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1. CORPORATE ORGANIZATION, NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]
1. 
CORPORATE ORGANIZATION, NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

CORPORATE ORGANIZATION

The Company was incorporated on June 12, 2006 as a limited liability company (“LLC”), under the name Envision Solar, LLC.  In September 2007, the company was reorganized as a California C Corporation and issued one share of common stock for each outstanding member unit in the LLC.  Also during 2007, the Company formed various wholly owned subsidiaries to account for its planned future operations. During 2008, only two subsidiaries were operational, with a third, Envision Africa, LLC anticipated becoming operational in the future. The other various remaining subsidiaries were dissolved with the Secretary of State of California in 2008.  Later during 2010, Envision Africa LLC was also dissolved.  Further, during 2011, Envision Solar Residential was dissolved.  The two subsidiaries included in these consolidated financial statements are: Envision Solar Residential, Inc. (through its dissolution in 2011) and Envision Solar Construction Company, Inc.

On February 11, 2010, Envision Solar International, Inc., a California corporation (Envision CA) was acquired by an inactive publicly-held company in a transaction treated as a recapitalization of the Company with Envision CA being the surviving business and becoming our wholly-owned subsidiary. On March 11, 2010, Envision CA was merged into our publicly-held company and the name of the publicly-held company was changed to Envision Solar International, Inc. (along with its subsidiaries, hereinafter the “Company”, "us", "we", "our" or "Envision"). The effects of the recapitalization have been retroactively applied to all periods presented in the accompanying consolidated financial statements and footnotes. (See Note 12)

NATURE OF OPERATIONS

Envision Solar International is a developer of solar products and proprietary technology solutions. The Company focuses on creating high quality products which transform both surface and top deck parking lots of commercial, institutional, governmental and other customers into shaded renewable generation plants. The Company's chief differentiator is its ability to design and engineer architecturally accretive solar shaded parking solutions as products which are a complex integration of simple, commonly available engineered components. The resulting products are built to have the longest life expectancy in the industry while also delivering a highly appealing architectural enhancement to our customer’s locations. Envision's products deliver multiple layers of value such as architectural enhancement of the parking lot, reduction of heat islanding through shading, improved parking through shading, high visibility "green halo" branding, reduction of net operating costs through reduced utility bills and the creation of an iconic luxury landmark where simple parking previously existed.

PRINCIPALS OF CONSOLIDATION

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Envision Solar International, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries.  All significant inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated in the consolidation.

USE OF ESTIMATES

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.  Significant estimates in the accompanying consolidated financial statements include the allowance for doubtful accounts receivable, depreciable lives of property and equipment, estimates of costs to complete on uncompleted contracts, estimates of loss contingencies, valuation of accrued rent, valuation of derivatives, valuation of beneficial conversion features in convertible debt, valuation of share-based payments, valuation of accrued loss contingencies, and the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets.

CONCENTRATIONS

Concentration of Credit Risk

On November 9, 2010, the FDIC issued a Final Rule implementing section 343 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that provides for unlimited insurance coverage of noninterest-bearing transaction accounts.  Beginning December 31, 2010, through December 31, 2012, all noninterest-bearing transaction accounts are fully insured, regardless of the balance of the account, at all FDIC-insured institutions.  The unlimited insurance coverage is available to all depositors, including consumers, businesses, and governmental entities.  This unlimited insurance coverage is separate from, and in addition to, the insurance coverage provided to a depositor’s other deposit accounts held at an FDIC-insured institution.  A noninterest-bearing transaction account is a deposit account where interest is neither accrued nor paid; depositors are permitted to make an unlimited number of transfers and withdrawals; and the bank does not reserve the right to require advance notice of an intended withdrawal.

The Company maintains its cash in bank and financial institution deposits that at times may exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts through December 31, 2011.  As of December 31, 2011, the Company’s bank balances exceeded FDIC insured amounts by $252,197.  There were no balances in excess of FDIC insured levels as of December 31, 2010.

