement the reverse stock split, either with or without the reduction in the number of authorized shares of common stock, depending on stockholder authorization, the Company would communicate to the public, prior to the effective date of the reverse stock split, additional details regarding the reverse stock split and reduction in the authorized number of shares of common stock.

 

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Effect on the Number of Authorized Shares

Although the reverse stock split proposed in Proposal No. 2 will not affect the rights of stockholders or any stockholder’s proportionate equity interest in the Company, subject to the treatment of fractional shares, if the stockholders approve the reverse stock split, but do not approve the corresponding reduction in the number of authorized shares of common stock, the number of authorized but unissued shares of common stock would increase substantially. The issuance in the future of authorized shares may have the effect of diluting the earnings per share and book value per share, and the stock ownership and voting rights of the currently outstanding shares of common stock. In addition, the increase in the number of authorized but unissued shares of common stock may be construed as having an anti-takeover effect. The Company is not proposing the reverse stock split for the purpose of increasing the number of authorized shares of common stock and the Company does not currently have plans to issue any of the authorized shares of common stock. However, the Company could, subject to the Board’s fiduciary duties and applicable law, issue such additional authorized shares to purchasers who might oppose a hostile takeover bid or any efforts to amend or repeal certain provisions of the Articles or bylaws. Such a use of these additional authorized shares could render more difficult, or discourage, an attempt to acquire control of the Company through a transaction opposed by the Board.

Required Vote and Recommendation of the Board of Directors

In accordance with California law, approval and adoption of an amendment to our Articles to decrease the authorized shares of our common stock requires the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote either in person or by proxy at the Annual Meeting.

If you ABSTAIN from voting, it will have the same effect as an AGAINST vote. Broker non-votes will have the same effect as AGAINST votes.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS

A VOTE “FOR” PROPOSAL NO. 3.

 

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PROPOSAL 4 — RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Board has appointed KPMG LLP (“KPMG”) to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2012. The Board is submitting the appointment of KPMG as our independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2012 for stockholder ratification at the Annual Meeting. KPMG served as our independent registered public accounting firm for the last fiscal year.

A representative of KPMG is expected to be present at the Annual Meeting. The KPMG representative will have an opportunity to make a statement if he or she wishes to do so and will be available to respond to appropriate questions from shareholders.

Our Bylaws do not require that the shareholders ratify the appointment of KPMG as our independent registered public accounting firm. We are seeking ratification because we believe it is a good corporate governance practice. If the shareholders do not ratify the appointment, the Board will reconsider whether to retain KPMG, but may retain KPMG in any event. Even if the appointment is ratified, the Board, in its discretion, may change the appointment at any time during the year if it determines that a change would be in the best interests of the Company and our shareholders.

At the beginning of fiscal year 2010 Perry-Smith LLP was our independent accountants. Last year we approved KPMG as our independent accountants.

RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT THE SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR”

PROPOSAL NO. 4.

 

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DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, PROMOTERS AND CONTROL PERSONS

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management

The following table sets forth as of May 3, 2012, certain information relating to the ownership of our common stock by (i) each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the class of equity security, (ii) each of our Directors, (iii) each of our executive officers, and (iv) all of our executive officers and directors as a group. Except as may be indicated in the footnotes to the table and subject to applicable community property laws, each of such persons has the sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares owned.

 

Directors and Named Executive Officers(1)

   Shares Beneficially
Owned
    Percentage
Beneficially
Owned
 

Xiaofeng Peng, Chairman of the Board of Directors

     100,000 (2)      *   

Francis W. Chen, Director

     320,000 (5)      *   

Jack Lai, Director

     100,000 (3)      *   

Dennis Wu, Director

     120,000 (6)      *   

Stephen C. Kircher; Chief Executive Officer and Director

     8,007,500 (4)      4.28

Robert A. Wood, Chief Operations Officer

     481,250 (7)      *   

Jeffrey M. Pontius, Executive Vice President

     175,000 (8)      *   

All Executive Officers and Directors as a Group

     9,303,750        4.97

Other Persons

    

LDK Solar USA, Inc.
1290 Oakmead Parkway
Sunnyvale, CA 94085

     131,746,347 (9)      70.37

Total

     141,050,097        75.34

 

