Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022
Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation	Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared on the basis of GAAP. The preparation of unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates. All dollar amounts presented herein are in U.S. dollars and are in thousands, except par value, share and per share amounts. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiary, Solid Power Operating, Inc. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Long-Term Investments	Long-Term Investments The Company considers all investments with an original maturity of twelve months or more when purchased to be long-term investments.
Concentrations of Credit Risk	Concentrations of Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, and long-term investments. The Company seeks to mitigate its credit risk with respect to cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, and long-term investments by making deposits with several large, reputable financial institutions and investing in high credit rated instruments. See Note 8 for allocation of respective investment holdings.
Leases	Leases The Company accounts for its leases under ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). Under this guidance, the Company classifies contracts meeting the definition of a lease as operating or financing leases, and leases are recorded on the condensed consolidated balance sheet as both a right-of-use asset and lease liability, calculated by discounting fixed lease payments over the lease term at the rate implicit in the lease or the Company’s incremental borrowing rate. Lease liabilities are increased by interest and reduced by payments each period, and the right-of-use asset is amortized over the lease term. For operating leases, interest on the lease liability and the amortization of the right-of-use asset result in straight-line rent expense over the lease term. For finance leases, interest on the lease liability and the amortization of the right-of-use asset results in front-loaded expense over the lease term. Variable lease expenses, including common maintenance fees, insurance and property tax, are recorded when incurred. In calculating the right-of-use asset and lease liability, the Company elects to combine lease and non-lease components for all classes of assets. The Company excludes short-term leases having initial terms of 12 months or less as an accounting policy election, and instead recognizes rent expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements Leases In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), followed by other related ASUs that provided targeted improvements and additional practical expedient options. On January 1, 2022, the Company adopted the standards under Topic 842 using the modified retrospective method and elected a number of the practical expedients in its implementation of Topic 842. The key change that affected the Company relates to accounting for operating leases for which it is the lessee that were historically off-balance sheet. The impact of adopting the standards resulted in the recognition of a right-of-use asset of $7,853 and lease liability of $8,246 on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet on January 1, 2022, exclusive of previously recognized lease balances. The implementation of Topic 842 did not have a material effect on the Company’s condensed consolidated statement of operations or condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2022. Financial Instruments In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments- Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. This guidance introduces a new model for recognizing credit losses on financial instruments based on an estimate of current expected credit losses. ASU 2016-13 also provides updated guidance regarding the impairment of available-for-sale debt securities and includes additional disclosure requirements. The Company adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2022. The Company regularly reviews its available-for-sale marketable securities and evaluates the current expected credit losses by considering factors such as any changes in credit ratings, historical experience, market data, issuer-specific factors, and current economic conditions. Based on this analysis, an allowance for credit losses is recorded as a reduction to the carrying value of the asset. The Company reviews its receivable aging on an individual customer level, considering collectability of cash flows based on the risk of past events, current conditions, and forward-looking information. The Company establishes allowances for bad debts equal to the estimable portions of accounts receivable for which failure to collect is expected to occur. Allowances for doubtful accounts are recorded as reductions to the carrying values of the related receivables. Income Taxes In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (“ASU 2019-12”), which aims to reduce complexity in accounting standards by improving certain areas of GAAP without compromising information provided to users of financial statements. ASU 2019-12 is effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, and interim periods within those fiscal years. For all other entities, the standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. The Company adopted this guidance beginning January 1, 2022 with no financial statement impact at adoption.

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2022

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared on the basis of GAAP. The preparation of unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates. All dollar amounts presented herein are in U.S. dollars and are in thousands, except par value, share and per share amounts.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiary, Solid Power Operating, Inc. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Long-Term Investments

Long-Term Investments

The Company considers all investments with an original maturity of twelve months or more when purchased to be long-term investments.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, and long-term investments. The Company seeks to mitigate its credit risk with respect to cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, and long-term investments by making deposits with several large, reputable financial institutions and investing in high credit rated instruments. See Note 8 for allocation of respective investment holdings.

Leases

Leases

The Company accounts for its leases under ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). Under this guidance, the Company classifies contracts meeting the definition of a lease as operating or financing leases, and leases are recorded on the condensed consolidated balance sheet as both a right-of-use asset and lease liability, calculated by discounting fixed lease payments over the lease term at the rate implicit in the lease or the Company’s incremental borrowing rate. Lease liabilities are increased by interest and reduced by payments each period, and the right-of-use asset is amortized over the lease term. For operating leases, interest on the lease liability and the amortization of the right-of-use asset result in straight-line rent expense over the lease term. For finance leases, interest on the lease liability and the amortization of the right-of-use asset results in front-loaded expense over the lease term. Variable lease expenses, including common maintenance fees, insurance and property tax, are recorded when incurred.

In calculating the right-of-use asset and lease liability, the Company elects to combine lease and non-lease components for all classes of assets. The Company excludes short-term leases having initial terms of 12 months or less as an accounting policy election, and instead recognizes rent expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Leases

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), followed by other related ASUs that provided targeted improvements and additional practical expedient options. On January 1, 2022, the Company adopted the standards under Topic 842 using the modified retrospective method and elected a number of the practical expedients in its implementation of Topic 842. The key change that affected the Company relates to accounting for operating leases for which it is the lessee that were historically off-balance sheet. The impact of adopting the standards resulted in the recognition of a right-of-use asset of $7,853 and lease liability of $8,246 on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet on January 1, 2022, exclusive of previously recognized lease balances. The implementation of Topic 842 did not have a material effect on the Company’s condensed consolidated statement of operations or condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2022.

Financial Instruments

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments- Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. This guidance introduces a new model for recognizing credit losses on financial instruments based on an estimate of current expected credit losses. ASU 2016-13 also provides updated guidance regarding the impairment of available-for-sale debt securities and includes additional disclosure requirements. The Company adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2022.

The Company regularly reviews its available-for-sale marketable securities and evaluates the current expected credit losses by considering factors such as any changes in credit ratings, historical experience, market data, issuer-specific factors, and current economic conditions. Based on this analysis, an allowance for credit losses is recorded as a reduction to the carrying value of the asset.

The Company reviews its receivable aging on an individual customer level, considering collectability of cash flows based on the risk of past events, current conditions, and forward-looking information. The Company establishes allowances for bad debts equal to the estimable portions of accounts receivable for which failure to collect is expected to occur. Allowances for doubtful accounts are recorded as reductions to the carrying values of the related receivables.

Income Taxes

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (“ASU 2019-12”), which aims to reduce complexity in accounting standards by improving certain areas of GAAP without compromising information provided to users of financial statements. ASU 2019-12 is effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, and interim periods within those fiscal years. For all other entities, the standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. The Company adopted this guidance beginning January 1, 2022 with no financial statement impact at adoption.