Concentration of Accounts Receivable

At December 31, 2011 and 2010, customers that each accounted for more than 10% of our accounts receivable were as follows:

 
2011
2010
Customer 1
-
70%
Customer 2
-
30%
Customer 3
57%
-
Customer 4
40%
-

Concentration of Revenues

For the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, customers that each represented more than 10% of our net revenues were as follows:

 
2011
2010
Customer A
-
47%
Customer B
-
27%
Customer C
-
24%
Customer D
41%
-
Customer E
26%
-
Customer F
13%
-
Customer G
10%
-

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

For the purposes of the consolidated statements of cash flows, the Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents.  There were no cash equivalents at December 31, 2011 or 2010.

FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

The Company’s financial instruments, including cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses and short term loans, are carried at historical cost basis. At December 31, 2011, the carrying amounts of these instruments approximated their fair values because of the short-term nature of these instruments. (See note 10 for further discussion of fair value measurements.)

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE

Accounts receivable are customer obligations due under normal trade terms.  Management reviews accounts receivable on a periodic basis to determine if any receivables will potentially be uncollectible.  Management’s evaluation includes several factors including the aging of the accounts receivable balances, a review of significant past due accounts, the financial profile of a customer, our historical write-off experience, net of recoveries and economic conditions.  The Company includes any accounts receivable balances that are determined to be uncollectible in its overall allowance for doubtful accounts.  Further, the Company records a general reserve in its allowance for doubtful accounts to account for future changes that may negatively impact our overall collections. After all attempts to collect a receivable have failed, the receivable is written off against the allowance.

PROPERTY, EQUIPMENT AND DEPRECIATION

Property and equipment is recorded at cost.  Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method based on the estimated useful lives of the related assets of 5 to 7 years.  Expenditures for maintenance and repairs along with fixed assets below our capitalization threshold are expensed as incurred.

IMPAIRMENT OF LONG-LIVED ASSETS

The Company accounts for long-lived assets in accordance with the provisions of ASC 360-10-35-15 “Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets.”  This guidance requires that long-lived assets and certain identifiable intangibles be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable.  Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset.  If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets.  Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell.

ACCOUNTING FOR DERIVATIVES

The Company evaluates its convertible instruments, options, warrants or other contracts to determine if those contracts or embedded components of those contracts qualify as derivatives to be separately accounted for under ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging.”  The result of this accounting treatment is that the fair value of the derivative is marked-to-market each balance sheet date and recorded as a liability.  In the event that the fair value is recorded as a liability, the change in fair value is recorded in the statement of operations as other income (expense).  Upon conversion or exercise of a derivative instrument, the instrument is marked to fair value at the conversion date and then that fair value is reclassified to equity.  Equity instruments that are initially classified as equity that become subject to reclassification under ASC Topic 815 are reclassified to liabilities at the fair value of the instrument on the reclassification date.

REVENUE AND COST RECOGNITION

Revenues are derived from construction projects for the construction and installation of integrated solutions and proprietary products.  Revenues also consist of design fees for the design of solar systems and arrays, and revenues from sales of professional services.

Revenues from design services and professional services are recognized as earned.

Revenues and related costs on construction projects are recognized using the “percentage of completion method” of accounting in accordance with ASC 605-35, “Construction-Type and Production-Type Contracts.” Under this method, contract revenues are recognized over the performance period of the contract in direct proportion to the costs incurred as a percentage of total estimated costs for the entirety of the contract.  Costs include direct material, direct labor, subcontract labor and any allocable indirect costs and are charged to the periods as incurred. All unallocable indirect costs and corporate general and administrative costs are also charged to the periods as incurred. Any recognized revenues that have not been billed to a customer are recorded as an asset in “costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts.” Any billings of customers in excess of recognized revenues are recorded as a liability in “Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts.”  However, in the event a loss on a contract is foreseen, the Company will recognize the loss when such loss is determined.