* Less than 1%
(1) Beneficial ownership has been determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act. Pursuant to the rules of the SEC, shares of Common Stock which an individual or group has a right to acquire within 60 days pursuant to the exercise of options or warrants are deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of such individual or group, but are not deemed to be beneficially owned and outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person shown in the table.
(2) Includes 100,000 shares of our common stock.
(3) Includes 100,000 shares of our common stock.
(4) Includes 1,540,000 shares issued in the names of trusts established for the benefit of Mr. Kircher’s two sons and 100,000 shares issued to the Kircher Family Foundation, Inc., to each of which Mr. Kircher is the trustee. Also includes 367,500 shares underlying options, to the extent exercisable within 60 days.
(5) Includes 280,000 shares of our common stock. Also includes 40,000 shares underlying options, to the extent exercisable within 60 days.
(6) Includes 100,000 shares of our common stock. Also includes 20,000 shares underlying options, to the extent exercisable within 60 days.
(7) Includes 50,000 shares of our common stock. Also includes 431,250 shares underlying options, to the extent exercisable within 60 days.
(8) Includes 175,000 shares underlying options, to the extent exercisable within 60 days.
(9) Includes 131,746,347 shares of our common stock.

 

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Directors, Executive Officers and Significant Employees

The following table sets forth the names and ages of our current directors, executive officers, significant employees, the principal offices and positions with us held by each person. Our executive officers are appointed by our Board. Our directors serve until the earlier occurrence of the appointment of his or her successor at the next meeting of shareholders, death, resignation or removal by the Board. There are no family relationships among our directors, executive officers, director nominees or significant employees.

 

Person

 

Age

  

Position

Xiaofeng Peng

  37    Chairman of the Board of Directors

Stephen C. Kircher

  58    Chief Executive Officer and Director

Francis W. Chen

  63    Director

Jack Lai

  58    Director

Dennis Wu

  70    Director

Robert A. Wood

  48    Chief Operations Officer

Jeffrey M. Pontius

  38    Executive Vice President

Biographies

The biographies of Messrs. Peng, Kircher, Chen, Lai and Wu can be found under Proposal 1 — Election of Directors.

Robert Wood has served as our Chief Operating Officer since 2009. He oversees and manages all aspects of our international operations including manufacturing, information technology, new product design, and development as well as the development and deployment of all operations strategies. Previously, Mr. Wood was our Chief Information Technology Officer. Prior to joining Solar Power, Inc. in 2007, Mr. Wood was one of the principle founders of Calnet Business Bank (CBB) and served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of the bank, where he oversaw technology development and strategic initiatives. As one of the founding members, Mr. Wood worked with CBB since its inception in early 2000 performing strategic consulting services to the pre-incorporation organization. Prior to CBB, Mr. Wood was the Senior Vice President and Director of Technology for River City Bank, where he led the technology efforts of the bank and designed and built a number of banking systems including the bank’s treasury management system.

Jeffrey M. Pontius has served as Executive Vice President of SPI Solar since August 2008. He is currently responsible for Worldwide Business Development and East Coast (US) Operations. He brings over 12 years of finance and operations experience from the semiconductor industry to the SPI team. From February 2007 through August 2008, Jeff served as Director of Finance for Vista Point Technologies, a leading provider of components to the telecommunications industry. Previously from 1998 through 2007, Jeff held various management and leadership roles in finance for Intel Corp. He served in Intel China from 2002 through 2007. Jeff spent time as a factory finance manager in Shanghai, PRC, manufacturing controller for a $500 million start-up factory in Chengdu, PRC, and China country Controller in Beijing, PRC. Jeff has a BA/BS degree in finance and economics from Salisbury (MD) University and a MBA from Pennsylvania State University.

Executive Compensation

Compensation Philosophy

The Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) is charged with the evaluation of the compensation of the executive officers of Solar Power, Inc. and its affiliates (and their performance relative to their compensation) and to assure that they are compensated effectively in a manner consistent with the compensation strategy and resources of the Company, competitive practice, and the requirements of the appropriate regulatory bodies.

Our Compensation Committee, comprised of independent directors, evaluates and determines compensation philosophy and executive compensation. Our compensation philosophy has the following basic components: (1) establish competitive base salary to attract qualified talent, and (ii) evaluate performance and grant performance-based bonuses that may include equity and cash components. We try to establish executive compensation base salaries to allow us to remain competitive in our industry and to attract and retain executives of a high caliber. Similarly, we try to align a component of annual compensation to performance and achievement of Company objectives in an effort to retain highly motivated executives who are focused on performance. We review other public reports and take into account the compensation paid to executives at similarly situated companies, both within and outside of our industry, when determining and evaluating our compensation philosophy and compensation levels. Company performance, including, but not limited to, earnings, revenue growth, cash flow, and continuous improvement initiatives is a significant part of our evaluation and compensation levels.

We do not have any employment agreements, nor do we have severance terms or provisions for executive officers.

 

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Compensation Table

The following table provides information concerning compensation earned by our current named executive officers including the options and restricted stock awards. A column or table has been omitted if there was no compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to any of the named executive officers or directors required to be reported in such table or column in the respective fiscal year.

