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Note 3 - Revenue
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Notes to Financial Statements  
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Text Block]
3.
     Revenue
 
The Company recognizes revenue when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to our customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. Fuel Tech's sales of products to customers generally represent single performance obligations. The majority of our contracts have a single performance obligation as the promise to transfer the individual goods or services is
not
separately identifiable from other promises in the contracts and, therefore,
not
distinct. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration we expect to receive in exchange for transferring goods or providing services. Sales, value add, and other taxes we collect concurrent with revenue-producing activities are excluded from revenue.
 
We generally expense sales commissions on a ratable basis when incurred because the amortization period would have been
one
year or less. These costs are recorded within selling, general and administrative expenses within the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.
 
Air Pollution Control Technology
 
Fuel Tech's APC contracts are typically
six
to
eighteen
months in length. A typical contract will have
three
or
four
critical operational measurements that, when achieved, serve as the basis for us to invoice the customer via progress billings. At a minimum, these measurements will include the generation of engineering drawings, the shipment of equipment and the completion of a system performance test.
 
As part of most of its contractual APC project agreements, Fuel Tech will agree to customer-specific acceptance criteria that relate to the operational performance of the system that is being sold. These criteria are determined based on modeling that is performed by Fuel Tech personnel, which is based on operational inputs that are provided by the customer. The customer will warrant that these operational inputs are accurate as they are specified in the binding contractual agreement. Further, the customer is solely responsible for the accuracy of the operating condition information; typically all performance guarantees and equipment warranties granted by us are voidable if the operating condition information is inaccurate or is
not
met.
 
Since control transfers over time, revenue is recognized based on the extent of progress towards completion of the single performance obligation. Fuel Tech uses the cost-to-cost input measure of progress for our contracts since it best depicts the transfer of assets to the customer which occurs as we incur costs on our contracts. Under the cost-to-cost input measure of progress, the extent of progress towards completion is measured based on the ratio of costs incurred to date to the total estimated costs at completion of the performance obligation. Revenues are recorded proportionally as costs are incurred. Costs to fulfill include all internal and external engineering costs, equipment charges, inbound and outbound freight expenses, internal and site transfer costs, installation charges, purchasing and receiving costs, inspection costs, warehousing costs, project personnel travel expenses and other direct and indirect expenses specifically identified as project- or product-line related, as appropriate (e.g. test equipment depreciation and certain insurance expenses).
 
Fuel Tech's APC product line also includes ancillary revenue for post contractual goods and services.  Revenue associated with these activities are recognized at point in time when delivery of goods or completion of the service obligation is performed.
 
Fuel Tech has installed over
1,100
units with APC technology and normally provides performance guarantees to our customers based on the operating conditions for the project. As part of the project implementation process, we perform system start-up and optimization services that effectively serve as a test of actual project performance. We believe that this test, combined with the accuracy of the modeling that is performed, enables revenue to be recognized prior to the receipt of formal customer acceptance.
 
FUEL CHEM
 
Revenues from the sale of chemical products are recognized when control transfers to customer upon shipment or delivery of the product based on the applicable shipping terms. We generally recognize revenue for these arrangements at a point in time based on our evaluation of when the customer obtains control of the promised goods or services.
 
On occasion, Fuel Tech will engineer and sell its chemical pumping equipment.  These projects are similar in nature to the APC projects described above and for those project where control transfers over time,  revenue is recognized based on the extent of progress towards completion of the single performance obligation. 
 
Disaggregated Revenue by Product Technology
 
The following table presents our revenues disaggregated by product technology:
 
   
Three Months Ended
September 30,
   
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
   
2020
   
2019
   
2020
   
2019
 
Air Pollution Control
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Technology solutions
  $
2,326
    $
1,191
    $
4,524
    $
9,727
 
Spare parts
   
254
     
299
     
667
     
832
 
Ancillary revenue
   
306
     
326
     
828
     
1,849
 
Total Air Pollution Control Technology revenues
   
2,886
     
1,816
     
6,019
     
12,408
 
FUEL CHEM
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FUEL CHEM technology solutions
   