Through July 1, 2010 and prospectively for contracts that do not qualify for use of the percentage of completion method, the Company accounts for construction contracts using the “completed contract method” of accounting in accordance with ASC 605-35.  Under this method, contract costs are accumulated as deferred assets and billings and/or cash received are recorded to a deferred revenue liability account during the periods of construction, but no revenues, costs or profits are recognized in operations until the period upon completion of the contract. Costs include direct material, direct labor, subcontract labor and any allocable indirect costs. All unallocable indirect costs and corporate general and administrative costs are charged to the periods as incurred. However, in the event a loss on a contract is foreseen, the Company will recognize the loss when such loss is determined. The deferred asset (accumulated contract costs) in excess of the deferred liability (billings and/or cash received) is classified as a current asset under “Costs in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts.”  The deferred liability (billings and/or cash received) in excess of the deferred asset (accumulated contract costs) is classified under current liabilities as “Billings in excess of costs on uncompleted contracts.”

A contract is considered complete when all costs except insignificant items have been incurred and the installation is operating according to specifications or has been accepted by the customer.

The Company has contracts in various stages of completion.  Such contracts require estimates to determine the appropriate cost and revenue recognition.  Costs estimates are reviewed periodically on a contract-by-contract basis throughout the life of the contract such that adjustments to the profit resulting from revisions are made cumulative to the date of the revision.  Significant management judgments and estimates, including the estimated costs to complete projects, must be made and used in connection with the revenue recognized in the accounting period.  Current estimates may be revised as additional information becomes available.

The Company includes shipping and handling fees billed to customers as revenues, and shipping and handling costs as cost of revenues.  The Company typically does not provide any warranties on its products other than those passed on to its customers from its manufacturers, if any.  As the Company expands its product offerings, it will offer expanded and extended warranties on certain components or projects. In accordance with ASC 450-20-25, the Company accrues for product warranties when the loss is probable and can be reasonably estimated.  At December 31, 2011, the Company has no product warranty accrual given its lack of historical warranty experience.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

In accordance with ASC 730-10, “Research and Development,” expenditures for research and development of the Company’s products are expensed when incurred, and are included in operating expenses.  The Company recognized research and development costs of $44,202 for the year ending December 31, 2011 and $19,480 for the year ending December 31, 2010.

ADVERTISING

The Company conducts advertising for the promotion of its products and services.  In accordance with ASC 720-35, “Advertising Costs,” advertising costs are charged to operations when incurred; such amounts aggregated $40,543 in 2011 and $23,756 in 2010.

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

At inception, the Company adopted ASC 718, “Compensation – Stock Compensation.”  ASC 718 requires companies to estimate and recognize the fair value of stock-based awards to employees and directors.  The value of the portion of an award that is ultimately expected to vest is recognized as an expense over the requisite service periods using the straight-line attribution method.

The Company estimated the fair value of each stock option at the grant date by using the Black-Scholes option pricing model.

INCOME TAXES

The Company accounts for income taxes pursuant to the provisions of ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes,” which requires, among other things, an asset and liability approach to calculating deferred income taxes.  The asset and liability approach requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities.  A valuation allowance is provided to offset any net deferred tax assets for which management believes it is more likely than not that the net deferred asset will not be realized.

The Company follows the provisions of ASC 740-10-25-5, Basic Recognition Threshold.”  When tax returns are filed, it is highly certain that some positions taken would be sustained upon examination by the taxing authorities, while others are subject to uncertainty about the merits of the position taken or the amount of the position that would be ultimately sustained.  In accordance with the guidance of ASC 740-10-25-6, the benefit of a tax position is recognized in the consolidated financial statements in the period during which, based on all available evidence, management believes it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination, including the resolution of appeals or litigation processes, if any.  Tax positions taken are not offset or aggregated with other positions.  Tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold are measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than 50 percent likely of being realized upon settlement with the applicable taxing authority.  The portion of the benefits associated with tax positions taken that exceeds the amount measured as described above should be reflected as a liability for unrecognized tax benefits in the accompanying balance sheets along with any associated interest and penalties that would be payable to the taxing authorities upon examination.  The Company believes its tax positions are all highly certain of being upheld upon examination.  As such, the Company has not recorded a liability for unrecognized tax benefits.  As of December 31, 2011, tax years 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 remain open for IRS audit.  The Company has received no notice of audit from the IRS for any of the open tax years.