Summary Compensation Table

 

Name and Principal Position

   Year      Salary ($)      Bonus ($)      Stock
Awards ($)
     Option Awards
($)
    All Other
Compensation

($)
    Total ($)  

Stephen C. Kircher,
Chief Executive Officer and Director(1)

     2011         215,000         110,000         —           465,000 (2)      —          790,000   
     2010         200,000         —           —           103,000 (3)      —          303,000   

Robert A. Wood,
Chief Operations Officer

     2011         191,250         50,000         —           348,750 (4)      —          590,000   
     2010         165,000         —           —           74,275 (5)      —          239,275   

Jeffrey M. Pontius,
Executive Vice President

     2011         169,599         29,166         —           186,000 (6)      43,758 (7)      428,523   
     2010         148,958         —           —           28,700 (8)      —          210,158   

 

(1) Mr. Kircher is our principal executive officer.
(2) Reflects 1,000,000 five-year time-based options granted to Mr. Kircher to purchase our common stock at an exercise price of $0.49 with four-year vesting terms. As of December 31, 2011, none of these five-year options were vested. The options were fair-valued using the Black-Scholes valuation model.
(3) Reflects 200,000 five-year time-based options granted to Mr. Kircher to purchase our common stock at an exercise price of $1.24 with four-year vesting terms. As of December 31, 2011, 50,000 shares of these five-year options were vested. The options were fair-valued using the Black-Scholes valuation model.
(4) Reflects 750,000 five-year time-based options granted to Mr. Wood to purchase our common stock at an exercise price $0.49 with four-year vesting terms. As of December 31, 2011, none of the five-year options were vested. The options were fair-valued using the Black-Scholes valuation model.
(5) Reflects 230,000 five-year time-based options granted to Mr. Wood to purchase our common stock at an exercise price between $0.23 and $1.24 with four-year vesting terms. As of December 31, 2011, 57,500 shares of the five-year options were vested. The options were fair-valued using the Black-Scholes valuation model.
(6) Reflects 400,000 five-year time-based options granted to Mr. Pontius to purchase our common stock at an exercise price of $0.49 with four-year vesting terms. As of December 31, 2011, none of the five-year options were vested. The options were fair-valued using the Black-Scholes valuation model.
(7) Reflects relocation expenses and housing allowance paid to Mr. Pontius.
(8) Reflects 100,000 five-year time-based options granted to Mr. Pontius to purchase our common stock at an exercise price between $0.23 and $1.24 with four-year vesting terms. As of December 31, 2011, 25,000 shares of the five-year options were vested. The options were fair-valued using the Black-Scholes valuation model.

 

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Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End

The following table summarizes the options awards granted to each of the named executive officer identified above in the summary compensation table above pursuant to our Equity Incentive Plan. No stock options were exercised in the last fiscal year.

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End

 

     Option Awards      Stock Awards  
Name    Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
options (#)
exercisable
    Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
options (#)
unexercisable
    Option
exercise
price
($)
     Option
expiration
date
     Number
of shares
or units
of stock that
have

not
vested (#)
     Market
value of
shares

or
unites
of
stock
that
have
not
vested
($)
     Equity
incentive
plan
awards:
Number
of
unearned
shares,
units or
other
rights
that
have not
vested
(#)
     Equity
incentive
plan
awards:
Market or
payout
value of

unearned
shares,

units
or other
rights that
have not
vested ($)
 

Stephen C. Kircher

     7,500 (1)      2,500 (1)    $ 1.25         4/01/2013         —           —           —         $ —     
     5,000 (2)      5,000 (2)    $ 0.74         3/30/2014         —           —           —         $ —     
  

 

 

 

50,000

 

(3) 

    150,000 (3)    $ 1.24         1/04/2015         —           —           —         $ —     
     —   (5)      1,000,000 (5)    $ 0.49         4/01/2016         —           —           —         $ —     

Robert A. Wood

     150,000 (7)      —   (7)    $ 1.00         5/09/2012         —           —           —         $ —     
     7,500 (1)      2,500 (1)    $ 1.25         4/01/2013         —           —           —         $ —     
     5,000 (2)      5,000 (2)    $ 0.74         3/30/2014         —           —           —         $ —     
     18,750 (3)      56,250 (3)    $ 1.24         1/04/2015         —           —           —         $ —     
     38,750 (4)      116,250 (4)    $ 0.23         10/01/2015         —           —           —         $ —     
     —   (5)      750,000 (5)    $ 0.49         4/01/2016         —           —           —         $ —     

