Commitments and Contingencies

Lease agreements

At January 31, 2016 and October 31, 2015, we had capital lease obligations of $0.7 million. Lease payment terms are generally thirty-six months from the date of acceptance for leased equipment.

We also lease certain computer and office equipment and manufacturing facilities in Torrington and Danbury, Connecticut under operating leases expiring on various dates through 2019.

Non-cancelable minimum payments applicable to operating and capital leases at January 31, 2016 were as follows (in thousands):



	Operating Leases		Capital Leases
Due Year 1	$	1,546	$	440
Due Year 2	1,112		200
Due Year 3	881		64
Due Year 4	723		—
Due Year 5	374		—
Thereafter	—		—
Total	$	4,636	$	704

Service Agreements

Under the provisions of our service agreements, we provide services to maintain, monitor, and repair customer power plants to meet minimum operating levels. Under the terms of our service agreements, the power plant must meet a minimum operating output during the term. If minimum output falls below the contract requirement, we may be subject to performance penalties and/or may be required to repair or replace the customer’s fuel cell module. An estimate is not recorded for a potential performance guarantee liability until a performance issue has occurred on a particular power plant. At that point, the actual power plant’s output is compared against the minimum output guarantee and an accrual is recorded. The review of power plant performance is updated for each reporting period to incorporate the most recent performance of the power plant and minimum output guarantee payments made to customers, if any. The Company has provided for an accrual for performance guarantees, based on actual fleet performance, which totaled $2.5 million and $2.6 million at January 31, 2016 and October 31, 2015, respectively, and is recorded in Accrued Liabilities.

Our loss accrual on service agreements, excluding the accrual for performance guarantees, totaled $1.3 million and $0.8 million at January 31, 2016 and October 31, 2015, respectively and is recorded in Accrued Liabilities. Our accrual estimates are performed on a contract by contract basis and include cost assumptions based on what we anticipate the service requirements will be to fulfill obligations for each contract.

Power Purchase Agreements

Under the terms of our PPAs, customers agree to purchase power from our fuel cell power plants at negotiated rates. Electricity rates are generally a function of the customers’ current and future electricity pricing available from the grid. As owner of the power plants, we are responsible for all operating costs necessary to maintain, monitor and repair the power plants. Under certain agreements, we are also responsible for procuring fuel, generally natural gas, to run the power plants.

Plant Expansion

On November 9, 2015, the Company closed on a definitive Assistance Agreement with the State of Connecticut and received a disbursement of $10.0 million to be used for the first phase of the expansion of our Torrington, Connecticut manufacturing facility. In conjunction with this financing, the Company entered into a $10.0 million Promissory Note and related security agreements securing the loan with equipment liens and a mortgage on its Danbury, Connecticut location. Pursuant to the terms of the loan, payment of principal is deferred for the first four years. Interest at a fixed rate of 2.0% is payable beginning December 2015. The financing is payable over 15 years, and is predicated on certain terms and conditions, including the forgiveness of up to 50% of the loan principal if certain job retention and job creation targets are reached. In addition, the Company could receive up to $10.0 million of tax credits if certain terms and conditions are met. The Company may sell the credits depending on its future tax position.

The second phase of our manufacturing expansion, for which we will be eligible to receive an additional $10.0 million in low-cost financing from the State of Connecticut, will commence as demand supports. This includes adding manufacturing equipment to increase annual capacity from the current 100 megawatts to at least 200 megawatts. Plans for this phase also include the installation of a megawatt scale tri-generation fuel cell plant to power and heat the facility as well as provide hydrogen for the manufacturing process of the fuel cell components, and the creation of an Advanced Technology Center for technology testing and prototype manufacturing. In addition, the final stage of the fuel cell module manufacturing will be relocated to the Torrington facility from its current location at the Danbury, Connecticut headquarters, which will reduce logistics costs. The total cost of both phases of the expansion could be up to $65.0 million over a five year period.

Other

At January 31, 2016, the Company has unconditional purchase commitments aggregating $58.9 million, for materials, supplies and services in the normal course of business.

Under certain sales and financing agreements the Company is contractually committed to provide compensation for any losses that our customers and finance partners may suffer in certain limited circumstances resulting from reductions in the U.S. Investment Tax Credit. Such obligations would arise as a result of reductions to the value of the underlying fuel cell projects as assessed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The Company does not believe that any payments under these contracts are probable based on the facts known at the reporting date. The maximum potential future payments that the Company could have to make under this obligation would depend on the difference between the fair values of the fuel cell projects sold or financed and the values the IRS would determine as the fair value for the systems for purposes of claiming the Investment Tax Credit. The value of the Investment Tax Credit in the Company’s agreements is based on guidelines provided by the statutory regulations from the IRS. The Company and its customers use fair values determined with the assistance of independent third-party appraisals.

We are involved in legal proceedings, claims and litigation arising out of the ordinary conduct of our business. Although we cannot assure the outcome, management presently believes that the result of such legal proceedings, either individually, or in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements, and no material amounts have been accrued in our consolidated financial statements with respect to these matters.