The Company recognizes the benefit of a tax position when it is effectively settled.  ASC 740-10-25-10, “Basic Recognition Threshold” provides guidance on how an entity should determine whether a tax position is effectively settled for the purpose of recognizing previously unrecognized tax benefits.  ASC 740-10-25-10 clarifies that a tax position can be effectively settled upon the completion of an examination by a taxing authority.  For tax positions considered effectively settled, the Company recognizes the full amount of the tax benefit.

BASIC AND DILUTED NET LOSS PER COMMON SHARE

Basic net loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period.  Diluted net loss per common share is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period and, if dilutive, potential common shares outstanding during the period.  Potential common shares consist of the incremental common shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options, stock warrants, convertible debt instruments or other common stock equivalents.  Potentially dilutive securities are excluded from the computation if their effect is anti-dilutive.

Convertible debt convertible into 10,499,714 common shares, options to purchase 22,755,291 common shares and warrants to purchase 10,537,003 common shares were outstanding at December 31, 2011. Dilutive common stock equivalents were not included in the computation of diluted net loss per share in 2011 and 2010 because the effects would have been anti-dilutive due to the net losses.  Due to the net loss in 2011 and 2010, basic and diluted net loss per share amounts are identical.  These potential common shares may dilute future earnings per share.

CONTINGENCIES

Certain conditions may exist as of the date the consolidated financial statements are issued which may result in a loss to the Company, but which will only be resolved when one or more future events occur or fail to occur.  Company management and its legal counsel assess such contingent liabilities, and such assessment inherently involves an exercise of judgment.  In assessing loss contingencies related to legal proceedings that are pending against the Company or unasserted claims that may result in such proceedings, the Company's legal counsel evaluates the perceived merits of any legal proceedings or unasserted claims as well as the perceived merits of the amount of relief sought or expected to be sought therein.  If the assessment of a contingency indicates that it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated, then the estimated liability would be accrued in the Company's consolidated financial statements.  If the assessment indicates that a potentially material loss contingency is not probable but is reasonably possible, or is probable but cannot be reasonably estimated, then the nature of the contingent liability, together with an estimate of the range of possible loss if determinable would be disclosed.  The Company does not include legal costs in its estimates of amounts to accrue.

SEGMENTS

The Company follows the guidance of ASC 280-10 for “Disclosures about Segments of an Enterprise and Related Information." During 2011 and 2010, the Company only operated in one segment; therefore, segment information has not been presented.

RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In January 2010, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2010-06, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (Topic 820): Improving Disclosures about Fair Value Measurements”.  This update provides amendments to Topic 820 that will provide more robust disclosures about (1) the different classes of assets and liabilities measured at fair value, (2) the valuation techniques and inputs used, (3) the activity in Level 3 fair value measurements, and (4) the transfers between Levels 1, 2, and 3.  The adoption of ASU 2010-06 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations or financial condition.

In February 2010, the FASB issued ASU 2010-09, “Subsequent Events (Topic 855): Amendments to Certain Recognition and Disclosure Requirements.”  This update addresses both the interaction of the requirements of Topic 855, “Subsequent Events”, with the SEC’s reporting requirements and the intended breadth of the reissuance disclosures provision related to subsequent events (paragraph 855-10-50-4).  The amendments in this update have the potential to change reporting by both private and public entities, however, the nature of the change may vary depending on facts and circumstances.  The adoption of ASU 2010-09 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations or financial condition.

In April 2010, the FASB issued ASU No. 2010-13, “Compensation – Stock Compensation”.  This update will clarify the classification of an employee share based payment award with an exercise price denominated in the currency of a market in which the underlying security trades.  This update will be effective for the first fiscal quarter beginning after December 15, 2010, with early adoption permitted.  The adoption of ASU 2010-13 did not have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated results of operations or financial condition.