Jeffrey M. Pontius

     37,500 (6)      12,500 (6)    $ 1.30         10/01/2013         —           —           —         $ —     
     5,000 (2)      5,000 (2)    $ 0.74         3/30/2014         —           —           —         $ —     
     5,000 (3)      15,000 (3)    $ 1.24         1/04/2015         —           —           —         $ —     
     20,000 (4)      60,000 (4)    $ 0.23         10/01/2015         —           —           —         $ —     
     —   (5)      400,000 (5)    $ .049         4/01/2016         —           —           —         $ —     

 

(1) Reflects options granted to Messrs. Kircher and Wood of 10,000 shares time-based five-year options at an exercise price of $1.25. As of December 31, 2011, 75% of these options have vested.
(2) Reflects 10,000 shares time-based five-year options granted to Messrs. Kircher, Wood and Pontius at an exercise price of $0.74. As of December 31, 2011, 50% of these options have vested.
(3) Reflects 200,000 shares time-based, five-year options granted to Mr. Kircher, 75,000 shares time-based five-year options granted to Mr. Wood and 20,000 shares time based, 20,000 shares of time-based five year options granted to Mr. Pontius to purchase our common stock at an exercise price of $1.24. As of December 31, 2011, 25% of these options have vested.
(4) Reflects 155,000 shares time-based five-year options granted to Mr. Wood and 80,000 shares time-based five-year options granted to Mr. Pontius at an exercise price of $0.23. As of December 31, 2011, 25% of these options have vested.

 

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(5) Reflects 1,000,000 shares time-based five-year options granted to Mr. Kircher, 750,000 shares time-based five-year options granted to Mr. Wood and 400,000 shares time-based five-year options granted to Mr. Pontius at an exercise price of $0.49. As of December 31, 2011, none of these options have vested.
(6) Reflects 50,000 shares time-based five-year options granted to Mr. Pontius at an exercise price of $1.30. As of December 31, 2011, 75% of these options have vested.
(7) Reflects 150,000 shares time-based five-year options granted to Mr. Wood at an exercise price of $1.00. As of December 31, 2011, 100% of these options have vested.

Long-Term Incentive Plans-Awards in Last Fiscal Year

We do not currently have any long-term incentive plans.

Compensation of Directors

All our non-employee directors earned director compensation in 2011 in the form of quarterly retainers and committee chairman retainers as set forth in the following table:

 

Quarterly retainer

   $ 6,250   

Annual Audit Committee Chairman

   $ 5,000   

Annual Audit Committee Vice Chairman

   $ 2,500   

Compensation Committee Chairman

   $ 3,000   

Governance & Nominating Committee Chairman

   $ 3,000   

In addition, we reimburse our directors for their reasonable expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Board and its committees.

Additionally, each of our independent Directors receives 25,000 restricted shares of our common stock when they join the Board that vest 25% annually over four years.

Director Compensation

The following table sets forth the compensation received by each of the Company’s non-employee Directors. Each non-employee director is considered independent under NASD listing standards.

Stephen C. Kircher, the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, received no additional compensation for serving on the Board. His compensation is described in the Summary Compensation Table above.

 

Name

   Fees Earned or Paid
in Cash
     Stock Awards ($)      Option Awards ($)      Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation ($)
     Non-qualified
Deferred
Compensation ($)
     All Other
Compensation ($)
     Total ($)  

Xiaofeng Peng

   $ 25,000       $ 48,000       $ —         $ —         $ —         $ —         $ 73,000   

Francis W. Chen

   $ 26,500       $ 48,000       $ 7,160       $ —         $ —         $ —         $ 82,660   

Jack Lai

   $ 25,000       $ 48,000       $ —         $ —         $ —         $ —         $ 73,000   

Dennis Wu

   $ 16,500       $ 48,000       $ 7,160       $ —         $ —         $ —         $ 71,660   

Role of the Board; Corporate Governance Matters

Board Leadership Structure

The Board does not have a policy, one way or the other, with respect to whether the same person should serve as both the chief executive officer and chairman of the board or, if the roles are separate, whether the chairman should be selected from the non-employee directors or should be an employee. The Board believes that it should have the flexibility to make these determinations at any given point in time in the way that it believes best to provide appropriate leadership for the Company at that time.

The Board believes that its current leadership structure, with Mr. Kircher serving as chief executive officer and Mr. Peng serving as board chairman, is appropriate. This structure ensures a greater role for the non-employee directors in setting agendas and establishing Board priorities and procedures. Further, this structure permits the chief executive officer to focus on the management of the Company’s day-to-day operations.