5,269
     
4,636
     
10,315
     
13,147
 
Total Revenues
  $
8,155
    $
6,452
    $
16,334
    $
25,555
 
 
Disaggregated Revenue by Geography
 
The following table presents our revenues disaggregated by geography, based on the billing addresses of our customers:
 
   
Three Months Ended
September 30,
   
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
   
2020
   
2019
   
2020
   
2019
 
United States
  $
6,473
    $
5,727
    $
12,880
    $
22,104
 
Foreign Revenues
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Latin America
   
195
     
282
     
400
     
474
 
Europe
   
904
     
283
     
1,494
     
1,568
 
Asia
   
583
     
160
     
1,560
     
1,409
 
Total Foreign Revenues
   
1,682
     
725
     
3,454
     
3,451
 
Total Revenues
  $
8,155
    $
6,452
    $
16,334
    $
25,555
 
 
Timing of Revenue Recognition
 
The following table presents the timing of our revenue recognition:
 
   
Three Months Ended
September 30,
   
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
   
2020
   
2019
   
2020
   
2019
 
Products transferred at a point in time
  $
5,108
    $
5,261
    $
11,089
    $
15,828
 
Products and services transferred over time
   
3,047
     
1,191
     
5,245
     
9,727
 
Total Revenues
  $
8,155
    $
6,452
    $
16,334
    $
25,555
 
 
Contract Balances
 
The timing of revenue recognition, billings and cash collections results in billed accounts receivable, unbilled receivables (contract assets), and customer advances and deposits (contract liabilities) on the consolidated balance sheets. In our Air Pollution Control Technology segment, amounts are billed as work progresses in accordance with agreed-upon contractual terms. Generally, billing occurs subsequent to revenue recognition, resulting in contract assets. These assets are reported on the consolidated balance sheet on a contract-by-contract basis at the end of each reporting period. At
September 
30,
2020
and
December 
31,
2019,
contract assets were approximately
$1,929
 and
$1,857,
respectively, and are included in accounts receivable on the consolidated balance sheets.
 
However, the Company will periodically bill in advance of costs incurred before revenue is recognized, resulting in contract liabilities. These liabilities are reported on the consolidated balance sheet on a contract-by-contract basis at the end of each reporting period. Contract liabilities were
$357
 and
$712,
at
September 
30,
2020
and
December 
31,
2019,
respectively, and are included in other accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.
 
Changes in the contract asset and liability balances during the
nine
 month period ended
September 
30,
2020,
were
not
materially impacted by any other items other than amounts billed and revenue recognized as described previously. Revenue recognized that was included in the contract liability balance at the beginning of the period was
$97
 and
$555
 for the
three
and
nine
 months ended
September 
30,
2020,
respectively and
$302
 and
$1,059
 for
three
and
nine
 months ended
September 
30,
2019,
respectively, which represented primarily revenue from progress towards completion of our Air Pollution Control technology contracts.
 
As of
September 
30,
2020,
we had
three
construction contracts in progress that were identified as loss contracts and a provision for losses of
$3
 was recorded in other accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. Refer to Footnote
13
for an accrual related to certain non-conformance issues with a U.S. customer associated with equipment that requires remedy under the warranty provision of the customer contract. As of
December 
31,
2019,
we had
three
construction contracts in progress that were identified as loss contracts and a provision for losses in the amount of
$26
was recorded in other accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet.
 
Remaining Performance Obligations
 
Remaining performance obligations, represents the transaction price of Air Pollution Control technology booked orders for which work has
not
been performed. As of
September 
30,
2020,
the aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations was
$6,417.
The Company expects to recognize revenue on approximately
$4,130
 of the remaining performance obligations over the next
12
months with the remaining recognized thereafter.
 
Accounts Receivable
 
The components of accounts receivable are as follows:
 
   
As of
 
   
September 30, 2020
   
December 31, 2019
 
Trade receivables
  $
4,731
    $
6,425
 
Unbilled receivables
   
1,929
     
1,857
 
Other short-term receivables
   
29
     
7
 
Allowance for doubtful accounts
   
(700
)
   
(1,816
)
Total accounts receivable
  $
5,989
    $
6,473