 

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Risk Oversight

In its oversight role, the Board annually reviews the Company’s strategic plan, which addresses, among other things, the risks and opportunities facing the Company. The Board also has overall responsibility for executive officer succession planning and reviews succession planning efforts each year. The Board oversees risk management as a whole but also delegates certain risk management oversight responsibility to the Board committees in certain instances. As part of its responsibilities as set forth in its charter, the Audit Committee is responsible for discussing with management the Company’s major financial risk exposures and the steps management has taken to monitor and control those exposures, including the Company’s risk assessment and risk management policies. In this regard, the Company’s chief audit executive prepares annually a comprehensive risk assessment report and reviews that report with the Audit Committee each year. This report identifies the material business risks (including strategic, operational, financial reporting and compliance risks) for the Company as a whole and identifies the controls that respond to and mitigate those risks. The Company’s management regularly evaluates these controls, and the chief audit executive periodically reports to the Audit Committee regarding their design and effectiveness. The Audit Committee also receives annual reports from management on the Company’s ethics program and on environmental compliance. The Finance Committee regularly reviews with management the Company’s financial arrangements, capital structure and the Company’s ability to access the capital markets. The Nominating and Governance Committee annually reviews the Company’s corporate governance guidelines and their implementation. Each committee regularly reports to the full Board.

Committees of the Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors consists principally of independent directors, as determined by Rule 4200 of the National Association of Securities Dealers’ (NASD) listing standards. Further, the Board of Directors operates under a Board Governance Policy, which can be viewed at the Company website www.solarpowerinc.net. In addition, the Board of Directors has created the following committees, the members of which are independent. The Board of Directors met four times during our 2011 fiscal year, and each member of the Board attended all meetings.

Audit Committee & Audit Committee Report

The Audit Committee of the Board makes recommendations regarding the retention of the independent registered public accounting firm, reviews the scope of the annual audit undertaken by our independent registered public accounting firm and the progress and results of their work, reviews our financial statements, and oversees the internal controls over financial reporting and corporate programs to ensure compliance with applicable laws. The Audit Committee reviews the services performed by the independent registered public accounting firm and determines whether they are compatible with maintaining the registered public accounting firm’s independence. The Audit Committee has a Charter, which is reviewed annually and as may be required due to changes in industry accounting practices or the promulgation of new rules or guidance documents. The Audit Committee Charter was filed as Appendix C to the fiscal 2006 proxy statement. The Audit Committee consists of two independent directors as determined by NASD listing standards. The Audit Committee met four times in fiscal year 2011, and all members of the Audit Committee attended all meetings held.

Audit Committee Financial Expert.

The members of the Audit Committee were Mr. Dennis Wu (Audit Committee Chairman), and Mr. Francis W. Chen. Mr. Wu is independent and qualified as an Audit Committee Financial Expert.

In fulfilling its oversight responsibilities, the Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements with management and discussed with the independent auditors the matters required to be discussed by SAS 61. Management is responsible for the financial statements and the reporting process, including the system of internal controls over financial reporting. The independent auditors are responsible for expressing an opinion on the conformity of those audited financial statements with generally accepted accounting principles.

The Audit Committee discussed with the independent auditors, the auditors’ independence from the Company and received written disclosures and the letter from the independent accountants required by Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1.

After review and discussions mentioned above, the Board recommended that the audited financial statements be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Audit Committee

Francis W. Chen

Dennis Wu

 

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Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee of the Board reviews and approves executive compensation policies and practices, reviews salaries and bonuses for our officers, administers the Company’s stock option plans and other benefit plans, and considers other matters as may, from time to time, be referred to them by the Board. The members of the Compensation Committee were Mr. Dennis Wu (Compensation Committee Chairman) and Mr. Francis W. Chen. The Compensation Committee Charter was filed as Appendix D to the fiscal 2006 proxy statement. The Compensation Committee seeks input on certain compensation policies from the Chief Executive Officer, and reviews comparable compensation of similarly situated companies in related industries in determining compensation. The Compensation Committee has delegated authority to the executive team with respect to compensation awards pursuant to written plans and guidelines. These guidelines were approved by the Compensation Committee and the Board of Directors. The Compensation Committee met two times during fiscal year 2011, and each member of the Compensation Committee attended the meeting.

Governance & Nominating Committee; Diversity

The Governance & Nominating Committee prepares governance guidelines and makes recommendations to our Board with respect to modification of those policies, assessment of potential new board members backgrounds and qualifications, and annual review of existing members, review and assessment of any waivers under our Ethics Policy, and reviews and makes recommendations with respect to any shareholder proposals. The members of the Governance & Nominating Committee are Mr. Francis W. Chen (Chairman) and Mr. Dennis Wu. The Governance and Nominating Committee Charter was filed as Appendix E to the fiscal 2006 proxy statement. The Governance & Nominating Committee met one time during our fiscal year 2011, and all members of the committee attended the meeting held.

Our directors take a critical role in guiding our strategic direction and oversee the management of the Company. Board candidates are considered based upon various criteria, such as their broad-based business and professional skills and experiences, their diversity of viewpoint and background, a global business and social perspective, concern for the long-term interests of the stockholders and personal integrity and judgment. In addition, directors must have time available to devote to Board activities and to enhance their knowledge of the growing industry. Accordingly, we seek to attract and retain highly qualified directors who have sufficient time to attend to their substantial duties and responsibilities to the Company.

Although we do not have a formal policy in place, we consider diversity, among other factors, to identify our nominees for the Board. We view diversity broadly to include diversity of experience, skills and viewpoint as well as more traditional diversity concepts. In sum, we strive to assemble a diverse Board that is strong in its collective knowledge and that also consists of individuals who bring a variety of complementary attributes and skills to the Board such that the Board, taken as a whole, has the necessary and appropriate skills and experience to provide an enriched environment. The needs of the Board and the factors that the Governance and Nominating Committee considers in evaluating candidates are reassessed on an annual basis, when the committee’s charter is reviewed.

In carrying out its responsibilities, the Governance & Nominating Committee will consider candidates suggested by stockholders. If a stockholder wishes to formally place a candidate’s name in nomination, however, he or she must do so in accordance with the provisions of our Bylaws. According to our Bylaws, nominations of persons for election to the Board may be made by any stockholder of the Company, entitled to vote for the election of directors at a meeting, who complies with the following notice procedures. Such nominations, other than those made by or at the direction of the board of directors, shall be made by timely notice in writing to the secretary of the corporation. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered or mailed to and received at the registered office of the corporation not less than 30 days prior to the date of the meeting; provided, in the event that less than 40 days’ notice of the date of the meeting is given or made to stockholders, to be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be received not later than the close of business on the tenth day following the day on which such notice of the date of the meeting was mailed. Such stockholder’s notice shall set forth (a) as to each person whom such stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a director, all information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (including each such person’s written consent to serve as a director if elected); and (b) as to the stockholder giving the notice (i) the name and address of such stockholder as it appears on the corporation’s books, and (ii) the class and number of shares of the corporation’s capital stock that are beneficially owned by such stockholder.

Proposals for candidates to be evaluated by the Board must be sent to the Corporate Secretary, 201 California Street, Suite 1250, San Francisco, California 94111.

Shareholders may send communications to the Board by mail to the Chairman of the Board, Solar Power, Inc., 2240 Douglas Boulevard, Suite 200, Roseville, California 95661.

Section 16 Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires the Company’s executive officers and directors and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of the Company’s equity securities, to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (hereinafter referred to as the “Commission”) initial statements of beneficial ownership, reports of changes in ownership and annual reports concerning their ownership, of Common Stock and other equity securities of the Company on Forms 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Executive officers, directors and greater than 10% shareholders are required by Commission regulations to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) reports they file. We believe that all reports required by section 16(a) for transactions in the year ended December 31, 2011 were filed timely.

 

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Director Independence

Mr. Dennis Wu and Francis W. Chen are independent directors as defined by NASD standards.

Legal Proceedings

There are no material legal proceedings during the last 10 years to which any of our directors, officers or affiliates, or any owner of record or beneficially of more than 5% of our outstanding common stock, or security holder is a party, is a party adverse to us or has a material interest adverse to us except as disclosed herein.

Transactions with Related Persons

Other than the compensation discussed above, the Company is not engaging in any transactions with related persons.

Relationship with Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

As discussed above, under Proposal 4 — Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, we have appointed KPMG LLP (“KPMG”) as our independent registered public accounting firm for our fiscal year 2012. We expect a representative of KPMG to be present at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders, and the representative will have an opportunity to make a statement if he or she desires to do so. Such representative is expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions.

Principal Accountant Fees and Services

The following table shows the fees for service through December 31, 2011 and 2010 for the audit and other services provided by KPMG LLP, Macias Gini O’Connell and Perry-Smith LLP (“Perry-Smith”) for the fiscal periods shown.

 

     December 31, 2011    December 31, 2010
     KPMG LLP    Perry-Smith      Macias Gini O’Connell

Audit Fees

   $525,000    $ 172,745       $25,000

Audit-related fees

   $  91,500    $ —         $     —  

Tax-related fees

   $       —      $ —         $     —  

All other fees

   $       —      $ —         $     —  

Audit Fees

Audit fees consist of fees billed for professional services rendered for the audit of our financial statements and review of the interim financial statements included in quarterly reports and services that are normally provided by the above auditors in connection with statutory and regulatory fillings or engagements.

Audit-Related Fees

Audit related fees consist of assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of audit or review of our financial statements related to our SEC filings.

Tax Fees

Tax fees, if any, relate to the preparation of our corporate tax returns.

All Other Fees

Not applicable.

Pre-Approval Policies

The Audit Committee pre-approves all audit and non-audit services to be performed by the independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee pre-approved 100% of the audit, audit-related and tax services performed by the independent registered public accounting firm in fiscal 2011 and 2010. The percentage of hours expended on the principal accountant’s engagement to audit our financial statements for the most recent fiscal year that were attributed to work performed by persons other than the principal accountant’s full-time, permanent employees was 0%.

 

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Code of Ethics

We have adopted a code of ethics that applies to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. The Code of Ethics is available at our website at www.solarpowerinc.net.

Stockholder Proposals

Proposals by shareholders intended to be presented at the 2013 Annual Meeting of Shareholders must be received by us not later than December 31, 2012, for consideration for possible inclusion in the proxy statement relating to that meeting. All proposals must meet the requirements of Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act.

For any proposal that is not submitted for inclusion in next year’s proxy statement (as described in the preceding paragraph), but is instead intended to be presented directly at next year’s annual meeting, SEC rules permit management to vote proxies in its discretion if we (a) receive notice of the proposal before the close of business on December 31, 2012, and advise shareholders in the next year’s proxy statement about the nature of the matter and how management intends to vote on such matter, or (b) do not receive notice of the proposal prior to the close of business on March 4, 2013.

Notices of intention to present proposals at the 2013 Annual Meeting should be addressed to the Corporate Secretary, Solar Power Inc., 201 California Street, Suite 1250, San Francisco, California 94111. We reserve the right to reject, rule out of order or take other appropriate action with respect to any proposal that does not comply with these and other applicable requirements.

Additional Information

The Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, including audited financial statements, has been mailed to shareholders concurrently with this proxy statement, but such report is not incorporated in this Proxy Statement and is not deemed to be a part of the proxy solicitation material. We are required to file annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and other information with the SEC. The public can obtain copies of these materials by visiting the SEC’s Public Reference 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549, by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330, or by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Additional copies of our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011 will be provided to shareholders without charge upon request. Shareholders should direct any such requests to Solar Power, Inc., 2240 Douglas Boulevard, Suite 200, Roseville, California 95661-3875, Attention: Alan M. Lefko, Vice President Finance.

Shareholders may send communications to the Board of Directors to Solar Power, Inc., 201 California Street, Suite 1250, San Francisco, California 94111, Attention: Sheila W. Cheung, Executive Vice President and Secretary.

Other Matters

The board does not intend to bring any other business before the meeting, and the board is not currently aware of any other matters to be voted on at the annual meeting except as disclosed in the notice of annual meeting of stockholders. However, if any other matters are properly presented at the Annual Meeting, those proxies granting such authority will be voted in respect thereof in accordance with the judgment of stockholders’ your proxy (one of the individuals named on your proxy card).

ALL SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO EXECUTE THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY AND TO RETURN IT PROMPTLY IN THE ACCOMPANYING ENVELOPE OR TO VOTE BY PROXY VIA TELEPHONE OR THE INTERNET. SHAREHOLDERS MAY REVOKE ANY PROXY IF SO DESIRED AT ANY TIME BEFORE IT IS VOTED.

 

By Order of the Board of Directors

/s/ Sheila W. Cheung

Sheila W. Cheung, Corporate Secretary

April 30, 2012

 

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APPENDIX A

FORM OF AMENDMENT OF AMENDED AND RESTATED

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF

SOLAR POWER, INC.

Article Three of the Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation shall be amended by adding a new paragraph after the second paragraph of Article Three to read as follows:

“Effective as of 5:00pm, Pacific time, on the date this Amendment of Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation is filed with the Secretary of State of the State of California, each [either three (3), four (4), five (5), or ten (10)] shares of the Corporation’s Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, issued and outstanding shall, automatically and without any action on the part of the respective holders thereof, be combined and converted into one (1) share of Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Corporation. No fractional shares shall be issued and, in lieu thereof, any holder of less than one (1) share of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive one (1) whole share of Common Stock, as of the date this Amendment of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation is filed with the Secretary of State of the State of California.”


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APPENDIX B

FORM OF AMENDMENT OF AMENDED AND RESTATED

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF

SOLAR POWER, INC.

Article Three of the Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation shall be amended to read in full as follows:

“THIRD: This corporation is authorized to issue one class of shares designated “Common Stock”. The total number of shares of Common Stock this corporation is authorized to issue is [either 83,333,334, 62,500,000, 50,000,000, or 25,000,000], par value $0.0001 per share.”


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Solar Power, Inc.

IMPORTANT ANNUAL MEETING INFORMATION 000004

ENDORSEMENT_LINE SACKPACK

MR A SAMPLE

DESIGNATION (IF ANY) ADD 1 ADD 2 ADD 3 ADD 4 ADD 5 ADD 6

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Electronic Voting Instructions

You can vote by Internet or telephone!

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

Instead of mailing your proxy, you may choose one of the two voting

methods outlined below to vote your proxy.

VALIDATION DETAILS ARE LOCATED BELOW IN THE TITLE BAR.

Proxies submitted by the Internet or telephone must be received by

1:00 AM Central on June 27, 2012.

Vote by Internet

Go to www.envisionreports.com/SOPW

Or scan the QR code with your smartphone

Follow the steps outlined on the secure website

Vote by telephone

Call toll free 1-800-652-VOTE (8683) within the USA, US territories &

Canada on a touch tone telephone

Follow the instructions provided by the recorded message

Using a black ink pen, mark your votes with an X as shown in this example. Please do not write outside the designated areas.

Annual Meeting Proxy Card 1234 5678 9012 345

IF YOU HAVE NOT VOTED VIA THE INTERNET OR TELEPHONE, FOLD ALONG THE PERFORATION, DETACH AND RETURN THE BOTTOM PORTION IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE.

A Proposals — The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR all the nominees listed and FOR Proposals 2 – 4.

1. Election of Directors to serve until the Annual Meeting of Shareholders for the fiscal year 2012.

For Against Abstain

01—Xiaofeng Peng

04—Jack Lai

02—Stephen C. Kircher

05—Dennis Wu

For Against Abstain

03—Francis W. Chen

For Against Abstain

2. To approve an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split.

For Against Abstain

3. To approve an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to decrease the number of authorized shares of common stock in connection with the reverse stock split.

For Against Abstain

4. To ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent registered accounting firm for the 2012 fiscal year.

5. In their discretion, the proxies are authorized to vote upon such other business as may properly come before the Meeting.

B Non-Voting Items

Change of Address — Please print new address below.

C Authorized Signatures — This section must be completed for your vote to be counted. — Date and Sign Below

Please sign exactly as name appears. When shares are held by joint tenants or more than one person, all owners should sign. When signing as attorney, as executor, administrator, trustee, or guardian,

please give full title as such. If a corporation, please sign in full corporate name by President or other authorized officer. If a partnership, please sign in partnership name by authorized person.

Date (mm/dd/yyyy) — Please print date below.

Signature 1 — Please keep signature within the box.

Signature 2 — Please keep signature within the box.

C 1234567890 J N T MR A SAMPLE (THIS AREA IS SET UP TO ACCOMMODATE 140 CHARACTERS) MR A SAMPLE AND MR A SAMPLE AND

MR A SAMPLE AND MR A SAMPLE AND MR A SAMPLE AND

1 U P X 1 3 8 5 5 2 1 MR A SAMPLE AND MR A SAMPLE AND MR A SAMPLE AND

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IF YOU HAVE NOT VOTED VIA THE INTERNET OR TELEPHONE, FOLD ALONG THE PERFORATION, DETACH AND RETURN THE BOTTOM PORTION IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE.

Proxy — Solar Power, Inc.

2240 Douglas Boulevard, Suite 200 Roseville, California 95661 Telephone: (916) 770-8100

THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

The undersigned hereby appoints Stephen C. Kircher and Sheila W. Cheung as proxies, each with full power to appoint substitutes, and hereby authorizes them or either of them to represent and to vote as designated on the reverse side, all the shares of common stock of Solar Power, Inc. held of record by the undersigned as of May 3, 2012, at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held at Solar Power, Inc. San Francisco office, 201 California Street, 2nd Floor Conference Room, San Francisco, California 94111, at 10:00 a.m., (PDT), on June 27, 2012, and any adjournments or postponements thereof, and hereby ratifies all that said attorneys and proxies may do by virtue hereof.

THIS PROXY, WHEN PROPERLY EXECUTED, WILL BE VOTED IN THE MANNER DIRECTED HEREIN BY THE UNDERSIGNED STOCKHOLDER. IF NO DIRECTION IS MADE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED “FOR” THE PROPOSALS LISTED ON THE REVERSE.

THIS PROXY ALSO DELEGATES DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY TO VOTE WITH RESPECT TO OTHER BUSINESS WHICH PROPERLY MAY COME BEFORE THE MEETING, OR ANY ADJOURNMENTS OR POSTPONEMENTS THEREOF. IN THEIR DISCRETION, THE PROXIES ARE AUTHORIZED TO VOTE UPON SUCH OTHER BUSINESS AS MAY PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE MEETING.

PLEASE READ, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THIS PROXY PROMPTLY USING THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE.

THE UNDERSIGNED HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGES RECEIPT OF THE NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING AND PROXY STATEMENT FURNISHED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH.