UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from ____________ to _____________

Commission file number: 001-37960

Polar Power, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (310) 830-9153

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s voting common equity held by non-affiliates as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second quarter was $16,323,208.

The number of shares outstanding of the Registrant’s common stock, $0.0001 par value, as of May 14, 2020 was 10,125,681.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

None

Table of Contents

FORWARD LOOKING AND CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS

All statements included or incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, other than statements or characterizations of historical fact, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or Exchange Act. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning projected net sales, costs and expenses and gross margins; our accounting estimates, assumptions and judgments; the demand for direct current power generators, renewable energy and cooling systems; the effect and consequences of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, public health crisis on matters including U.S., local and foreign economies, our business operations, the ability of financing and the health and productivity of our employees; the competitive nature of and anticipated growth in our industry; production capacity and goals; our ability to consummate acquisitions and integrate their operations successfully; and our prospective needs for additional capital. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates, approximations and projections about our industry and business, management’s beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us, all of which are subject to change. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing,” similar expressions and variations or negatives of these words. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, some of which are listed under “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement for any reason, except as otherwise required by law.

PART I

Overview 

We design, manufacture and sell direct current, or DC, power generators, renewable energy and cooling systems for applications primarily in the telecommunications market and, to a lesser extent, in other markets, including military, electric vehicle charging, marine and industrial.

Within the telecommunications market, our DC power systems provide reliable and low-cost DC power to service applications that do not have access to the utility grid (i.e., prime power applications) or have critical power needs and cannot be without power in the event of utility grid failure (i.e., back-up power applications). Within this market, we offer the following three configurations of our DC power systems, with output power ranging from 5 kW to 32 kW:

Our DC power systems are available in diesel, natural gas, LPG / propane and renewable formats, with diesel, natural gas and propane gas being the predominate formats.  

The current transition of telecommunications cellular network technology from 3G and 4G to 5G and to “edge computing at the cell tower” (i.e., allowing data produced by IoT devices to be processed closer to where the data is created rather than transmitting the data across long routes to the cloud or to data centers) requires an increase in power and reliability. In that regard, our telecommunications customers have expressed a desire for us to develop new products to addresses this need for increased power while reducing or keeping the same volume of space of our products to be located at the cell site. An increase in the size of our products would result in the need for more space at cell sites which, in turn, would result in many of our customers being subjected to increased rent and permitting costs. We believe that our customers’ tight space requirements provide us with a competitive advantage over our competitors.

During 2019, most Tier-1 telecommunications companies began deployment of 5G networks in densely populated urban centers, resulting in a significant increase in the number of small cells being installed. The majority of Tier-1 telecom providers plan to connect small cells to macro cell sites for both power and data needs, In 2019, we developed a 35% higher power output generator that is configured in the same format and footprint as our previous model, to meet the growing power needs of 5G cell sites. In the fourth quarter of 2019, we commenced shipments of our 20 kW generators to two Tier-1 telecommunications customers and we anticipate a gradual shift towards higher power output generators in the telecommunications industry.

Our business from domestic Tier-1 telecommunications customers is driven primarily by the need for higher network reliability, which in turn, drives the need for backup generators. Globally, major telecom companies are racing towards implementing 5G networks which requires densification of the current infrastructure in both urban and rural environments. Many expect that 5G networks will revolutionize how we consume data, video and voice, combined with streaming and IoT applications. We believe that as a result of this expansion, network reliability will become a key differentiator amongst the various telecommunications providers. In that regard, we believe our line of backup power generator products, designed to be 40% more compact than an equivalent alternating current, or AC, generator and available in various fuel types provides us competitive advantage within the global telecommunications markets.

Impact of COVID-19

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a global pandemic, and, in the following weeks, many U.S. states and foreign countries issued lockdown orders negatively impacting the operations of our manufacturing facilities and customer demand for our products. Since then, the COVID-19 situation within the U.S. and foreign countries has rapidly escalated. In March 2020, we furloughed approximately 65% of our workforce. We continue to monitor the situation closely and it is possible that we may be required to implement further measures.

Our History

We were incorporated in 1979 in the State of Washington as Polar Products, Inc., and in 1991 we reincorporated in the State of California under the name Polar Power, Inc. In December 2016, Polar Power, Inc. reincorporated in the State of Delaware. Our internet website address is https://polarpower.com/.

Recent Business Events

During the fourth quarter of 2019, and extending into the first quarter of 2020, our U.S. Tier-1 telecommunications customers postponed orders and shipments to the latter part of 2020 which resulted in an 87% decline in net revenues during the fourth quarter of 2019 as compared to the third quarter of 2019. We believe that this slowdown in the sales of our backup generators is a result of, among other things, the following:

We believe that what we experienced in the fourth quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020 is temporary in nature and that, subject to the overall effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our customers’ businesses, our sales will improve in the upcoming quarters once our customers have made significant inroads in the deployment of their 5G networks and have defined the power needs for these networks.

We offer a complete line of DC backup generators, ranging in output from 6kW to 32 kW. During 2019, we continued our efforts in international markets, through demonstrations of our products to large telecommunications network providers. We also developed a higher output power generator and an LPG/propane powered generator for emerging growth markets. We anticipate our regional expansion, combined with new products, can help us diversify our sales during 2020. We believe the long-term impact of COVID-19 demonstrates the need for telemedicine and contact tracing, both of which require the IoT and 5G networks, thereby increasing the demand for our products. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant negative impact on our ability to market and sell our products, especially our ability to demonstrate our products to current and potential customers, and to complete new product introductions.

During 2019, we also developed an environmentally friendly solar hybrid power system based on a combination of solar with liquified petroleum gas, or LPG, and propane powered generators which we believe lowers both capital expenditures and operating expenditures. In the fourth quarter of 2019, we received our certificate of conformity from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, on small spark-ignition Toyota engines which will be used in our new LPG / propane generators. These new generators, equipped with proprietary control systems, have been specifically designed to run 24/7 for air-conditioning applications and will provide power outputs between 6kW to 15 kW with 30,000- to 90,000-hour lifecycle runtime engines. We plan to market these stationary generators within the telecommunications, commercial and residential markets primarily through third party distributors.

During 2019, we increased our manufacturing plant capacity by adding automation equipment to improve production efficiencies and product output.

Markets

We operate primarily within the telecommunications market and, to a lesser extent, in other markets including military, electrical vehicle charging, cogeneration, distributed power and uninterruptable power supply.

Telecommunications

We believe that investments in wireless telecommunications infrastructure is on the rise globally due to rising data usage and increased pressure to reduce operating costs requiring providers to improve operational efficiencies while expanding network coverages into remote or rural areas. Increased reliance on wireless networks is also resulting in increased demand for reliability of these systems resulting in higher demand for power backup systems. We believe that some of the key aspects fueling the growth of telecommunications operators include:

The electrical power requirement for cell towers can be segmented into the following areas:

In order to improve wireless tower efficiency globally, service providers are divesting these fixed assets to more agile regional tower operators, while simultaneously upgrading wireless technologies to maintain competitive services. As electronics efficiencies have improved, the amount of electronics on cell sites have increased thereby creating a greater demand for energy. The improvement in electronics, including the ability to operate at higher temperatures, has reduced the need for air conditioning. We consider this to be the single most important factor driving the use of DC generators within the telecommunications market. The other trend is the elimination of walk-in shelters in favor of housing electronics “outdoor” in smaller cabinets. Increased new construction of these outdoor tower facilities has provided us with the ability to market our higher-efficiency DC power systems to these tower operators globally. 

Military

Food, communications, transportation and weapon systems are the lifeblood of a military unit. With few exceptions, military communications operate on 28 volts DC or 48 volts DC sources. Almost everything on the battlefield uses batteries and they require charging including robotics that move materials from one place to another and/ or provide weaponized platform. We believe that military technologies based on DC generators and battery energy storage will have a growing impact on reducing casualties and help counter the effects of IEDs. We believe that the demand for DC power with the military is increasing as the use of pulsed energy weapon systems are developed and implemented on the battlefield. Weapons that use high energy pulses to power laser, kinetic projectiles, particle beams, and high-powered microwaves have DC power requirements that can climb as high as 6 megawatts.

The objectives of the creation of a new generation of power generators are:

The Advanced Medium Mobile Power Sources, or AMMPS, the U.S. Department of Defense’s third generation of military power generators, is a program to provide 5-60kW generators in either a skid, trailer mounted, or Microgrid configuration to replace legacy generators. The new generation of mobile electric power generators will also have the capability to connect together to form an efficient power distribution center to create “power islands” that serve both DC and AC loads. In addition, solar and wind power is being added to AMMPS to create hybrid systems that can function as self-sustaining power sources in remote areas. The next generation of power systems are required to provide 21% higher fuel efficiency, reduce noise and weight, increased system reliability by 90% and be capable of performing in extreme environments. Our DC hybrid power systems, with integrated controls that manage energy produced by solar and lithium battery solutions, provide higher fuel efficiency than traditional powered power systems currently used by the military. We believe our complete line of commercialized DC hybrid power systems in use for the past decade provides us with a competitive advantage in meeting stated power system goals outlined by Department of Defense.

Improvements in sensors, navigation and communication technologies have led to increased integration of situational awareness systems that allow all combat assets to communicate and coordinate both defensive and offensive efforts in combat. Reliance on these systems has led to an effort to integrate DC auxiliary power units ranging in size from 3 kW to 20 kW onboard combat vehicles independent of engine driven alternators. Integration of auxiliary power units to run climate control and on-board electronics while idling saves a significant amount of fuel and maintenance, a critical asset during combat operations. We believe that the integration of smaller horsepower auxiliary power units to operate climate control and on-board electronics systems, rather than large horsepower vehicle engines while idling, may save a significant amount of fuel and maintenance, both of which are critical assets during combat operations.

During the past three decades, we have shipped 2 kW to 30 kW advanced power units, comprised of hybrid vehicle power systems, auxiliary power systems and prime power systems, to the U.S. Department of Defense and to its prime contractors for a wide variety of missions covering the land, sea and air. During the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, sales of auxiliary power systems designed for use in military combat vehicles represented 2.4% and 6.1%, respectively, of our net sales. 

We began our military business as a sub-contractor to major defense contractors and as prime contractor providing DC generators and battery charging systems to the U.S. Department of Defense. Over the years, we have observed that engaging in direct sales programs sponsored by the Department of Defense oftentimes results in higher than normal proposal costs and increased volatility in our ability to be awarded contracts awards. Over the next several years we plan to focus our military business on sales of our products to the major prime contractors who will, in turn, integrate our products into their products. Currently, we are working on the development of DC generators for two separate robotic programs and one communications program as a sub-contractor to major defense contractors. We believe this shift in focus away from the Department of Defense to defense sub-contractors may result in stronger military sales during 2021 and beyond.

As a result of a current military contract we are also in the process of developing a higher-voltage DC alternator which is capable of producing a power output of up to 50 kW. In addition to numerous military applications, we plan to target this product for powering mini-grids and for edge computing data centers. We believe the compact size and high efficiency and reliability of our generator will be attractive to this market sector.

Residential and Commercial Power

Extreme weather and man-made and natural disasters are increasing thereby expanding the need for backup generators and micro-grids. The grids are experiencing increased demand for energy as a result of increased air-conditioning and charging electric vehicles. We believe these events are also expanding our opportunity to market combined heat and power, or CHP, and micro-cogeneration systems (i.e., heat, air-conditioning, and power).

Many AC backup generators that are under 30 kW are typically designed for low cost and as a result have limited service life. We intend to market and sell a multipurpose generator with low operating and higher reliability into a smaller segment of this growing market.

In addition, we believe that there will be increase in demand for DC generators for micro-grid applications. We are in the process of marketing 30 kW to 200 kW generators for these applications.

We believe that low-cost, under 30 kW output, AC generators marketed to residential markets may not meet the current market needs of homeowners. Over the past decades typical backup needs were less than 100 hours of use per year and AC generators were optimized to meet these limited performance requirements enabling a lower sale price. With growing climate change, we are now experiencing more severe storms, natural disasters and fires resulting in loss of grid power for several days and, in many cases, weeks. These lower cost AC generators require higher maintenance with a shorter operational life.

We have designed long-life, fuel efficient, multi-purpose, low maintenance generators that give the owner greater versatility on selecting the energy sources to meet his power needs. The owner can choose from grid, natural gas, propane, and solar energy sources to power the owner’s home, office, or charge the owner’s vehicle. Our generators can be operated 24/7 with once a year maintenance. Our research demonstrates that our products require less maintenance and cost than fuel cells.

A typical home in the U.S. is designed to operate on 120/240 Volts AC at a frequency of 60 cycles. An AC generator can accomplish this directly only after the home is disconnected from the grid using a transfer switch. This direct connection creates a potential for damage to household appliances and electronics due to generator failure caused by an engine or controls malfunction. Using a typical low-cost AC generator, even from the major brands, exacerbates this potential problem.

Our DC generators use an inverter to convert DC power to AC power to supply the home or office. The inverter is solid state without moving parts and can supply the exact required voltage and frequency thereby helping to protect the appliances. The solar PV has a DC output and can be connected in parallel with the DC generator and feed the combined power to the inverter. This reduces the need for batteries which is an expensive component of a solar system. Most utilities demand that macro cogeneration and CHP systems that want to connect to the grid use an inverter interface.

During 2019, we developed an environmentally friendly solar hybrid power system based on a combination of solar with LPG and propane power sources which we believe lowers both capital expenditures and operating expenditures. In the fourth quarter of 2019, we received our certificate of conformity from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, on small spark-ignition Toyota engines which will be used in our new LPG / propane generators. These new generators have been specifically designed to run 24/7 for air-conditioning applications and will provide power outputs between 6kW to 15 kW and which incorporate a 30,000- to 90,000-hour life engine with our proprietary control system. We plan to market these stationary generators within the telecom, commercial and residential markets primarily through third party distributors.

We believe that by using a natural gas powered DC generator, integrated with a solar PV array, will be instrumental in providing electric utilities additional power generation capacity while offering the capacity to backup homes and offices needs during natural catastrophes and man-made disasters. During the summer months many States lack adequate electric production capacity to power homes and businesses during peak hours resulting in black-outs or brown-outs. In addition, many homes and commercial business lack sufficient power to charge an electric vehicle, or fleet of electric vehicles.

Most electric utilities penalize peak power usage to reduce consumption, which increases the cost to charge electric vehicles, which reduces the adoption of electric vehicles. We believe producing energy using our natural gas generator at point-of-use reduces transmission losses, improves efficiencies thereby reducing charging costs and carbon emissions.

We also believe that energy requirements associated with EV charging could drive the use of CHP systems. We believe that the use of DC generators with inverters in a CHP application could replace oil-fueled and natural gas heaters in the Eastern U.S. Our CHP or cogen products can produce space heating and electricity at the same time. An advantage of CHP over current oil and natural fueled heating is that grid power is not required to operate the heaters blowers, fuel pumps, or controls. Our technology allows continued heating and provides electricity in the worst of storms.

Our Competitive Strengths

We have over a 30-year history and have developed a reputation as a proven supplier of reliable and advanced proprietary technology products to customers within the telecommunications, military, industrial and marine markets. We have invested significant capital and engineering expertise to develop products that capitalize on the growing trend towards environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient power generation systems. We further believe our success will be based on the following key competitive strengths:

Business Strategy

We believe the growth in wireless telecommunications infrastructure in the U.S. and international markets has led to a rapid rise in the need for DC backup power systems. With our 30 years of experience and reputation within the DC power systems market, we are working to increase awareness, availability and affordability of more efficient DC-based products as a backup power and charging source within the telecommunications industry. Because of the increased reliance on wireless networks during emergencies and natural disasters, existing and new wireless installations are being upgraded to provide reliable operations during time of emergency. The primary elements of our business strategy include:

Our Technologies

In 1991, we began introducing DC power systems to provide backup and prime power for off-grid and bad-grid applications. Our initial products were predominantly designed for military applications and used as auxiliary power for vehicles, tanks and radar sites. In the late 1990s, we introduced our DC power systems for commercial applications like mobile telecommunications towers, solar refrigerators and oil field applications.

In 1992, we developed our own proprietary DC alternator to improve system efficiency, reduce costs and lower weight. Our design replaced a conventional 4-pole, three-phase designs with a light weight, low cost 12-pole and 32-pole designs (i.e., designs containing 12 or 36 magnetic poles) incorporating either 6 or 3 phases (i.e., containing 6 or 3 power circuits). Another unique aspect of the design of our DC alternators is the elimination of bearings, internal wiring connections, and an exciter (i.e., a device which supplies the magnetizing current to generate working flux) to provide a longer life cycle than conventional motor designs in the marketplace.

In 2002, we introduced our 6200 PMHH alternator, which combines the attributes of homopolar alternator technology with a permanent magnet. When mounted on an engine and operated at either a fixed or variable speed, the model 6200 PMHH generates a precise amount of regulated voltage and current. The DC output can then be used to power electronics or charge batteries.

In 2006, we introduced our next generation 8000 Series alternators designed for higher power and voltage applications, which features our proprietary 32-pole permanent magnet alternator technology. The 8000 Series offers high efficiency at a lower cost while integrating our proprietary digital control system, Supra Controller™, that manages and optimizes alternator output. Our Supra Controller™ networks all components via CAN bus communications and software and has the ability to control, analyze, monitor, record and communicate all key system parameters to ensure efficiency, safety and reliability of the overall system. The ability to remotely monitor and calibrate each system parameter, receive system alarms and auto-reset the system when a fault is corrected are the key differentiating factors of our DC power systems.

In telecommunications tower backup applications, backup generators are used to provide power during grid outages or to charge batteries to provide longer run times during emergencies. Due to battery costs and availability issues, many telecommunications providers are known to use various types of chemistries or capacities as storage sources. During the past decade, we have successfully integrated various battery chemistry charge algorithms into our Supra Controller™ software.

In 2011, we added charge algorithms for various lithium battery chemistries and integrated our proprietary BMS with our Supra Controller™ software. In 2013, we further expanded the integration of storage and renewable energy such as solar and wind into our Supra Controller™ software resulting in the shipment of twenty off-grid telecommunications tower power systems to Australia.

In 2017 and 2018, we demonstrated our DC hybrid power systems to telecommunications providers in South East Asia and Africa. We believe that the integration of renewable energy and storage batteries are ideal for off-grid remote locations in rural areas worldwide. During 2019, we plan to continue our research and development efforts to further enhance these integrations for remote telecommunications towers in South East Asia and Africa.

In 2018, we developed our next generation BMS that enhances our current technology to more accurately measure, monitor, control and integrate battery performance data with our Supra Controller™. In addition, we enhanced the user interface to allow us the ability to update or develop new charging algorithms in the field which can be remotely programmed or uploaded. We believe these enhancements will increase our penetration into the storage market during 2019 and beyond.

In 2019, we developed a low-cost DC generator that runs on either natural gas or LPG. In the fourth quarter of 2019, we received our certificate of conformity from the EPA on small spark-ignition Toyota engines which will be used in our new LPG / propane generators. These new generators will provide power outputs between 6 kW to 15 kW and which incorporate a 30,000- to 90,000-hour life engine with our proprietary control system. We plan to market these stationary generators within the telecom, commercial and residential markets primarily through third party distributors.

Products and Services

We broadly classify our power systems into three categories:

Our DC power systems are available in diesel, natural gas, LPG / propane, and renewable fuel formats, with diesel, natural gas and propane gas being the predominant formats. 

DC Base Power Systems

Our DC base power systems are designed for use in prime power and backup power applications. All of our DC power systems are designed to last 20 years or more in backup applications and meet all UL2200 standards. To maximize operational life, we incorporate (over and above our competition) the following:

We believe that the number one reliability issue with a generator set is the failure to start. To improve the reliability of our generators, we remove the engine’s starting battery and replace it with a super capacitor. The super capacitor has a 15- to 20-year service life, greater cold cranking amps and withstands greater temperature extremes than conventional starting batteries.

To reduce maintenance and help ensure that there is always adequate oil, we increase the engine’s oil capacity to provide for a 3,000-hour (natural gas / propane) or 1,500-hour (diesel) maintenance interval. Standard oil intervals for typical generators range from 200 to 500 hours.

DC Hybrid Power Systems

In most off-grid or bad-grid outdoor applications where DC loads are required, such as telecommunications towers in rural or remote areas, fuel costs of operating a generator can account for more than 60% of the total operating costs.

In most backup applications, such as telecommunications and uninterruptable power supply systems, lead acid batteries are used for providing transitional power while the generator starts up. In most of our prime power applications (including telecommunications) the goal is to reduce maintenance and fuel costs. Our Supra Controller™ automatically cycles the generator off when the loads are small and cycles it on again when the load increases or the battery charge is depleted. This cycling reduces engine maintenance and saves significant quantities of fuel.

Additional fuel savings are realized by using lithium-ion batteries in place of lead acid batteries. Lead acid batteries, when compared with lithium-ion batteries, have high internal resistance, are inherently inefficient during charging or discharging in cyclic load applications and therefore require longer to charge, resulting in higher fuel costs. In 2011, we completed the design and testing of a hybrid power system, where our DC power system was integrated with lithium-ion batteries to provide a longer life and higher fuel efficiency to cyclic DC power applications such as telecommunications towers. In 2019, we implemented our next generation BMS for our lithium battery storage system. This next generation BMS enhances battery charging accuracy, integrates with engine controls and provides additional protection for the lithium batteries.

Our DC hybrid power systems can monitor the charge/discharge cycle of various battery chemistries, including lithium-ion and lead acid batteries. Our Supra Controller™ system incorporates a CAN bus communications capability that provides communication and control between the battery and the DC hybrid power system. Each cell in the battery pack is individually monitored for voltage and temperature, ensuring the safety and longevity of the battery bank. These power systems include enclosures, a lithium-ion battery pack, our proprietary BMS and our proprietary Supra Controller™ system that controls engine output, battery charging algorithms, cooling system and power control circuits that optimize DC load outputs.

DC Solar Hybrid Power Systems

Our DC solar hybrid power system combines our DC hybrid power system with solar photovoltaic modules and a custom engineered multi power point tracking charge controller. In most off-grid or bad-grid outdoor applications, such as telecommunications towers in rural or suburban areas, the fuel costs of operating a generator can account for more than half of the total operating costs. We believe that incorporating renewable energy sources, such as solar, with our DC hybrid power systems is ideal solution for numerous off-grid and bad-grid applications worldwide. Our DC solar hybrid power systems incorporate the following features:

During 2019, we developed an environmentally friendly solar hybrid power system based on a combination of solar with LPG and propane power sources which we believe lowers both capital expenditures and operating expenditures. These new generators have been specifically designed to run 24/7 for air-conditioning applications and will provide power outputs between 6kW to 15 kW and which incorporate a 30,000- to 90,000-hour life engine with our proprietary control system.

Service and Support

Global Network Management Tools

We offer global network management services through our telematics tool, which consists of our Supra Controller™ technology integrated with monitoring software. This hardware is integrated into each DC power system and collects critical data from the equipment and transmits this data back to the customer and our service department. This capability allows us and our customers to monitor system performance remotely and to remotely update the equipment with new revision software in the field.

Our telematics capabilities and services include:

Our telematics tools also provide information to our customers on specific equipment utilization that provides the abilities to determine the functional status of the equipment and proactively schedule maintenance. We believe these tools assist in reducing equipment downtime, thereby reducing the overall cost of ownership. In addition, we plan to use these tools to monitor and provide accurate billing for our rental equipment deployed at customer facilities. 

Aftermarket and Service Parts

We offer extensive aftermarket and service parts programs. We maintain an extensive inventory of aftermarket parts and sell parts directly to customers or through our qualified network of service providers. In addition, we require our regional service providers to maintain sufficient quantities of aftermarket parts in their inventory to ensure minimum downtime upon product failure.

We maintain accurate records of bill of materials for each serial number shipped and service our products well beyond their recommended lives. In the marketplace, our products are known for their long life and durability.

Product and Warranty Support

We offer product commissioning as an added service to all our customers and require the purchase of such services as a condition for acceptance of any warranty claims in the future. We offer installation of the equipment, preliminary testing, integration of equipment with other assets located at the site and introductory maintenance and safety training. We offer various levels of fee-based services to support our products in the field. In addition, we have trained product and application engineers that deliver high quality, responsive lifetime technical support to all our customers worldwide.

We further support our customers by using qualified regional independent service providers to perform warranty and aftermarket service and repair on our products. Our regional service providers are factory trained and certified prior to being authorized to repair or service our equipment. We generally reimburse regional service providers for the warranty services they perform on our systems.

Sales and Marketing

Our sales strategy focuses on using our direct sales force to market our DC backup power products to telecommunications providers in the U.S. Since 2017, we have made significant investments in hiring additional sales personnel in the U.S. market to demonstrate our products to Tier-1 telecommunications providers. Our products are purchased by regional centers operated by our telecommunications customers, thereby expanding our overall market into regions we may not have covered previously.

Since 2017, have we expanded our sales and service infrastructure in the international markets. We established regional sales offices in South Africa, U.A.E., Singapore, Poland and Dominican Republic and established sales and aftermarket service locations in Australia and Romania to locally manage South East Asia and EMEA regions, respectively. Due to a general lack of a reliable power grid, many emerging markets continue to expand their telecommunications infrastructures at a high rate. We believe that this lack of a reliable power grid, together with our knowledge of integrating renewables with generators, provides us with an opportunity to enter these emerging markets with our hybrid storage and renewable energy solutions.

We also market our products through our web site and by exhibiting our products at trade shows globally. Our primary sales are generated through product demonstrations and short-term rentals to demonstrate the capabilities of our products and value proposition to large mobile network providers worldwide. We believe this strategy of demonstrating our products and technologies to prospective customers expedites the sales process for our DC power systems.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the global economy and has disrupted business operations globally. We market our products to a large global customer base through actual product demonstrations. We have sales offices in Australia, Singapore, U.A.E., Namibia, Poland and Dominican Republic. Due to varied government policies in each region, our sales team is unable to meet with existing or new customers to demonstrate our products and we are unsure as to when we may be able to commence these practices in the future. In addition, our service staff and engineers are unable to travel to customer locations to setup demonstrations and assist in integration and optimization of our products to customer application needs. Since March 2020, all of our sales executives have been working from home and have not traveled to visit current and/or potential customers. In addition, most of our customers have experienced similar business limitations. We are actively monitoring the global situation and how it affects our financial condition, operations, suppliers, industry, and workforce. Given the daily developments of the pandemic and the global responses to curb its spread, we are not able to estimate all of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic at this time. If the pandemic continues, it may have a significant adverse effect on our ability to source components, suppliers, and qualified labor during the remainder of 2020 and perhaps beyond.

Distribution and Service

We market our products through various distribution channels that promote our products and brand and provide effective aftermarket support and service. While the majority of our sales are achieved through our direct sales force, we also utilize independent service providers and dealers to complement our global sales strategy. We plan to market and sell our new LPG / propane and natural gas line of generators and solar hybrid power systems through independent dealers.

We utilize a combination of factory trained technicians and independent service providers to provide installation, maintenance, service and training at customer locations throughout the U.S.

In the international markets, we utilize local service partners to perform installation and service on our equipment. We have hired trained personnel in Namibia, Australia and Romania to assist in regional training of technicians and also in product demonstrations.

Competition

Within the telecommunications power generation market, we compete with a number of manufacturers of AC and DC generators that offer generators with an output power of 6 kW to 30 kW. Our competitors range from large diversified global manufacturers of AC generator power systems designed primarily for use as backup power and a smaller number of manufacturers of DC generators. Most manufacturers of generators with an output power of 20 kW market these generators for non-continuous use. We believe that we are the only manufacturer that provides the telecommunications and other markets with under 32 kW prime power generators capable of continuous operation.

Below are our primary competitors across these applications:

DC Power: 3Tech Corporate Limited, Ascot Industrial srl, Ausonia srl, and Controllis.

AC Power: Generac Power Systems, Inc., Kohler Co., Onan, FG Wilson and many other companies.

 Manufacturing and Assembly

A significant percentage of our business comes from multinational global corporations seeking configured product solutions ready to be field deployed with a minimum installation time. Our manufacturing process begins with our direct sales force and engineering team defining customer application needs and concludes with the production of a custom configured product solution. We believe our ability to have total control over the sales and manufacturing process is a key competitive differentiator in the markets we serve.

By implementing vertical integration throughout our manufacturing process, we believe that we reduce overall manufacturing costs, thereby increasing profitability and market competitiveness. Our production processes encompass all aspects of production of our DC power systems, which includes alternators, aluminum enclosures, engine configurations, control electronics, cooling systems, wiring harnesses, exhaust systems and final assembly. Manufacturing of our proprietary technologies requires proprietary automated equipment that ensures total control and agility in our production processes. Over the past decade, we have made significant investments in highly specialized manufacturing tooling, jigs and fixtures that allow us to manufacture products at lower cost while maintaining the highest quality. 

Our production assembly lines are designed to be flexible, and we utilize advanced manufacturing planning software to predict, monitor and control demand levels and product mix to provide the shortest delivery time to our customers. We utilize 3-D CAD software to product design and document assembly instructions throughout our production process. All our products are 100% tested to customer specific application requirements prior to shipment.

Throughout our operations we utilize computerized ERP software that integrates all our processes from lead generation to product shipment and aftermarket support. Our focus on safety, quality and on-time delivery is supported by employee training and information systems that monitor process and product quality and communicate trends and findings to senior management on a real-time basis.

In March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the governor of California issued a state-wide “shelter-in-place” order. We have implemented a Business Continuity Plan designed to keep employees safe, follow regulatory guidelines, and continue essential business operations. As of March 20, 2020, 79 employees of our U.S. labor force is in furlough status while the 42 employees continue to support essential business operations. We are actively monitoring the global situation and how it affects our financial condition, operations, suppliers, industry, and workforce. Given the daily developments of the pandemic and the global responses to curb its spread, we are unable to estimate the effects of the pandemic at this time. If the pandemic continues, it may have an adverse effect on our ability to continue our manufacturing and assembly operations during the remainder of 2020 and perhaps beyond.

Design Engineering/Research and Development

Our research and development efforts are market driven and are focused on the development of new technologies and product improvements, as well as reducing costs and improving product quality and reliability. The primary focus of our research and development activities is the development of lighter-weight, more compact and lower cost DC power generation systems for our Tier-1 wireless provider customers in the U.S. and international markets. Over the years, we have expended significant resources in enhancing our system controls like our Supra Controller™ and BMS. In 2019, features such as remote monitoring and self-diagnostics were enhanced to make our systems more robust and intelligent.

A significant part of our research and development effort has focused on the development of control software that integrates engine controls, power management and battery algorithms to fully optimize fuel consumption in both prime power and backup power generation applications. We use a high level of integration with a single control and communication module, our Supra Controller™, rather than competitive system designs with a number of independent control modules controlling a single function. Our integrated approach ensures software compatibility, reduces complexity in wiring, increases reliability and reduces cost.

Our research and development expenditures increased by $367,926 to $2,275,736 during 2019, as compared to $1,907,810 in 2018. This growth in research and development expenditures is attributable to an increase in new product development activities. During 2019, we developed our new LPG / propane and natural gas line of generators and solar hybrid power systems which we believe will provide us with the opportunity to expand into the residential and commercial markets. The costs related to these developments included an increase in engineering staff, and an increase in direct labor costs to fabricate and assemble prototypes and production units. We maintain an in-house design, prototyping, testing and application engineering capabilities including expertise in 3-D solid modeling and finite element analysis, computer-based modeling and testing, rapid prototyping, design verification testing and document publication, which includes manufacturing assembly instructions, supplier drawings and product manuals. In addition, we utilize third party testing laboratories to certify our products’ compliance with current applicable UL standards.

In response to the governor of California’s “shelter-in-place” order in March 2020, our key engineers and program managers are now working from home to comply with the safety guidelines. We have implemented systems to monitor project status and utilize remote access and cloud-based systems to maintain engineering efficiencies. We are actively monitoring the global situation and how it affects our financial condition, operations, suppliers, industry, and workforce. We plan to implement required precautions and monitoring systems to reconstitute our engineering team at our corporate facilities as soon as feasible. The nature of our products and design methodologies require our design teams to be close to the engineering lab facilities to facilitate use of advanced tools and equipment. However, it is not possible for us to predict the duration or magnitude of the adverse results of the outbreak and its effects on our ability to continue our design engineering and research development projects during the remainder of 2020 and perhaps beyond.

 Intellectual Property

We possess a broad intellectual property portfolio comprised of electronics, software, engines, alternators, thermal systems and production techniques. We rely on trademark, copyright and trade secret laws to protect our intellectual property. Currently, we rely on common law rights to protect our “Polar Power, Inc.” trade name. We protect our trade secrets and other proprietary information by requiring confidentiality agreements from our employees, consultants and third parties that have access to such information. Despite these efforts, there can be no assurance that others will not gain access to our trade secrets, or that we can meaningfully protect our technology. In addition, effective trademark, copyright and trade secret protection may be unavailable or limited in certain foreign countries.

We consider our manufacturing process to be a trade secret and have non-disclosure agreements with our employees to protect the trade secrets held by us. However, such methods may not afford complete protection, and there can be no assurance that others will not independently develop similar know-how or obtain access to our know-how and manufacturing concepts. We may register patents and trademarks in future to protect our intellectual property rights and enhance our competitive position.

Suppliers

We attempt to mitigate the material adverse effect of component shortages in our business through detail material planning and by qualifying multiple vendor sources for key components and outside processes. In order to meet our customer demands, we forecast the supply of our long lead time items such as engines, castings and electronic components through strategic planning of inventory levels. We conduct on- site supplier audits of major suppliers to help ensure reliability, quality and sustainability of critical components.

The recent outbreak of (COVID-19) has taken a toll on the global economy and has disrupted business supply chains all over the world. We purchase certain key components from our international suppliers including a number of suppliers located in China. In the short term, we have experienced certain component shortages resulting from shutdowns in China. However, we believe these short-term issues will be resolved during the next few months. We are also actively sourcing alternate domestic suppliers for certain key components to ensure no future delays. We are actively monitoring the global situation and how it affects our financial condition, operations, suppliers, industry, and workforce. Given the daily developments of the pandemic and the global responses to curb its spread, we are not able to estimate the effects of the pandemic at this time. If the pandemic continues it may have an adverse effect on our ability to source components, suppliers, and qualified labor during the fiscal year 2020 and perhaps beyond.

Quality Control

We began concentrating on our quality control in the early 1980s, much of which was required by our customers at the time, including NASA and Hughes Aircraft. In the late 1980s, we implemented the MIL-I-45208A quality control system monitored by U.S. Department of Defense, to meet prime source requirements for a contract we received from the U.S. Army Picatinny Arsenal, to design and manufacture an advanced battery and monitoring system for a security device used in nuclear munitions depots around the world. We are currently in the process of obtaining an ISO 9000 certification.

Certifications

Our DC generator systems comply with UL2200 safety standards. Our products also comply with applicable regulatory emission standards of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Air Quality Management District.

Product Warranties

Our standard warranty on new products is two years from the date of delivery to the customer. We offer a limited extended warranty of up to five years on our certified DC power systems based on application and usage. The Company’s warranties are of an assurance-type and come standard with all Company products to cover repair or replacement should product not perform as expected. Under our standard warranty, provisions for estimated expenses related to product warranties are made at the time products are sold. These estimates are established using historical information about the nature, frequency and average cost of warranty claim settlements as well as product manufacturing and recovery from suppliers. Historically, we have experienced warranty costs of below 1% of net sales which we believe is well within industry norms.

Information Systems

We utilize integrated information systems (i.e., ERP) that link our lead management, sales planning, order entry, purchasing, engineering, production control, manufacturing, inventory and accounting systems. During the past five years we have made significant investments to upgrade and customize our information systems to improve productivity and our ability to accurately forecast inventory and manpower requirements. We plan to invest additional capital in software and information systems to integrate aftermarket sales and service with our ERP system to improve post sales customer experience with our products and services.

Government Regulations and Environmental matters

Our products and their installations are subject to oversight and regulations at federal, state and local levels in accordance with regional statutes and ordinances relating to, building codes, fire codes, public safety, electrical and fuel connections, security protocols, and local and state licensing requirements. We are also regulated by federal, state and international environmental laws governing our use, transport and control of emissions. In addition to governing our manufacturing and other operations, these laws often impact the development of our products, including, but not limited to required compliance with air emissions standards applicable to internal combustion engines. Our products integrate engines with our proprietary technologies to produce efficient DC power. We rely on our engine suppliers to conform to the regional regulations and statutes to meet regional emission requirements.

Additionally, we are subject to laws, regulations and other governmental actions instituted in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Employees

As of May 14, 2020, we had 132 full time employees. Currently, 121 employees are employed at our facilities in Gardena, California and eleven employees are located outside the U.S. None of our employees are represented by labor unions. We consider our relationships with our employees to be generally satisfactory. In addition, from time to time, we utilize outside consultants or contractors for specific assignments.

As discussed above, in March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the governor of California issued a state-wide “shelter-in-place” order. We have implemented a Business Continuity Plan designed to keep employees safe, follow regulatory guidelines, and continue essential business operations. As of March 20, 2020, we furloughed 79 employees in the U.S. and 42 employees continue to support essential business operations. We are actively monitoring the global situation and how it affects our financial condition, operations, suppliers, industry, and workforce. Given the daily developments of the pandemic and the global responses to curb its spread, we are unable to estimate the effects of the pandemic at this time. If the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it may have an adverse effect on our ability to source qualified employees during the remainder of 2020 and perhaps beyond.

Facilities

Our principal offices are located in Gardena, California, where we lease a 40,000 square foot facility that includes our corporate staff offices, our manufacturing facility, and our research and development center. We also lease a 29,000 square foot facility as our second manufacturing facility and a 20,000 square foot warehouse facility across the street from our corporate offices. We believe that our current facilities are sufficient to accommodate our anticipated production volumes for the next twelve months. If required, additional office and manufacturing space is available within less than three miles from our present location.

Before deciding to purchase, hold or sell our common stock, you should carefully consider the risks described below in addition to the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, including subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business. If any of these known or unknown risks or uncertainties actually occurs with material adverse effects on Polar Power, our business, financial condition, results of operations and/or liquidity could be seriously harmed. In that event, the market price for our common stock will likely decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry  

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 will likely have a significant negative impact on our business, sales, results of operations and financial condition.

The global outbreak of COVID-19 has led to severe disruptions in general economic activities, as businesses and federal, state, and local governments take increasingly broad actions to mitigate this public health crisis. We have experienced significant disruption to our business, both in terms of disruption of our operations and the adverse effect on overall economic conditions. We have closed our manufacturing facilities since the beginning of the California “stay at home” order was implemented by the governor of California. The ultimate scope and duration of this closure is not known at this time. We have also furloughed 79 employees in the U.S. and the remaining 42 employees continue to support essential business operations. These conditions will significantly negatively impact all aspects of our business. Our business is also dependent on the continued health and productivity of our employees, including our manufacturing employees, sales staff and corporate management team. Individually and collectively, the consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak could have a material adverse effect on our business, sales, results of operations and financial condition.

Additionally, our liquidity could be negatively impacted if these conditions continue for a significant period of time and we may be required to pursue additional sources of financing to obtain working capital, maintain appropriate inventory levels, and meet our financial obligations. Currently capital and credit markets have been disrupted by the crisis and our ability to obtain any required financing is not guaranteed and largely dependent upon evolving market conditions and other factors. Depending on the continued impact of the crisis, further actions may be required to improve our cash position and capital structure.

The extent to which the COVID-19 outbreak ultimately impacts our business, sales, results of operations and financial condition will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including, but not limited to, the duration and spread of the outbreak, its severity, the actions to contain the virus or treat its impact, and how quickly and to what extent normal economic and operating conditions can resume. Even after the COVID-19 outbreak has subsided, we may continue to experience significant impacts to our business as a result of its global economic impact, including any economic downturn or recession that has occurred or may occur in the future.

Our independent registered public accounting firm’s reports for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 have raised substantial doubt as to our ability to continue as a “going concern.”

Our independent registered public accounting firm indicated in its report on our audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 that there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. A “going concern” opinion indicates that the financial statements have been prepared assuming we will continue as a going concern and do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets, or the amounts and classification of liabilities that may result if we do not continue as a going concern. Therefore, you should not rely on our consolidated balance sheet as an indication of the amount of proceeds that would be available to satisfy claims of creditors, and potentially be available for distribution to stockholders, in the event of liquidation. The presence of the going concern note to our financial statements may have an adverse impact on the relationships we are developing and plan to develop with third parties as we continue the commercialization of our products and could make it challenging and difficult for us to raise additional financing, all of which could have a material adverse impact on our business and prospects and result in a significant or complete loss of your investment.

In addition, we estimate that the current funds on hand will be sufficient to continue operations through approximately September 30, 2020. Our continuation as a going concern is dependent upon our ability to obtain necessary debt or equity financing to continue operations until sales increase and we begin generating positive cash flow. No assurance can be given that any future financing will be available or, if available, that it will be on terms that are satisfactory to us. Even if we are able to obtain additional financing, such financing may contain undue restrictions on our operations, in the case of debt financing or cause substantial dilution for our stockholders, in the case of equity financing. We continue to review operations in order to identify additional strategies designed to generate cash flow, improve our financial position, and enable the timely discharge of our obligations.  If we are unable to identify sources of additional cash flow in the short term, we may be required to further reduce or limit operations.

We are dependent on, and derive substantially all of our revenue from, sales of our DC base power systems to three customers within the U.S. telecommunications market. Our efforts to expand our customer base, our product portfolio or markets within which we operate may not succeed and may reduce our revenue growth rate.

We derive substantially all our revenues from sales of our DC base power systems to three customers within the telecommunications market, AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile. Any factor adversely affecting sales of these power systems to these customers or to other customers within this market, including market acceptance, product competition, performance and reliability, reputation, price competition and economic and market conditions, could adversely affect our business and results of operations. For example, during the fourth quarter of 2019, and extending into the first quarter of 2020, our U.S. Tier-1 telecommunications customers postponed orders and shipments to the latter part of 2020 which resulted in an 87% decline in net revenues during the fourth quarter of 2019 as compared to the third quarter of 2019.

In addition, any unfavorable change in our business relationship with our Tier-1 telecommunications wireless carrier customers, or delays in customer implementation and deployment of our products, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operation and financial condition. Our plan to invest in the development of higher capacity DC hybrid solar systems to address data centers and other applications within the telecommunications market may not result in an anticipated growth in sales and may reduce our revenue growth rate.

Many of our DC power systems involve long design and sales cycles, which could have an adverse impact on our results of operations and financial performance.

The design and sales cycle for our DC power systems, from initial contact with our potential customer to the shipments of our product, may be lengthy. Customers generally consider a wide range of factors before making a purchase decision. Prior to purchasing our products, our customers often require a significant technical review, tests and evaluations over long periods of time, assessments of competitive products and approval at a number of management levels within their organization. During the time our customers are evaluating our products, we may incur substantial sales and service, engineering and research and development expenses to customize our products to meet customer’s application needs. We may also expend significant management efforts, increase manufacturing capacity, order long-lead-time components or purchase significant amounts of components and other inventory prior to receiving an order. Even after this evaluation process, a potential customer may not purchase our products.

The product development time before a customer agrees to purchase our DC power systems can be considerable. Our process for developing an integrated solution may require use of significant engineering resources, including design, prototyping, modeling, testing and application engineering. The length of this cycle is influenced by many factors, including the difficulty of the technical specification and complexity of the design and the customer’s procurement processes. A significant period may elapse between our investment of time and resources in designing and developing a product for a customer and receipt of revenue from sales of that product. The length of this process, combined with unanticipated delays in the development cycles and the effects of COVID-19 on our ability to demonstrate our products to current and potential customers could materially affect our results of operations and financial conditions.

We do not have long-term commitments for significant revenues with most of our customers and may be unable to retain existing customers, attract new customers or replace departing customers with new customers that can provide comparable revenues and profit margins.

Because we generally do not obtain firm, long-term volume purchase commitments from our customers, most of our sales are derived from individual purchase orders. We remain dependent upon securing new purchase orders in the future in order to sustain and grow our revenues. Accordingly, there is no assurance that our revenues and business will grow in the future. Our failure to maintain and expand our customer relationships could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

The high concentration of our sales within the telecommunications market could result in a significant reduction in sales and negatively affect our results of operations if demand for our DC power systems declines within this market.

We expect to be predominately focused on the manufacturing, marketing and sales of DC power systems to telecommunications companies for the foreseeable future. We may be unable to shift our business focus away from these activities. Accordingly, the emergence of new competing DC power products or lower-cost alternative technologies may reduce the demand for our products. A downturn in the demand for our DC power systems within the telecommunications market would likely materially and adversely affect our sales and results of operations.

The markets within which we compete are highly competitive. Many of our competitors have greater financial and other resources than we do and one or more of these competitors could use their greater financial and other resources to gain market share at our expense.

If our business continues to develop as expected, we anticipate that we will continue to grow in the near future. If, due to capital constraints or otherwise, we are unable to fulfill our existing backlog in a timely manner and/or procure and timely fulfill our anticipated future backlog, our customers and potential customers may decide to use competing DC power systems or continue the use of AC power systems. If we are unable to fulfill the growing demand for products and services in a timely manner, our customers and potential customers may choose to purchase products from our competitors. Some of our larger competitors may be willing to reduce prices and accept lower margins in order to compete with us. In addition, we could face new competition from large international or domestic companies with established industrial brands and distribution networks that enter our end markets. Demand for our products may also be affected by our ability to respond to changes in design and functionality, to respond to downward pricing pressure, and to provide shorter lead times for our products than our competitors. If we are unable to respond successfully to these competitive pressures, we could lose market share, which could have an adverse impact on our results. We cannot assure that we will be able to compete successfully in our markets or compete effectively against current and new competitors as our industry continues to evolve.

Rapid technological changes may prevent us from remaining current with our technological resources and maintaining competitive product and service offerings.

The markets in which we and our customers operate are characterized by rapid technological change, especially within the telecommunications market. Significant technological changes could render our existing and potential new products, services and technology obsolete. Our future success will depend, in large part, upon our ability to:

If we are unable to successfully respond to technological change or if we do not respond to it in a cost-effective and timely manner, then our business will be materially and adversely affected. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in responding to changing technology. In addition, technologies developed by others may render our products, services and technology uncompetitive or obsolete. Even if we do successfully respond to technological advances, the integration of new technology may require substantial time and expense, and we cannot assure you that we will succeed in adapting our products, services and technology in a timely and cost-effective manner.

 If we are unable to continue to develop new and enhanced products and services that achieve market acceptance in a timely manner, our competitive position and operating results could be harmed.

Our future success will depend on our ability to continue to develop new and enhanced DC power systems and related products and services that achieve market acceptance in a timely and cost-effective manner. The markets in which we and our customers operate are characterized by frequent introductions of new and enhanced products and services, evolving industry standards and regulatory requirements, government incentives and changes in customer needs. The successful development and market acceptance of our products and services, including our new LPG / propane and natural gas line of generators and solar hybrid power systems, depends on a number of factors, including:

We may experience financial or technical difficulties or limitations that could prevent us from introducing new or enhanced products or services. Furthermore, any of these new or enhanced products and services could contain problems that are discovered after they are introduced. We may need to significantly modify the design of these products and services to correct problems. Rapidly changing industry standards and customer preferences and requirements may impede market acceptance of our products and services.

Development and enhancement of our products and services will require significant additional investment and could strain our management, financial and operational resources. The lack of market acceptance of our products or services or our inability to generate sufficient revenues from this development or enhancement to offset their development costs could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, we may experience delays or other problems in releasing new products and services and enhancements, and any such delays or problems may cause customers to forego purchases of our products and services and to purchase those of our competitors.

We cannot provide assurance that products and services that we have recently developed or that we develop in the future will achieve market acceptance. If our new products and services fail to achieve market acceptance, or if we fail to develop new or enhanced products and services s that achieve market acceptance, our growth prospects, operating results and competitive position could be adversely affected.

Natural disasters and other events beyond our control could materially adversely affect us.

Natural disasters or other catastrophic events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, may cause damage or disruption to our operations, international commerce and the global economy, and thus could have a strong negative effect on us. Our business operations are subject to interruption by natural disasters, fire, power shortages, pandemics and other events beyond our control. Although we maintain crisis management and disaster response plans, such events could make it difficult or impossible for us to deliver our services to our customers and could decrease demand for our services.

We are dependent on relationships with our key material suppliers, and the partial or complete loss of one of these key suppliers, or the failure to find replacement suppliers or manufacturers in a timely manner, could adversely affect our business.

We have established relationships with third party engine suppliers and other key suppliers from which we source components for our power systems. We purchase standard configurations of engines for our DC power systems and are substantially dependent on timely supply from our three key engine suppliers, Yanmar Engines Company, Kubota Corporation, and Perkins Company. Purchases from Yanmar, Kubota, and Perkins represented approximately 39%, 3%, and 10% of our total cost of sales for 2019 respectively, and represented approximately 14%, 2%, and 4% of our total cost of sales for 2018, respectively. In the fourth quarter of 2019, we received our certificate of conformity from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, on small spark-ignition Toyota engines which will be used in our new LPG / propane generators. The new Toyota engine will replace most of our Kubota applications and serve as our primary engine in our new LPG products launched in 2020. We do not have any long-term contracts or commitments with any of these suppliers. If any of these engine suppliers were to fail to provide emissions certified engines in a timely manner or fail to supply engines that meet our quality, quantity or cost requirements, or were to discontinue manufacturing any engines we source from them or discontinue providing any of these engines to us, or the supply chain is interrupted or delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or unprecedented event, and we were unable to obtain substitute sources in a timely manner or on terms acceptable to us, our ability to manufacture our products could be materially adversely affected.

Price increases in some of the key components in our DC power systems could materially and adversely affect our operating results and cash flows.

The prices of some of the key components of our DC power systems are subject to fluctuation due to market forces beyond our control, including changes in the costs of raw materials incorporated into these components. Such price increases occur from time to time due to spot shortages of commodities, increases in labor costs or longer-term shortages due to market forces. In particular, the prices of engines can fluctuate frequently and often significantly. We do not have any long-term contracts or commitments with our three key engine suppliers. Substantial increases in the prices of raw materials used in components which we source from our suppliers may result in increased prices charged by our suppliers. If we incur price increases from our suppliers for key components in our DC power systems, our production costs will increase. Given competitive market conditions, we may not be able to pass all or any of those cost increases on to our customers in the form of higher sales prices. To the extent our competitors do not suffer comparable component cost increases, we may have even greater difficulty passing along price increases and our competitive position may be harmed. As a result, increases in costs of key components may adversely affect our margins and otherwise adversely affect our operating results and cash flows.

 A portion of our key components are sourced in foreign countries, exposing us to additional risks that may not exist in the U.S.

A portion of our key components, such as engines, magnets and cooling systems, are purchased from suppliers located overseas, primarily in Asia. Our international sourcing subjects us to a number of potential risks in addition to the risks associated with third-party sourcing generally. These risks include:

These factors may have an adverse effect on our ability to source our purchased components overseas. In particular, if the U.S. dollar were to depreciate significantly against the currencies in which we purchase raw materials from foreign suppliers, our cost of goods sold could increase materially, which would adversely affect our results of operations.

The unavailability or shortage, or increase in the cost, of raw materials and components could have an adverse effect on our sales and profitability.

Our operations require raw materials, such as aluminum, copper and permanent magnets. Commodities such as aluminum and copper are known to have significant price volatility based on global economic conditions including the COVID-19 pandemic. An increase in global economic outlook may result in significant price increases in the cost of our raw materials. In addition, we use Neodymium permanent magnets in our alternators, for which there are a limited number of global suppliers that can meet our standards. Increase in manufacturing of electric vehicles worldwide can have an adverse effect on the cost or supply of these magnets. At our current production volumes, we are unable to secure large quantities of these commodities at fixed prices; however, we do have multiple sources of supply for our raw materials to meet our near term forecasted needs. Various factors could reduce the availability of raw materials and components and shortages may occur from time to time in the future. An increase in lead times for the supply of raw materials due to a global increase in demand for commodities outlined may significantly increase material costs of our products. If production was interrupted due to unavailability or shortage of raw materials and we were not able to find alternate third-party suppliers or re-engineer our products to accommodate different components or materials, we could experience disruptions in manufacturing and operations including product shortages, higher freight costs and re-engineering costs. If our supply of raw materials or components is disrupted or our lead times extended, our business, results of operations or financial condition could be materially adversely affected.

We manufacture and assemble a majority of our products at two facilities. Any prolonged disruption in the operations of this facility would result in a decline in our sales and profitability.

We manufacture and assemble our DC power systems at our facilities located in Gardena, California. Any prolonged disruption in the operations of our manufacturing and assembly facilities, whether due to the COVID-19 pandemic, equipment or information technology infrastructure failure, labor difficulties, destruction of or damage to this facility as a result of an earthquake, fire, flood, other catastrophes, and other operational problems would result in a decline in our sales and profitability. In the event of a business interruption at our facilities, we may be unable to shift manufacturing and assembly capabilities to alternate locations, accept materials from suppliers or meet customer shipment needs, among other severe consequences. Such an event could have a material and adverse impact on our financial condition and results of our operations.

Our business operations are subject to substantial government regulation.

Our business operations are subject to certain federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations. For example, our products, services and technologies are subject to regulations relating to building codes, public safety, electrical connections, security protocols, and local and state licensing requirements. The regulations to which we are subject may change, additional regulations may be imposed, or existing regulations may be applied in a manner that creates special requirements for the implementation and operation of our products or services that may significantly impact or even eliminate some of our revenues or markets. In addition, we may incur material costs or liabilities in complying with any such regulations. Furthermore, some of our customers must comply with numerous laws and regulations, which may affect their willingness and ability to purchase our products, services and technologies.

Additionally, we are subject to laws, regulations and other governmental actions instituted in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The modification of existing laws and regulations or interpretations thereof or the adoption of future laws and regulations could adversely affect our business, cause us to modify or alter our methods of operations and increase our costs and the price of our products, services and technology. In addition, we cannot provide any assurance that we will be able, for financial or other reasons, to comply with all applicable laws and regulations. If we fail to comply with these laws and regulations, we could become subject to substantial penalties or restrictions that could materially and adversely affect our business.

Certain of our products are used in critical communications networks which may subject us to significant liability claims.

Because certain of our products for customers in the telecommunications industry are used in critical communications networks, we may be subject to significant liability claims if our products do not work properly. We warrant to our customers that our products will operate in accordance with our product specifications. If our products fail to conform to these specifications, our customers could require us to remedy the failure or could assert claims for damages. The provisions in our agreements with customers that are intended to limit our exposure to liability claims may not preclude all potential claims. In addition, any insurance policies we have may not adequately limit our exposure with respect to such claims. Liability claims could require us to spend significant time and money in litigation or to pay significant damages. Any such claims, whether or not successful, would be costly and time-consuming to defend, and could divert management’s attention and seriously damage our reputation and our business.

We could be adversely affected by our failure to comply with the laws applicable to our foreign activities, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other similar worldwide anti-bribery laws.

The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or the FCPA, and similar anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions prohibit U.S.-based companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to non-U.S. officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. We may pursue opportunities in certain parts of the world that experience government corruption, and in certain circumstances, compliance with anti-bribery laws may conflict with local customs and practices. Our policies mandate compliance with all applicable anti-bribery laws. Further, we require our partners, subcontractors, agents and others who work for us or on our behalf to comply with the FCPA and other anti-bribery laws. Although we have policies and procedures, and have conducted training, designed to ensure that we, our employees, our agents and others who work with us in foreign countries comply with the FCPA and other anti-bribery laws, there is no assurance that such policies, procedures or training will protect us against liability under the FCPA or other laws for actions taken by our agents, employees and intermediaries. If we are found to be liable for FCPA violations (either due to our own acts or inadvertence, or due to the acts or inadvertence of others), we could suffer from severe criminal or civil penalties or other sanctions, which could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, results of operations or cash flows. In addition, detecting, investigating and resolving actual or alleged FCPA violations is expensive and could consume significant time and attention of our senior management.

We are exposed to risks related to our international sales, and the failure to manage these risks could harm our business. If we fail to expand our business into international markets, our revenues and results of operations may be adversely affected.

In addition to our sales to customers within the U.S., we may become increasingly dependent on sales to customers outside the U.S. as we pursue expanding our business with customers worldwide. Although in 2019 and 2018, our sales to international customers accounted for only 1% and 6%, respectively, of total revenue, we continue to expect that a significant portion of our future revenues will be from international sales to customers in less developed or developing countries. As a result, the occurrence of any international, political, economic, or geographic event could result in a significant decline in revenue. There are significant risks associated with conducting operations internationally, requiring significant financial commitments to support such operations. These operations present a number of challenges including oversight of daily operating practices in each location, handling employee benefits and employee behavior. In addition, compliance with complex foreign and U.S. laws and regulations that apply to our international operations increases our cost of doing business in international jurisdictions. These numerous and sometimes conflicting laws and regulations include internal control and disclosure rules, data privacy and filtering requirements, anti-corruption laws, such as the FCPA, and other local laws prohibiting corrupt payments to governmental officials, and anti-competition regulations, among others.

Violations of these laws and regulations could result in fines and penalties, criminal sanctions against us, our officers, or our employees, prohibitions on the conduct of our business and on our ability to offer our products and services in one or more countries, and could also materially affect our brand, our international expansion efforts, our ability to attract and retain employees, our business, and our operating results. Although we have implemented policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with these laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that our employees, contractors, or agents will not violate our policies.

Some of the risks and challenges of conducting business internationally include:

While these factors and the impacts of these factors are difficult to predict, any one or more of them could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations in the future.

Failures or security breaches of our networks or information technology systems could have an adverse effect on our business.

We rely heavily on information technology, or IT, both in our products and services for customers and in our IT systems. Further, we collect and store sensitive information in our data centers and on our networks. Government agencies and security experts have warned about growing risks of hackers, cyber-criminals, malicious insiders and other actors targeting confidential information and all types of IT systems. These actors may engage in fraudulent activities, theft of confidential or proprietary information and sabotage.

Our IT systems and our confidential information may be vulnerable to damage or intrusion from a variety of attacks including computer viruses, worms or other malicious software programs. These attacks pose a risk to the security of the products, systems and networks of our customers, suppliers and third-party service providers, as well to the confidentiality of our information and the integrity and availability of our data. While we attempt to mitigate these risks through controls, due diligence, training, surveillance and other measures, we remain vulnerable to information security threats.

Despite the precautions we take, an intrusion or infection of our systems could result in the disruption of our business, loss of proprietary or confidential information, or injuries to people or property. Similarly, an attack on our IT systems could result in theft or disclosure of trade secrets or other intellectual property or a breach of confidential customer or employee information. Any such events could have an adverse impact on sales, harm our reputation and cause us to incur legal liability and increased costs to address such events and related security concerns. As the threats evolve and become more potent, we may incur additional costs to secure the products that we sell, as well as our data and infrastructure of networks and devices.  

Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property

If we fail to adequately protect our intellectual property rights, we could lose important proprietary technology, which could materially and adversely affect our business.

Our success and ability to compete depends, in substantial part, upon our ability to develop and protect our proprietary technology and intellectual property rights to distinguish our products, services and technology from those of our competitors. The unauthorized use of our intellectual property rights and proprietary technology by others could materially harm our business.

Historically, we have relied primarily on a combination of trademark, copyright and trade secret laws, along with non-competition and confidentiality agreements, contractual provisions, licensing arrangements and proprietary software and manufacturing processes, to establish and protect our intellectual property rights. Although we hold several unregistered copyrights in our business, we believe that the success of our business depends more upon our proprietary technology, information, processes and know-how than on patents or trademark registrations. In addition, much of our proprietary information and technology may not be patentable; if we decided to apply for patents and/or trademarks in the future, we might not be successful in obtaining any such future patents or in registering any marks.

Despite our efforts to protect our intellectual property rights, existing laws afford only limited protection, and our actions may be inadequate to protect our rights or to prevent others from claiming violations of their proprietary rights. Unauthorized third parties may attempt to copy, reverse engineer or otherwise obtain, use or exploit aspects of our products and services, develop similar technology independently, or otherwise obtain and use information that we regard as proprietary. We cannot assure you that our competitors will not independently develop technology similar or superior to our technology or design around our intellectual property. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries may not protect our proprietary rights as fully or in the same manner as the laws of the U.S.

 We may need to resort to litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights, to protect our trade secrets, and to determine the validity and scope of other companies’ proprietary rights in the future. However, litigation could result in significant costs and in the diversion of management and financial resources. We cannot assure you that any such litigation will be successful or that we will prevail over counterclaims against us. Our failure to protect any of our important intellectual property rights or any litigation that we resort to in order to enforce those rights could materially and adversely affect our business.

If we face claims of intellectual property infringement by third parties, we could encounter expensive litigation, be liable for significant damages or incur restrictions on our ability to sell our products and services.

Although we are not aware of any present infringement of our products, services or technology on the intellectual property rights of others, we cannot be certain that our products, services and technologies do not or in the future will not infringe on the valid intellectual property rights held by third parties. In addition, we cannot assure you that third parties will not claim that we have infringed their intellectual property rights.

In recent years, there has been a significant amount of litigation in the U.S. involving patents and other intellectual property rights. In the future, we may be a party to litigation as a result of an alleged infringement of others’ intellectual property. Successful infringement claims against us could result in substantial monetary liability, require us to enter into royalty or licensing arrangements, or otherwise materially disrupt the conduct of our business. In addition, even if we prevail on these claims, this litigation could be time-consuming and expensive to defend or settle, and could result in the diversion of our time and attention and of operational resources, which could materially and adversely affect our business. Any potential intellectual property litigation also could force us to do one or more of the following:

If we are forced to take any of these actions, our business may be seriously harmed. Although we carry general liability insurance, our insurance may not cover potential claims of this type or may not be adequate to indemnify us for all liability that may be imposed.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

Our operating results can fluctuate significantly from period to period, which makes our operating results difficult to predict and can cause our operating results in any particular period to be less than comparable periods and expectations from time to time.

Our operating results have fluctuated significantly from quarter-to-quarter, period-to-period and year-to-year during our operating history and are likely to continue to fluctuate in the future due to a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control. Certain factors that may affect our operating results include, without limitation, those set forth under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations —Critical Accounting Policies” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Because we have little or no control over many of these factors, our operating results are difficult to predict. Any adverse change in any of these factors could negatively affect our business and results of operations.

Our revenues, net income (loss) and other operating results are heavily dependent upon the size and timing of customer orders and projects, and the timing of the completion of those projects. The timing of our receipt of large individual orders, and of project completion, is difficult for us to predict. Because our operating expenses are based on anticipated revenues over the mid- and long-term and because a high percentage of our operating expenses are relatively fixed, a shortfall or delay in recognizing revenues can cause our operating results to vary significantly from quarter-to-quarter and can result in significant operating losses or declines in profit margins in any particular quarter. If our revenues fall below our expectations in any particular quarter, we may not be able, or it may not be prudent for us, to reduce our expenses rapidly in response to the revenue shortfall, which can result in us suffering significant operating losses or declines in profit margins in that quarter.

Due to these factors and the other risks discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, you should not rely on quarter-to-quarter, period-to-period or year-to-year comparisons of our results of operations as an indication of our future performance. Quarterly, period and annual comparisons of our operating results are not necessarily meaningful or indicative of future performance. As a result, it is likely that, from time to time, our results of operations or our revenue backlog could fall below historical levels or the expectations of public market analysts and investors, which could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline significantly. 

Our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer owns a majority of our common stock and will exercise significant influence over matters requiring stockholder approval, regardless of the wishes of other stockholders.

Our Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary, Arthur D. Sams, beneficially owns approximately 55% of our outstanding shares of common stock. Mr. Sams therefore has significant influence over management and significant control over matters requiring stockholder approval, including the annual election of directors and significant corporate transactions, such as a merger or other sale of our company or our assets, for the foreseeable future. This concentrated control will limit stockholders’ ability to influence corporate matters and, as a result, we may take actions that our stockholders do not view as beneficial. As a result, the market price of our common stock could be adversely affected.

We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. Although we do not currently intend to rely on the exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements afforded to a “controlled company” under Nasdaq Listing Rules, we could potentially seek to rely on such exemptions in the future. 

Our Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary, Arthur D. Sams, controls a majority of our common stock. As a result, we are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. Under these rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power for the election of directors is held by an individual, a group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, including, without limitation (i) the requirement that a majority of the board of directors consist of independent directors, (ii) the requirement that the compensation of our officers be determined or recommended to our board of directors by a compensation committee that is comprised solely of independent directors, and (iii) the requirement that director nominees be selected or recommended to the board of directors by a majority of independent directors or a nominating committee comprised solely of independent directors. We do not currently intend to rely on those exemptions afforded to a “controlled company.” Nonetheless, in the future, we could potentially seek to rely on certain of those exemptions afforded to a “controlled company,” and in such case, you would not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements. 

The price of our shares of common stock is volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

The trading price of our shares of common stock is volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control, including limited trading volume. In addition to the factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, these factors include, without limitation:

Furthermore, the public equity markets have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have affected and continue to affect the market prices of equity securities of many companies. These fluctuations often have been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. These broad market and industry fluctuations, as well as general economic, political and market conditions such as recessions, interest rate changes or international currency fluctuations, may negatively impact the market price of our shares of common stock.

A decline in the price of our common stock could affect our ability to raise further working capital, which could adversely impact our ability to continue operations.

A prolonged decline in the price of our common stock could result in a reduction in the liquidity of our common stock and a reduction in our ability to raise capital. We may attempt to acquire a significant portion of the funds we need in order to conduct our planned operations through the sale of equity securities; thus, a decline in the price of our common stock could be detrimental to our liquidity and our operations because the decline may adversely affect investors’ desire to invest in our securities. If we are unable to raise the funds we require for all of our planned operations, we may be forced to reallocate funds from other planned uses and may suffer a significant negative effect on our business plan and operations, including our ability to develop new products or services and continue our current operations. As a result, our business may suffer, and we may be forced to reduce or discontinue operations. We also might not be able to meet our financial obligations if we cannot raise enough funds through the sale of our common stock and we may be forced to reduce or discontinue operations.

Currently, our common stock is categorized as “penny stock,” which may make it more difficult for investors to sell their shares of common stock due to suitability requirements.

Currently, our common stock is categorized as “penny stock.” The SEC adopted Rule 15g-9, which generally defines “penny stock” to be any equity security that has a market price (as defined) less than $5.00 per share or an exercise price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions. This designation imposes additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell to persons other than established customers and “accredited investors”. The term “accredited investor” refers generally to institutions with assets in excess of $5,000,000 or individuals with a net worth in excess of $1,000,000 or annual income exceeding $200,000, or $300,000 jointly with his or her spouse. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer buying our securities, prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from the rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document in a form prepared by the SEC that provides information about penny stocks and the nature and level of risks in the penny stock market. The broker-dealer also must provide the customer with current bid and offer quotations for the penny stock, the compensation of the broker-dealer and its salesperson in the transaction and monthly account statements showing the market value of each penny stock held in the customer’s account. The bid and offer quotations, and the broker-dealer and salesperson compensation information, must be given to the customer orally or in writing prior to effecting the transaction and must be given to the customer in writing before or with the customer’s confirmation. In addition, the penny stock rules require that, prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from these rules, the broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive the purchaser’s written agreement to the transaction. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity in the secondary market for the stock that is subject to these penny stock rules. Consequently, these penny stock rules may affect the ability and/or willingness of broker-dealers to trade our securities, either directly or on behalf of their clients, may discourage potential investor’s from purchasing our securities, or may adversely affect the ability of our stockholders to sell their shares.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or FINRA, has adopted sales practice requirements that historically may have limited a stockholder’s ability to buy and sell our common stock, which could depress the price of our common stock.

In addition to the “penny stock” rules described above, FINRA has adopted rules that require that, in recommending an investment to a customer, a broker-dealer must have reasonable grounds for believing that the investment is suitable for that customer. Prior to recommending speculative low-priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer’s financial status, tax status, investment objectives, and other information. Under interpretations of these rules, FINRA believes that there is a high probability that speculative low-priced securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. Thus, the FINRA requirements historically has made it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their customers buy our common stock, which could limit your ability to buy and sell our common stock, have an adverse effect on the market for our shares, and thereby depress our price per share of common stock.

We do not anticipate paying cash dividends, and accordingly, stockholders must rely on stock appreciation for any return on their investment.

We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We intend to retain a significant portion of our future earnings, if any, to finance the operations, development and growth of our business. Any future determination to declare dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors, subject to applicable laws, and will depend on number of factors, including our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, contractual restrictions, general business conditions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. As a result, only appreciation of the price of our common stock, which may never occur, will provide a return to stockholders.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports, or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research or reports about our business, our share price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our shares of common stock depends, in part, on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. We do not have any control over these analysts. If no securities or industry analysts undertake coverage of our company, the trading price for our shares of common stock may be negatively impacted. If we obtain securities or industry analyst coverage and if one or more of the analysts who covers us downgrades our shares of common stock, changes their opinion of our shares or publishes inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our share price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases coverage of us or fails to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our shares of common stock could decrease and we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause our share price and trading volume to decline.

We are not subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which could negatively affect your investment.

We elected in our certificate of incorporation to not be subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or Section 203. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A “business combination” includes a merger, asset sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. An “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns (or, in certain cases, within three years prior, did own) 15% or more of the corporation’s voting stock. Our decision not to be subject to Section 203 will allow, for example, Arthur D. Sams, our Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary (who beneficially owns approximately 55% of our common stock) to transfer shares in excess of 15% of our voting stock to a third-party free of the restrictions imposed by Section 203. This may make us more vulnerable to takeovers that are completed without the approval of our board of directors and/or without giving us the ability to prohibit or delay such takeovers as effectively.

Some provisions of our charter documents and Delaware law may have anti-takeover effects that could discourage an acquisition of us by others, even if an acquisition would be beneficial to our stockholders, and may prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.

Provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, as well as provisions of Delaware law, could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us or increase the cost of acquiring us, even if doing so would benefit our stockholders. These provisions include:

These anti-takeover provisions and other provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could make it more difficult for stockholders or potential acquirors to obtain control of our board of directors or initiate actions that are opposed by the then-current board of directors and could also delay or impede a merger, tender offer or proxy contest involving our Company. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for you and other stockholders to elect directors of your choosing or cause us to take other corporate actions you desire. Any delay or prevention of a change of control transaction or changes in our board of directors could cause the market price of our common stock to decline.

Our certificate of incorporation designates the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees.

Our certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of certificate of incorporation described above. This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find these provisions of our certificate of incorporation inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We are an “emerging growth company,” and we cannot be certain if the reduced reporting requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our shares of common stock less attractive to investors.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in this report, our periodic reports and proxy statements and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our shares of common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 before that time or if we have total annual gross revenue of $1.07 billion or more during any fiscal year before that time, in which cases we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31, or if we issue more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during any three-year period before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company immediately. We cannot predict if investors will find our shares of common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our shares of common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our shares of common stock and our share price may be more volatile.

Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies also can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this exemption from new or revised accounting standards and, therefore, will be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.

If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud. As a result, stockholders could lose confidence in our financial and other public reporting, which would harm our business and the trading price of our common stock.

Effective internal controls over financial reporting are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and, together with adequate disclosure controls and procedures, are designed to prevent fraud. Any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in their implementation could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. In addition, any testing by us conducted in connection with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or any subsequent testing by our independent registered public accounting firm, may reveal deficiencies in our internal controls over financial reporting that are deemed to be material weaknesses or that may require prospective or retroactive changes to our financial statements or identify other areas for further attention or improvement. Inferior internal controls could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our common stock.

We are required to disclose changes made in our internal controls and procedures on a quarterly basis and our management is required to assess the effectiveness of these controls annually. However, for as long as we are an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act, our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404. We could be an “emerging growth company” for up to five years. An independent assessment of the effectiveness of our internal controls could detect problems that our management’s assessment might not. Undetected material weaknesses in our internal controls could lead to financial statement restatements and require us to incur the expense of remediation.

We incur significant costs as a result of operating as a public company and our management expects to devote substantial time to public company compliance programs.

As a public company, we incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses due to our compliance with regulations and disclosure obligations applicable to us, including compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act as well as rules implemented by the SEC and Nasdaq. The SEC and other regulators have continued to adopt new rules and regulations and make additional changes to existing regulations that require our compliance. In July 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, or the Dodd-Frank Act, was enacted. There are significant corporate governance and executive compensation related provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act that have required the SEC to adopt additional rules and regulations in these areas. Stockholder activism, the current political environment, and the current high level of government intervention and regulatory reform may lead to substantial new regulations and disclosure obligations, which may lead to additional compliance costs and impact, in ways we cannot currently anticipate, the manner in which we operate our business. Our management and other personnel devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance programs and monitoring of public company reporting obligations and, as a result of the new corporate governance and executive compensation related rules, regulations, and guidelines prompted by the Dodd-Frank Act and further regulations and disclosure obligations expected in the future, we will likely need to devote additional time and costs to comply with such compliance programs and rules. These rules and regulations cause us to incur significant legal and financial compliance costs and make some activities more time-consuming and costly.

To comply with the requirements of being a public company, we may need to undertake various activities, including implementing new internal controls and procedures and hiring new accounting or internal audit staff. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. We are continuing to develop and refine our disclosure controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file with the SEC is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms, and that information required to be disclosed in reports under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act, is accumulated and communicated to our principal executive and financial officers. Our current controls and any new controls that we develop may become inadequate and weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting may be discovered in the future.

Any failure to develop or maintain effective controls could adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations and annual independent registered public accounting firm attestation reports regarding the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting which we may be required to include in our periodic reports we will file with the SEC under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, harm our operating results, cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations, or result in a restatement of our prior period financial statements. In the event that we are not able to demonstrate compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, that our internal control over financial reporting is perceived as inadequate or that we are unable to produce timely or accurate financial statements, investors may lose confidence in our operating results and the price of our common stock could decline. In addition, if we are unable to continue to meet these requirements, we may not be able to remain listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market.

We are not currently required to comply with the SEC rules that implement Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and are therefore not yet required to make a formal assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for that purpose. However, we are required to comply with certain of these rules, which require management to certify financial and other information in our quarterly and annual reports and provide an annual management report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting commencing with our next annual report. This assessment will need to include the disclosure of any material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting identified by our management or our independent registered public accounting firm. We are just beginning the costly and challenging process of compiling the system and processing documentation needed to comply with such requirements. We may not be able to complete our evaluation, testing and any required remediation in a timely fashion. During the evaluation and testing process, if we identify one or more material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, we will be unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective.

Raising additional capital, including through future sales and issuances of our common stock, the exercise of warrants or the exercise of rights to purchase common stock pursuant to our equity incentive plan could result in additional dilution of the percentage ownership of our stockholders, could cause our share price to fall and could restrict our operations.

We expect that significant additional capital will be needed in the future to continue our planned operations, including any potential acquisitions, purchasing of capital equipment, hiring new personnel, and continuing activities as an operating public company. To the extent we seek additional capital through a combination of public and private equity offerings and debt financings, our stockholders may experience substantial dilution. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the ownership interest of our existing stockholders may be diluted, and the terms may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of our stockholders. Debt and receivables financings may be coupled with an equity component, such as warrants to purchase shares of our common stock, which could also result in dilution of our existing stockholders’ ownership. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased fixed payment obligations and could also result in certain restrictive covenants, such as limitations on our ability to incur additional debt and other operating restrictions that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business. A failure to obtain adequate funds may cause us to curtail certain operational activities, including sales and marketing, in order to reduce costs and sustain the business, and would have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.  

Under our 2016 Omnibus Stock Incentive Plan, as amended, or 2016 Plan, we may grant equity awards covering up to 1,754,385 shares of our common stock. As of December 31, 2019, we had granted options to purchase an aggregate of 360,000 shares of common stock under the 2016 Plan. We have registered 1,754,385 shares of common stock available for issuance under our 2016 Plan. Sales of shares issued upon exercise of options or granted under our 2016 Plan may result in material dilution to our existing stockholders, which could cause our share price to fall.

Our issuance of shares of preferred stock could adversely affect the market value of our common stock, dilute the voting power of common stockholders and delay or prevent a change of control.

Our board of directors has the authority to cause us to issue, without any further vote or action by the stockholders, up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series, to designate the number of shares constituting any series, and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions thereof, including dividend rights, voting rights, rights and terms of redemption, redemption price or prices and liquidation preferences of such series.

The issuance of shares of preferred stock with dividend or conversion rights, liquidation preferences or other economic terms favorable to the holders of preferred stock could adversely affect the market price for our common stock by making an investment in the common stock less attractive. For example, investors in the common stock may not wish to purchase common stock at a price above the conversion price of a series of convertible preferred stock because the holders of the preferred stock would effectively be entitled to purchase common stock at the lower conversion price causing economic dilution to the holders of common stock.

Further, the issuance of shares of preferred stock with voting rights may adversely affect the voting power of the holders of our other classes of voting stock either by diluting the voting power of our other classes of voting stock if they vote together as a single class, or by giving the holders of any such preferred stock the right to block an action on which they have a separate class vote even if the action were approved by the holders of our other classes of voting stock. The issuance of shares of preferred stock may also have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our company without further action by the stockholders, even where stockholders are offered a premium for their shares.

Claims for indemnification by our directors and officers may reduce our available funds to satisfy successful third-party claims against us and may reduce the amount of money available to us.

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that we will indemnify our directors and officers, in each case to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. In addition, as permitted by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our bylaws and the indemnification agreements that we have entered into with our directors and officers provide that:

To the extent that a claim for indemnification is brought by any of our directors or officers, it would reduce the amount of funds available for use in our business. 

Our ability to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors may be impacted due to new state laws, including recently enacted gender quotas.

In September 2018, California enacted SB 826 requiring public companies headquartered in California to maintain minimum female representation on their boards of directors as follows: by the end of 2019, at least one woman on its board, by the end of 2020, public company boards with five members will be required to have at least two female directors, and public company boards with six or more members will be required to have at least three female directors. Failure to achieve designated minimum levels in a timely manner exposes such companies to costly financial penalties and reputational harm. Although we currently comply with the requirements of SB 826, we cannot assure that we can recruit, attract and/or retain qualified members of the board and meet gender quotas as a result of the California law (should is not be repealed before the compliance deadlines), which may cause certain investors to divert their holdings in our stock and expose us to penalties and/or reputational harm. 

None.

Our principal offices are located in Gardena, California, where we lease a 40,000 square feet facility that includes our corporate staff offices, our manufacturing facility, and our research and development center. We also lease a 29,000 square foot manufacturing facility and a 20,000 square foot storage facility near our principal offices. We believe that our current facilities are sufficient to accommodate our anticipated production volumes for the next twelve months. If required, additional office and manufacturing space is available within less than three miles from our present location.

From time to time, we may be involved in general commercial disputes arising in the ordinary course of our business. We are not currently involved in legal proceedings that could reasonably be expected to have material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition or results of our operation.

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Market Information

Shares of our common stock trade on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “POLA.”

As of May 14, 2020, we had 10,125,681 shares of common stock outstanding held of record by approximately 17 stockholders. These holders of record include depositories that hold shares of stock for brokerage firms which, in turn, hold shares of stock for numerous beneficial owners.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

None.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

On November 6, 2019, we entered into a Rule 10b-18 Stock Repurchase Agreement authorizing ThinkEquity to repurchase up to $500,000 of our common stock. On January 20, 2020, we terminated the Stock Repurchase Agreement. As of December 31, 2019, we had purchased 17,477 shares common stock and held them as treasury stock at a cost of $39,942.

Item 6. Selected Financial Data.

Not applicable.

Item 7. Management Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our financial statements and the related notes and other financial information included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to historical information, this discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results may differ materially from those discussed below. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those identified below, and those discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for any future period, and results for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

Overview.

We design, manufacture and sell DC power generators, renewable energy and cooling systems for applications primarily in the telecommunications market and, to a lesser extent, in other markets, including military, electric vehicle charging, marine and industrial.

Within the telecommunications market, our DC power systems provide reliable and low-cost DC power to service applications that do not have access to the utility grid (i.e., prime power applications) or have critical power needs and cannot be without power in the event of utility grid failure (i.e., back-up power applications). Within this market, we offer the following three configurations of our DC power systems, with output power ranging from 5 kW to 32 kW:

Our DC power systems are available in diesel, natural gas, LPG / propane and renewable formats, with diesel, natural gas and propane gas being the predominate formats.  

During the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, 96% and 90%, respectively, of our total net sales were within the telecommunications market. In 2019, 91% of our total net sales were derived from our three largest customers, of which 68% were derived from AT&T, 17% from T-Mobile, and 6% from Verizon Wireless. In 2018, we had 85% of our total net sales derived from our three largest customers, of which 53% were derived from AT&T, 22% from T-Mobile, and 10% from Verizon Wireless. During those periods, the majority of our sales were of our DC base powers systems.

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a global pandemic, and, in the following weeks, many U.S. states and foreign countries issued lockdown orders negatively impacting the operations of our manufacturing facilities and customer demand for our products. Since then, the COVID-19 situation within the U.S. and foreign countries has rapidly escalated. The extent of the impact of COVID-19 on our operational and financial performance will depend on certain developments, including the duration and spread of the outbreak, the impact on our customers and our sales cycles, the impact on our customer, employee or industry events, and the effect on our vendors, all of which are uncertain and cannot be predicted. At this point, we are uncertain of the full magnitude that the pandemic may have on our financial condition, liquidity and future results of operations.

Critical Accounting Policies

Our financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that may have a significant impact on the portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis of making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates.

We believe that the following critical accounting policies, among others, affect our more significant judgment and estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements:

Revenue Recognition. The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with ASC 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), (ASC 606).  The underlying principle of ASC 606 is to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers at the amount expected to be collected.   ASC 606  creates a five-step model that requires entities to exercise judgment when considering the terms of contract(s), which includes (i) identifying the contract(s) or agreement(s) with a customer, (ii) identifying our performance obligations in the contract or agreement, (iii) determining the transaction price, (iv) allocating the transaction price to the separate performance obligations, and (v) recognizing revenue as each performance obligation is satisfied.  Under ASC 606, revenue is recognized when performance obligations under the terms of a contract are satisfied, which occurs for us upon shipment or delivery of products or services to our customers based on written sales terms, which is also when control is transferred.  Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration we expect to receive in exchange for transferring the products or services to a customer.

We determine whether delivery has occurred based on when title transfers and the risks and rewards of ownership have transferred to the customer, which usually occurs when we place the product with the customer’s carrier or deliver the product to a customer’s location. We regularly review our customers’ financial positions to ensure that collectability is reasonably assured.

Under ASC 606, revenue is recognized when performance obligations under the terms of a contract are satisfied, which occurs for the Company upon shipment or delivery of products or services to our customers based on written sales terms, which is also when control is transferred. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration we expect to receive in exchange for transferring the products or services to a customer.

Warranty Costs. We provide limited warranties for parts and labor at no cost to our customers within a specified time period after the sale. The warranty terms are typically from one to five years. The Company’s warranties are of an assurance-type and come standard with all Company product to cover repair or replacement should a product not perform as expected. The Company’s warranties are not a separate performance obligation and no transaction price is allocated to it. Provisions for estimated expenses related to product warranties are made at the time products are sold. These estimates are established using historical information about the nature, frequency and average cost of warranty claim settlements as well as product manufacturing and recovery from suppliers. Management actively studies trends of warranty claims and takes action to improve product quality and minimize warranty costs. We estimate the actual historical warranty claims coupled with an analysis of unfulfilled claims to record a liability for specific warranty purposes. Our product warranty obligations are included in other accrued liabilities in the balance sheets. As of December 31, 2019, and December 31, 2018, we had accrued a liability for warranty reserve of $375,000 and $175,000, respectively. Management believes that the warranty accrual is appropriate; however, actual claims incurred could differ from original estimates, requiring adjustments to the accrual. The Company does not provide any service warranties to its customers that require to be accounted for as a separate performance obligation.

Inventory. We write down our inventory for estimated obsolescence or unmarketable inventory equal to the difference between the cost of inventory and the estimated market value-based upon assumptions about future demand, future pricing and market conditions. If actual future demand, future pricing or market conditions are less favorable than those projected by management, additional inventory write-downs may be required and the differences could be material. Once established, write-downs are considered permanent adjustments to the cost basis of the obsolete or unmarketable inventories.

Stock-Based Compensation. The Company accounts for share-based awards to employees and nonemployees directors and consultants in accordance with the provisions of ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation., and under the recently issued guidance following FASB’s pronouncement, ASU 2018-07, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting. Under ASC 718, and applicable updates adopted, share-based awards are valued at fair value on the date of grant and that fair value is recognized over the requisite service, or vesting, period. The Company values its equity awards using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, and accounts for forfeitures when they occur.  Use of the Black-Scholes option pricing model requires the input of subjective assumptions including expected volatility, expected term, and a risk-free interest rate. The Company estimates volatility using a blend of its own historical stock price volatility as well as that of market comparable entities since the Company’s common stock has limited trading history and limited observable volatility of its own. The expected term of the options is estimated by using the Securities and Exchange Commission Staff Bulletin No. 107’s Simplified Method for Estimate Expected Term. The risk-free interest rate is estimated using comparable published federal funds rates.

Income Taxes. Our estimate of income taxes payable, deferred income taxes and the effective tax rate is based on an analysis of many factors including interpretations of federal and state income tax laws, the difference between tax and financial reporting bases of assets and liabilities, estimates of amounts currently due or owed in various jurisdictions, and current accounting standards. We review and update our estimates on a quarterly basis as facts and circumstances change and actual results are known. We recognize income taxes for the amount of taxes payable or refundable for the current year and deferred tax liabilities and assets are recognized for the future tax consequences of transactions that have been recognized in our financial statements or tax returns. A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not that some portion or the entire deferred tax asset will not be realized.

Effects of Inflation

The impact of inflation and changing prices has not been significant on the financial condition or results of operations of our company.

Impact of Recent Accounting Pronouncements

See “Note 1 – Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Recent Accounting Pronouncements” of the Notes to Financial Statements commencing on page F-7 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for management’s discussion as to the impact of recent accounting pronouncements.

Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012

On April 5, 2012, the JOBS Act was enacted. Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this extended transition period and, as a result, we will adopt new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for other public companies.

We are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on other exemptions and reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, if as an “emerging growth company” we choose to rely on such exemptions, we may not be required to, among other things, (i) provide an auditor’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404, (ii) provide all of the compensation disclosure that may be required of non-emerging growth public companies under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, (iii) comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis), and (iv) disclose certain executive compensation-related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the Chief Executive Officer’s compensation to median employee compensation. These exemptions will apply until we no longer meet the requirements of being an “emerging growth company.” We will remain an “emerging growth company” until the earliest of (i) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenues of $1 billion or more; (ii) the last day of our fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the completion of this offering; (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1.07 billion in nonconvertible debt during the previous three years; or (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer under the rules of the SEC.

Financial Performance Summary – Year Ended December 31, 2019

During 2019, we experienced mixed results. We had significant growth during the first three quarters of the year with 96% of our annual revenues derived from this period. The overall increase in revenues during 2019 as compared to 2018 is a direct result of increased sales of our DC power systems to U.S. Tier-1 telecommunications customers during the first three quarters of the year. Our revenues for the year ended December 31, 2019 were $24,801,141, compared to $24,046,354 for the year ended December 31, 2018. We reported a net loss of $4,044,751 for 2019, as compared to net loss of $848,252 for 2018.

During the fourth quarter of 2019, and continuing into the first quarter of 2020, we experienced a decline in revenues, with product orders and shipments being postponed to the latter part of 2020. We believe these product order and shipment delays are temporary and are a result of a combination of factors including, among others, the transition from 3G and 4G to 5G networks in the U.S. markets by all major Tier-1 wireless providers resulting in a slowdown in sales of our backup generators. We believe that our wireless customers are focusing their financial resources into deployment of their 5G networks rather than on back-up power solutions, especially because of delays experienced by network providers in determining the future power requirements for macro cells sites connected to hundreds of small cells in a 5G network. In addition, we have observed a trend where Tier-1 network operators are divesting their tower assets to invest capital into the acquisition of spectrum.

Our backlog as of December 31, 2019 was approximately $4.0 million, with 75% of that amount being attributable to U.S. Tier-1 telecommunications customers, 16% to telecommunications customers overseas, 2% to military customers, and 7% to other customers.

We anticipate that the majority of our future sales during the next twelve months will be comprised of DC power systems for applications within the mobile telecommunications tower market in the U.S. and international markets as we continue to expand our sales infrastructure in these markets.

Results of Operations

The tables presented below, which compare our results of operations from one period to another, present the results for each period, the change in those results from one period to another in both dollars and percentage change, and the results for each period as a percentage of net revenues. The columns present the following:

Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2019 and 2018

Net Sales. Net sales increased by $754,787, or 3%, to $24,801,141 for the year ended December 31, 2019, as compared to $24,046,354 for the year ended December 31, 2018. The increase was primarily due to an increase in sales of our DC power systems to U.S. Tier-1 telecommunications customers. U.S. telecommunications customers accounted for 95% of our total net sales during 2019, as compared to 90% of total net sales in 2018.

Although we experienced an overall increase in net sales during 2019, net sales for the fourth quarter of 2019 were only $878,490. This represents an 87% decrease in net sales as compared to our third quarter of 2019. In addition, we experienced a decline in revenues during the first quarter of 2020. We believe this recent decline in revenues is a result of a combination of factors including, among others, a temporary shift by our U.S. Tier-1 telecommunications customers in budget allocation toward for mergers and acquisitions and the deployment of their 5G networks rather than purchasing back-up power generators. We also believe that many of our major customers have held off purchasing our products as they continue to evaluate the impact of 5G on their future power requirements and attempt to define the correct power output for future 5G sites. Although we expect that sales will improve in the upcoming quarters once our customers define their power needs for their 5G systems and the U.S. economy recovers from the COVID-19 crises, we are not able to estimate the full effects that the pandemic may have on our ability generate improved revenues during the remainder of 2019 and perhaps beyond.

Our revenue from telecommunications customers accounted for 96% and 90% of total net sales during 2019, and 2018, respectively. Our three largest customers are U.S. Tier-1 telecommunications providers. AT&T represented 68% of total net sales for 2019, T-Mobile 17%, and Verizon Wireless 6%, as compared to 53%, 22%, and 10%, respectively, of our total net sales for 2018.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales increased by $3,267,168, or 20%, to $19,881,742 during 2019, compared to $16,614,574 during 2018. Cost of sales as a percentage of net sales increased from 69.1% in 2018 to 80.2% in 2019 as a result of an increase in factory overhead absorption primarily during the fourth quarter of 2019. The increase in factory overhead absorption during 2019 is primarily attributed to additional facilities and staff added during the ramp up period during the first half of 2019 to meet customer demand and improve plant capacity.

Gross Profit. Our gross profit during 2019 decreased by $2,512,381 to $4,919,399, as compared to $7,431,780 during 2018. Gross profit as a percentage of net sales decreased to 19.8% in 2019, as compared to 30.9% in 2018. The decrease in gross profit as a percentage of net sales during 2019 was primarily due a combination of sales discounts offered for large volume orders from Tier-1 customers and an increase in factory overhead absorption primarily during the fourth quarter of 2019.

Sales and Marketing Expenses. Sales and marketing expenses increased $41,450 to $2,620,907 during 2019, as compared to $2,579,457 during 2018. We continue to market our DC power systems to key telecommunications customers globally.

Research and Development Expenses. During 2019, research and development expenses increased by $367,926 to $2,275,736, as compared to $1,907,810 during 2018. The increase was primarily due to increased investments in several research and development projects, including our new LPG / propane and natural gas line of generators and solar hybrid power systems. The increase in costs also reflects direct labor costs associated with manufacturing of prototypes, tooling and associated certification cost. During 2020, we plan to continue investing in research and development, as we introduce new products as part of our strategy to diversify our product lines.

 General and Administrative Expenses. Our general and administrative expenses decreased by $39,068, to $4,004,233 during 2019, as compared to $4,043,301 during 2018. The decrease was primarily due to a reduction in employee recruiting cost coupled with a slight reduction of administrative support personnel during the second half of 2019. We anticipate our general and administrative costs to remain flat during 2020.

Interest and Finance Costs. During 2019, our interest expense was $103,335, as compared to $20,170 during 2018, an increase of $83,165. Our interest expense included approximately $51,589 in fees in connection with selling $13,228,765 of receivables to Citibank under our Supplier Agreement. Another $51,746 is primarily attributable to interest paid for financing of production equipment.

Other Income (Expense), Net. During 2019, our interest income was $40,061, as compared to $55,706 during 2018, a decrease of $15,645. Our interest income is primarily derived from liquid interest-bearing bank accounts.

Income Tax Benefit. In 2019, the Company did not recognize any benefit from income taxes as carry back claims of income taxes were applied. During 2018, we recognized a benefit from income taxes of $215,000 attributable to refundable federal and state income taxes.

Net Loss. As a result of the factors identified above, we generated a net loss of $4,044,751 for 2019, as compared to net loss of $848,252 for 2018, an increase loss of $3,196,499. A significant portion of the increase in net loss can be attributed to the results of our fourth quarter of 2019 which included a decrease in shipments of our DC power systems and an increase in factory overhead absorption.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Sources of Liquidity

During the year ended December 31, 2019, we funded our operations primarily from cash on hand and sales of receivables under our Supplier Agreement with Citibank. These funds were also used to make capital expenditures and to increase inventory to support higher levels of production. As of December 31, 2019, we had working capital of $16,432,898, as compared to working capital of $21,089,802 at December 31, 2018. This $4,656,904 decrease in working capital is primarily attributable to our ability to collect on accounts receivable in a shorter period of time as a result of our Supplier Agreement with Citibank, N.A. and using such funds to increase our inventory levels. During the year ended December 31, 2019, we sold $13,228,765 of receivables to Citibank under our Supplier Agreement, and incurred fees of approximately $51,589 in connection with such sales.

On December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, our trade receivables totaled $933,830 and $7,726,919, respectively. In 2019, $651,770 (70%) and $183,283 (20%) represented customer account balances of our two largest customers, as compared to $3,457,433 (45%) and $3,220,907 (42%) represented customer account balances of our two largest customers in 2018.

Our available capital resources on December 31, 2019 consisted primarily of $2,840,117 in cash and cash equivalents. We expect our future capital resources will consist primarily of cash on hand, cash generated by operations, if any, and future debt or equity financings, if any. In light of the COVID-19 crisis, the U.S. Department of the Treasury enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or the CARES Act, to provide emergency assistance and health care response for individuals, families, and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 4, 2020, we entered into a loan agreement with Citibank, N.A. in the amount of $1,714,989 through the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP. In April 2020, we also applied for a loan offered through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, or EIDL, program which, if approved, will offer up to $2.0 million dollars. Loans through the EIDL program have up to a 30-year term at an annual interest rate of 3.75%. As of March 20, 2020, 65% of our U.S. labor force is in furlough status and the rest of our employees continue to support sales and essential business operations. We believe these programs will supplement our current and future available capital resources.

Credit Facility

On March 21, 2017, we entered into a Credit Agreement and related documents with Citibank, N.A. for a revolving credit facility for an aggregate amount of up to $1,000,000. On March 20, 2019, we terminated the credit facility and transferred the $1,000,000 secured by a Certificate of Deposit to our liquid cash account. As of March 20, 2019, we had not borrowed any funds under the credit facility.

Supplier Agreement

Effective June 4, 2019, we entered into a Supplier Agreement with Citibank, N.A. Under the terms of the Supplier Agreement, we may from time to time offer to sell to Citibank, without recourse, certain of our accounts receivable relating to invoiced sales made to AT&T. Once AT&T approves the invoice, AT&T sends payment instructions to Citibank. The sale price is equal to the face amount of the receivable less the applicable discount charge calculated by multiplying the face amount of the receivable by (i) the annual discount rate (which is equal to the 90-day London Inter-bank Offered Rate plus 1.00%) and (ii) the discount acceptance period (which is equal the number of days in the payment terms less the number of days necessary to approve the invoice) divided by 360.

Citibank may change the pricing terms at any time in its sole discretion upon at least thirty days prior written notice to us. In addition, either party may terminate the Supplier Agreement upon thirty business days prior written notice to the other party, provided that either party may terminate the agreement upon five business days prior written notice if the other party is in breach of, or fails to perform any of, its material obligations under the Supplier Agreement. During the year ended December 31, 2019, we sold $13,228,765 of receivables to Citibank under our Supplier Agreement, and incurred fees of approximately $51,589 in connection with such sales.

Future Capital Requirements – Going Concern

Our independent registered public accounting firm indicated in its report on our audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 that there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. A “going concern” opinion indicates that the financial statements have been prepared assuming we will continue as a going concern and do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets, or the amounts and classification of liabilities that may result if we do not continue as a going concern. We estimate that the current funds on hand will be sufficient to continue operations through approximately September 30, 2020. Our continuation as a going concern is dependent upon our ability to obtain necessary debt or equity financing to continue operations until sales increase and we begin generating positive cash flow. No assurance can be given that any future financing will be available or, if available, that it will be on terms that are satisfactory to us. Even if we are able to obtain additional financing, such financing may contain undue restrictions on our operations, in the case of debt financing or cause substantial dilution for our stockholders, in the case of equity financing. We continue to review operations in order to identify additional strategies designed to generate cash flow, improve our financial position, and enable the timely discharge of our obligations.  If we are unable to identify sources of additional cash flow in the short term, we may be required to further reduce or limit operations.

Cash Flow

The following table sets forth the significant sources and uses of cash for the periods set forth below: 

Operating Activities

Net cash used in operating activities for 2019 was $2,166,684, as compared to net cash used in operating activities of $7,847,693 for 2018. This decreased use of net cash in 2019 was primarily due to a net loss of $4,044,751, a decrease in accounts receivable of $6,793,089 as a result of selling the majority of our receivables to Citibank under our Supplier Agreement, an increase in inventories of $5,710,431, and an increase in prepayments to suppliers of $910,035 for engines for our new product line of LPG generators.

Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities for 2019 totaled $338,190, as compared to $574,990 for 2018, a decrease of $236,800. The net cash used in investing activities in 2019 was attributable to acquisitions of new manufacturing equipment.

Financing Activities

Net cash used in financing activities totaled $295,087 for 2019, as compared to net cash used in financing activities of $138,402 during 2018, an increase of $156,685. This increase was primarily due to additional monthly payments for the new equipment financing in 2019.

Backlog

As of December 31, 2019, we had a backlog of $4.0 million. The amount of backlog represents revenue that we anticipate recognizing in the future, as evidenced by purchase orders and other purchase commitments received from customers, but on which work has not yet been initiated or with respect to which work is currently in progress. Our backlog consists of 75% in purchases of our DC power systems by U.S. telecommunications customers, 16% in purchases by telecommunications customers overseas, 2% in purchases from military contractors, and 7% from miscellaneous customers. We believe the majority of the backlog will be shipped within the next six months. However, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in fulfilling such orders and commitments in a timely manner or that we will ultimately recognize as revenue the amounts reflected in our backlog.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Reference is made to the financial statements, which begin at page F-1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Finance Disclosure.

None.

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, evaluated, as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act). Based on that evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that as of December 31, 2019, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level. Management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and our management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Our internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our assets; (ii) provide reasonable assurance transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, (b) our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors; and (c) regarding the prevention or timely detection of the unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of assets that could have a material effect on our financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

As of December 31, 2019, our management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting using the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013). Based on this evaluation, our management concluded that, as of December 31, 2019, our internal control over financial reporting was effective.

This Annual Report on Form 10-K does not include an attestation report of our registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by our registered public accounting firm pursuant to rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission that permit us to provide only management’s report in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by Rule 13a-15(d) and 15d-15(d) of the Exchange Act that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2019 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Item 9B. Other Information

None.

PART III

Item 10.  Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.

Executive Officers and Directors

The following table sets forth the names, ages and positions of our executive officer and directors as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Executive Officers and Employee Director

Arthur D. Sams has served as our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our board of directors since August 1991 and as our Secretary since October 2016. Under his leadership, we have grown to be a leading brand name in the design and manufacturing of DC power systems for the telecommunications, military, automotive, marine and industrial markets. He specializes in the design of thermodynamics and power generation systems. During his early career, he gained vast industry experience while working as a machinist, engineer, project manager, chief technical officer and consultant for various Fortune 500 companies and the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Energy. Mr. Sams studied at California State Polytechnic University Pomona and the University California at Irvine with a dual major in biology and engineering.

In nominating Mr. Sams, our board of directors considered his diverse and global experience in engineering and manufacturing combined with a successful entrepreneurial career as a key attribute in his selection. The board of directors believes that through his experience in product development and international operations over the past two decades he can provide our company with particular insight into global opportunities and new markets for our current and planned future product lines.

Rajesh Masina has served as our Chief Operating Officer since April 2018 and previously served as our Vice President Operations from August 2009 to April 2018. Prior to joining us, Mr. Masina served as a supply chain consultant to International Game Technology, a large gaming equipment company in Reno, Nevada, from December 2008 to June 2009. Mr. Masina worked as the Assistant Manager for Applied Photonics Worldwide Inc., an engineering services company, from January 2006 to January 2008. From July 2001 to May 2003, Mr. Masina worked as the Business Development Manager in his family business, which provided consulting services to a regional telecommunications provider in India with respect to the acquisition of telecommunications sites. We believe Mr. Masina has a unique combination of technical and business knowledge that is vital to our growth strategy. Mr. Masina’s key strengths include business analytics, supply chain management, make vs. buy decision making, production scheduling, client relations, and strategic planning. Mr. Masina is a minority investor in a startup equipment rental company, Smartgen Solutions, Inc., serving the Southern California telecommunications equipment market. Smartgen Solutions, Inc. provides installation and maintenance service for various telecommunications tower companies and also is an authorized service dealer for Polar products. Mr. Masina has a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from the University of Nevada Reno and an MBA from the University of Nevada Reno’s Supply Chain Program.

Luis Zavala has served as our Chief Financial Officer since April 2018 and previously served as our Vice President Finance from August 2009 to April 2018 and as our Acting Chief Financial Officer from March 2016 to March 2018. Prior to that, Mr. Zavala served as the President of Sky Limited Enterprises, a general contractor, from June 2006 to August 2009. Prior thereto, Mr. Zavala worked as Director of Finance for Legacy Long Distance International, a telecommunications operator service provider company, from March 2001 to May 2006. Mr. Zavala also has over 20 years of experience managing accounting and finance departments in various industries, including banking and telecommunications. Mr. Zavala has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the California State University, Northridge and an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management, Long Beach.

Non-Employee Directors

Keith Albrecht has served as a member of our board of directors since May 2016 and serves as a member of each of our Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Mr. Albrecht has extensive experience as a commercial real estate appraiser for commercial banks and local governments. Mr. Albrecht was an appraiser for commercial buildings for the County of Orange, California, from 1996 to 2007, where he was responsible for the assessment of property values of shopping malls, office buildings, hotels and apartment buildings. Prior thereto, Mr. Albrecht was an appraiser for Security Pacific and Bank of America, from 1985 to 1996. Mr. Albrecht is currently retired and invests in startups and small cap companies. In nominating Mr. Albrecht, our board of directors considered his commercial real estate appraisal experience, which our board of directors believes gives him particular insight into analysis of income statements and balance sheets, debt analysis and audits of large commercial institutions.

Matthew Goldman has served as a member of our board of directors since August 2014 and serves as a member of each of our Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Mr. Goldman is the co-founder of High Tide Capital, a global macro hedge fund manager in the process of launching its first investment product, and has been its Fund Manager since February 2015. Prior thereto, Mr. Goldman founded Polaris Capital, LLC, a private equity and investment business engaged in investing and advisory services for startup and small cap companies in 2010. Mr. Goldman currently serves on the board of directors and/or advisory boards of two privately-held Polaris portfolio companies. Mr. Goldman began his career in 2006 at Blackrock, a financial planning and investment management firm, where he worked in the financial modeling group as a programmer, developing proprietary bond calculation engine. Mr. Goldman holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering and computer science, with a minor in psychology, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In nominating Mr. Goldman, our board of directors considered his private equity and hedge fund experience, which our board of directors believes gives him particular insight into investments in, and the development of, early stage companies, as well as his high level of financial literacy and expertise regarding mergers, acquisitions, investments and other strategic transactions.

Peter Gross has served as a member of our board of directors since December 2018 and serves as a member of our Audit Committee. Since 2012, Mr. Gross has served as the Vice President Mission Critical Systems at Bloom Energy, a fuel cell power systems company located in Sunnyvale, California. Mr. Gross holds a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest and an MBA from California State University at Dominguez Hills. Mr. Gross is also a member of the Advisory Board of UCLA’s Institute of Environment and Sustainability and a member of Southern Methodist University’s Data Center System Engineering Board of Advisors. In nominating Mr. Gross, our board of directors considered his significant engineering experience in the power systems industry, especially for data center and telecommunications applications. Our board of directors believes that Mr. Gross will provide critical leadership as we expand our DC power systems within the data and military markets.

Katherine Koster has served as a member of our board of directors since December 2019 and has served as a member of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee since her election to the board of directors. Since 2008, Ms. Koster has served as Managing Director – Public Finance at Piper Sandler Companies where she assists municipalities in accessing the capital markets to fund critical infrastructure. Ms. Koster holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theater/Business Administration from Pepperdine University and has completed the “Women in Governance: Preparing for Board Membership” corporate governance program at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Ms. Koster holds Series 7 and Series 24 licenses issued by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Series 50 and Series 53 licenses issued by the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board and a Series 63 certificate issued by the North American Securities Administrators Association. Our board of directors believes that Ms. Koster’s investment banking experience with Piper Sander Companies and her high level of financial literacy and expertise and experience in capital raising activities will provide strategic insight to financial decisions for future Company initiatives.

Election of Officers; Family Relationships

Our executive officers are appointed by, and serve at the discretion of, our board of directors. There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.

Board Composition

Our board of directors currently consists of five members: Arthur D. Sams, Matthew Goldman, Keith Albrecht, Peter Gross, and Katherine Koster. Our directors hold office until their successors have been elected and qualified or until the earlier of their resignation or removal.

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the board of directors. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws also provide that any vacancy on our board of directors, including a vacancy resulting from an expansion of our board of directors, may be filled only by vote of a majority of our directors then in office, although less than a quorum or by a sole remaining director.

We recognize the value of diversity on the board of directors. Currently, however, all members of the board of directors are male. Although our priority in selection of board members is identification of members who will further the interests of our stockholders through his or her established record of professional accomplishment, the ability to contribute positively to the collaborative culture among board members, knowledge of our business and understanding of the competitive landscape, we are currently focusing on female candidates in order to meet the requirements of California SB 826. SB 826 requires public companies headquartered in California to maintain minimum female representation on their boards of directors as follows: by the end of 2019, at least one woman on its board, by the end of 2020, public company boards with five members will be required to have at least two female directors, and public company boards with six or more members will be required to have at least three female directors.

Independence of our Board of Directors and Board Committees

Rule 5605 of the Nasdaq Listing Rules requires a majority of a listed company’s board of directors to be comprised of “independent directors,” as defined in such rule, subject to specified exceptions. In addition, the Nasdaq Listing Rules require that, subject to specified exceptions: each member of a listed company’s audit, compensation and nominating committees be independent as defined under the Nasdaq Listing Rules; audit committee members also satisfy independence criteria set forth in Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act; and compensation committee members also satisfy an additional independence test for compensation committee members under the Nasdaq Listing Rules.

Our board of directors has evaluated the independence of its members based upon the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market and the SEC. Applying these standards, our board of directors determined that none of the directors, other than Mr. Sams, have a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director and that each of those directors is “independent” as that term is defined under Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. Mr. Sams is not considered independent because he is an officer of Polar. As such, a majority of our board of directors is comprised of “independent directors” as defined under the Nasdaq Listing Rules.

Controlled Company Exemption

Mr. Sams, our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, controls a majority of our common stock. As a result, we are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. Under these rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power for the election of directors is held by an individual, a group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain Nasdaq corporate governance requirements. We do not currently intend to rely on those exemptions afforded to a “controlled company;” nonetheless, we could potentially seek to rely on certain of those exemptions afforded to a “controlled company” in the future. See “Risk Factors–We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. Although we do not currently intend to rely on the exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements afforded to a “controlled company” under the Nasdaq Listing Rules, we could potentially seek to rely on such exemptions in the future.”

Board Committees

Our board of directors has established standing committees in connection with the discharge of its responsibilities. These committees include an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee and a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The composition and responsibilities of each committee are described below. Members serve on committees until their resignation or until otherwise determined by our board of directors. Each of these committees has adopted a written charter that satisfies the applicable standards of the SEC and the Nasdaq Listing Rules, which we have posted on the investor relations section of our website.

Audit Committee

The members of our Audit Committee are Messrs. Goldman, Albrecht and Gross. Mr. Albrecht is the chair of the Audit Committee. Each member of the Audit Committee satisfies the heightened audit committee independence requirements under the Nasdaq Listing Rules and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act. In addition, our board of directors has determined that Mr. Albrecht qualifies as an audit committee financial expert, as that term is defined under SEC rules, and possesses the requisite financial sophistication, as defined under the Nasdaq Listing Rules. Our Audit Committee assists our board of directors in its oversight of our accounting and financial reporting process and the audits of our financial statements. Under its charter, our Audit Committee is responsible for, among other things:

Compensation Committee

The members of our Compensation Committee are Messrs. Goldman and Mr. Albrecht. Mr. Goldman is the chair of the Compensation Committee. Each member of our Compensation Committee is independent as defined under the Nasdaq Listing Rules and satisfies Nasdaq’s additional independence standards for compensation committee members. Messrs. Goldman and Albrecht are non-employee directors within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and outside directors as defined by Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our Compensation Committee assists our board of directors in the discharge of its responsibilities relating to the compensation of our executive officers. Under its charter, our Compensation Committee is responsible for, among other things:

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

The members of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are Messrs. Goldman and Albrecht and Ms. Koster. Mr. Goldman is the chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Each member of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is independent as defined under the Nasdaq Listing Rules. Under its charter, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for, among other things:

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

Since July 2016, all officer compensation and bonuses for executive officers has been determined by our Compensation Committee which is comprised of two independent directors.

None of our executive officers serves, or in the past has served, as a member of the board of directors or Compensation Committee, or other committee serving an equivalent function, of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving as members of our board of directors or our Compensation Committee. None of the members of our Compensation Committee is or has been an officer or employee of Polar.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

We have adopted a written code of business conduct and ethics that applies to our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. A copy of the code is available on the investor relations section of our website, which is located at https://polarpower.com/. If we make any substantive amendments to, or grant any waivers from, the code of business conduct and ethics for any officer or director, we will disclose the nature of such amendment or waiver on our website or in a current report on Form 8-K.

Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our executive officers and directors, and persons who beneficially own more than 10% of a registered class of our common stock, to file initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These officers, directors and stockholders are required by Securities and Exchange Commission regulations to furnish us with copies of all reports that they file.

Based solely upon a review of copies of the reports furnished to us during the year ended December 31, 2019 and thereafter, or any written representations received by us from directors, officers and beneficial owners of more than 10% of our common stock (“reporting persons”) that no other reports were required, except as set forth below, we believe that all reporting persons filed on a timely basis all reports required by Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act during the year ended December 31, 2019 or prior fiscal years.

Arthur D. Sams did not timely file one Form 4 to report the cancellation of unvested stock options to purchase 100,000 shares of our common stock. Rajesh Masina did not timely file one Form 4 to report the cancellation of unvested stock options to purchase 60,000 shares of our common stock. Luis Zavala did not timely file one Form 4 to report the cancellation of unvested stock options to purchase 60,000 shares of our common stock. Messrs. Sams, Masina and Zavala have prepared and subsequently filed their required Forms 5 to report their transactions that should have been previously reported on Forms 4 during the year ended December 31, 2019 but were not. The Forms 5 were not timely filed.

Item 11. Executive Compensation.

For 2019, compensation of our executive officers was comprised of base salary, non-equity incentives in the form of cash bonuses, and long-term equity incentives. The cash bonus amounts paid to our executive officers during 2019, as set forth below in “– Summary Compensation Table,” were approved by our Compensation Committee and were based on a variety of factors regarding our performance during 2019.

For 2019, our Compensation Committee established an executive compensation plan for our President and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, whom we refer to collectively as our “executive officers,” that is intended to achieve the following objectives:

Compensation Philosophy

Our compensation philosophy and objectives are as follows:

Our Compensation Committee seeks to make executive compensation decisions that embody this philosophy and that are directed towards attaining these objectives.

In implementing our compensation philosophy and objectives, our Compensation Committee reviews and analyzes each executive position, including the importance and scope of the role and how the position compares to other Polar Power executive officers. With respect to setting base salaries, our Compensation Committee also compares these positions to similar positions at a number of publicly traded companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq that are engaged in the power manufacturing and design industry.

We believe that structuring our executive officer compensation program to align the interests of our executive officers with our interests and those of our stockholders, and properly incenting our executive officers to attain our short- and long-term business goals, best serves the interests of our stockholders and creates stockholder value. We believe this occurs through motivating our executive officers to attain our short- and long-term business goals and retaining these executive officers by providing compensation opportunities that are competitive in the marketplace. 

Compensation Governance Practices

Listed below are some key examples of our compensation governance practices that are intended to align the interests of our executive officers with our stockholders, incent the attainment of short- and long-term business objectives and retain highly qualified executive officers:

Role of our Compensation Committee

Our Compensation Committee, with input from our management and one or more independent compensation consultants, establishes, updates and administers our executive compensation program. Our Compensation Committee establishes our compensation philosophy and objectives; oversees the design and administration of our executive compensation program; establishes the elements and mix of total compensation; sets the parameters and specific target metrics of our performance-based incentive compensation plan; and determines the target compensation of our executive officers. Our Compensation Committee has the authority to retain independent counsel, advisors and other experts to assist it in the compensation-setting process and receives adequate funding to engage those service providers.

Role of Management

Our Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers attend Compensation Committee meetings as requested by the Compensation Committee. These individuals are not present during executive sessions of Compensation Committee meetings except at the invitation of the Compensation Committee.

Comparable Company Analysis

Our Compensation Committee sets base salary compensation of our executive officers using compensation market data as a reference to assist it in understanding the competitive pay positioning of total compensation and each element of compensation. For 2019, the target for base salary compensation for our executive officers was based on data collected from our peer group of companies. The peer group of companies selected and used for compensation comparisons is comprised of Nasdaq or NYSE traded power manufacturing and design companies with revenues below $100 million. The overall composition of the peer group reflects companies of similar complexity and size to us. As such, we believe that these peer group of companies are reflective of our market for executive talent. Set forth below is the list of the peer group of companies for 2019:

The Compensation Committee reviews the appropriateness of the comparison group used for assessing the compensation of our executive officers on an annual basis. The data used from our peer group was collected directly from filings made by the peer group of companies with the SEC.

Elements of Total Compensation

During 2019, our executive officers’ compensation program included three major elements:

Base Salary

Our Compensation Committee reviews the base salary levels for our executive officers annually and makes such adjustments as it deems appropriate after taking into account the officer’s level and scope of responsibility and experience, company and individual performance, competitive market data, and internal pay equity considerations.

Outlined below is the base salary data of the peer group of companies outlined above. For 2019, the Compensation Committee eliminated the highest and lowest base salary data to avoid skewing the results (e.g., in one case, the subject company paid a very low base salary while awarding very high equity awards). The remaining amounts were then tabulated to provide the average base salary for the executive officers in the peer group of companies. In reviewing the personal performance of each of our executive officers during 2018 and the average base salaries paid by our peer group of companies, the Compensation Committee concluded that the base salaries of our executive officers during 2019 remain same as base salaries in 2018, however, the Compensation Committee concluded that a pay for performance incentive program be used to reward executive officers performance.

The Compensation Committee determined on April 2, 2018 that, commencing April 1, 2018, the base salary of our President and Chief Executive officer be set at approximately 70% of the average base salaries of the peer group of companies and that the base salaries for our Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Operating Officer be set at approximately 60% of the average base salaries of the peer group of companies, all of which is reflected in the table set forth below:

Non-Equity Incentives

Annual non-equity incentive compensation for our executive officers consists of cash awards. Participants are eligible for annual cash incentive compensation based upon our attainment of pre-established financial and business performance goals. The Compensation Committee believes that these goals will best incent our executive officers to attain our short- and long-term financial and other business goals.

For 2019, the Compensation Committee determined that each executive officer could earn up to 100% of such executive officer’s base salary based upon the attainment by the Company of the seven financial and other business performance goals set forth below. The minimum and maximum payout for each performance goal (measured as a percentage of base salary) are set forth immediately below. The specific pre-established performance goals are set forth in the table following the table set forth immediately below. Participants are eligible to receive awards at each level of participation (i.e., Minimum Level, Target Level and Maximum Level) to the extent Polar Power achieves such level. In the event our performance falls short of a specific performance level, participants will not be eligible to receive an award at that level. In addition, executive officers had to achieve a minimum of two performance elements in order to qualify for an award in the level. For example, if at conclusion of the year the total revenues are $36 million and none of the additional elements qualified, then executive officer would not be eligible for a performance award of 25% as outlined in the table below.

Long-term Equity Incentives

Long-term equity incentive compensation for our executive officers, generally consists of awards of stock options under our 2016 Plan. We believe that these equity awards offer a balanced and competitive equity compensation arrangement for our executive officers.

The Compensation Committee approves equity awards for our executive officers in connection with the annual review of their individual performance and overall compensation. The annual awards are typically made near the end of the first quarter of the following year. Each award is designed primarily as a retention tool, typically requiring the executive to remain with Polar Power for at least one year to receive the benefit of one-third of the award on partial vesting and at least three years to receive the full benefit of the award on full vesting. We believe our equity incentive compensation aligns the interests of our executive officers with those of our stockholders and provides each executive officer with a significant incentive to manage Polar Power from the perspective of an owner with an equity stake in the business by tying significant portions of the recipients’ compensation to the market price of our common stock.

In making long-term equity incentive awards, our Compensation Committee sets a target value for the award for each executive officer based on its judgment about the factors used in setting executive officer total compensation described under “Compensation Philosophy” above as well as our Compensation Committee’s judgment regarding the desired mix of base salary, annual non-equity incentives and long-term equity incentives. Our Compensation Committee also considers outstanding vested and unvested equity awards to executive officers, the stock ownership levels of executive officers and the potential dilutive effect on our stockholders.

On October 1, 2019, Messrs. Sams, Masina and Zavala cancelled unvested stock options to purchase up to 100,000, 60,000 and 60,000 shares of our common stock, respectively.

Summary Compensation Table

The table and discussion below present compensation information for our following executive officers, which we refer to as our “named executive officers”:

Employment Agreements

Arthur D. Sams

Our Amended and Restated Executive Employment Agreement with Arthur D. Sams, dated as of July 8, 2016, provides for at-will employment of Mr. Sams as our President and Chief Executive Officer, at an annual base salary of $200,000. On April 2, 2018, we increased Mr. Sams’ annual base salary to $275,000 effective as of April 1, 2018. Mr. Sams is eligible to receive an annual discretionary cash bonus to be paid based upon performance criteria set by our Compensation Committee, as more fully described above, and is eligible to participate in all of our employee benefit programs including our 2016 Plan.

Upon termination by Polar without cause or resignation by Mr. Sams for good reason, Mr. Sams is entitled to receive (i) a lump sum cash payment equal to 200% of his then-current base salary, (ii) a lump sum cash payment equal to 200% of the amount of average incentive bonus paid to Mr. Sams during the two calendar years preceding the termination, and (iii) continued health insurance coverage for eighteen months. If Mr. Sams is terminated without cause or resigns for good reason within three months before or twelve months after a change in control, Mr. Sams is entitled to (a) a lump sum cash payment equal to 200% of his then-current base salary, (b) a lump sum cash payment equal to 200% of the amount of average incentive bonus paid to Mr. Sams during the two calendar years preceding the termination, and (c) continued health insurance coverage for eighteen months. If Mr. Sams becomes disabled, Mr. Sams is entitled to receive a lump sum cash payment equal to 100% of his then-current base salary and continued health coverage for twelve months.

The term “for good reason” is defined in the Amended and Restated Executive Employment Agreement as (i) the assignment to Mr. Sams of any duties or responsibilities that result in the material diminution of Mr. Sams’ authority, duties or responsibility, (ii) a material reduction by Polar in Mr. Sams’ annual base salary, except to the extent the base salaries of all other executive officers of Polar are accordingly reduced, (iii) a relocation of Mr. Sams’ place of work, or Polar’s principal executive offices if Mr. Sams’ principal office is at these offices, to a location that increases Mr. Sams’ daily one-way commute by more than fifty miles, or (iv) any material breach by Polar of any material provision of the Amended and Restated Executive Employment Agreement.

The term “cause” is defined in the Amended and Restated Executive Employment Agreement as (i) Mr. Sams’ indictment or conviction of any felony or of any crime involving dishonesty, (ii) Mr. Sams’ participation in any fraud or other act of willful misconduct against Polar, (iii) Mr. Sams’ refusal to comply with any lawful directive of Polar, (iv) Mr. Sams’ material breach of his fiduciary, statutory, contractual, or common law duties to Polar, or (v) conduct by Mr. Sams which, in the good faith and reasonable determination of our board of directors, demonstrates gross unfitness to serve; provided, however, that in the event that any of the foregoing events is reasonably capable of being cured, Polar shall, within twenty days after the discovery of the event, provide written notice to Mr. Sams describing the nature of the event and Mr. Sams shall thereafter have ten business days to cure the event.

A “change in control” of Polar is deemed to have occurred if, in a single transaction or series of related transactions (i) any person (as the term is used in Section 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act), or persons acting as a group, other than a trustee or fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit program, is or becomes a “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly of securities of Polar representing a majority of the combined voting power of Polar, (ii) there is a merger, consolidation or other business combination transaction of Polar with or into another corporation, entity or person, other than a transaction in which the holders of at least a majority of the shares of voting capital stock of Polar outstanding immediately prior to the transaction continue to hold (either by the shares remaining outstanding or by their being converted into shares of voting capital stock of the surviving entity) a majority of the total voting power represented by the shares of voting capital stock of Polar (or the surviving entity) outstanding immediately after the transaction, or (iii) all or substantially all of our assets are sold.

Rajesh Masina

Our Executive Employment Agreement with Rajesh Masina, dated as of July 8, 2016, provides for at-will employment as our Vice President Operations at an annual base salary is $120,000. On April 2, 2018, we appointed Mr. Masina as our Chief Operating Officer and increased his annual base salary to $175,000 effective as of April 1, 2018. Mr. Masina is eligible to receive an annual discretionary cash bonus to be paid based upon performance criteria set by our Compensation Committee, as more fully described above, and is eligible to participate in all of our employee benefit programs including our 2016 Plan.

Upon termination by Polar without cause, resignation by Mr. Masina for good reason or upon Mr. Masina’s disability, Mr. Masina is entitled to receive (i) a lump sum cash payment equal to 50% of his then-current base salary, and (ii) continued health insurance coverage for six months. If Mr. Masina is terminated without cause or resigns for good reason within three months before or twelve months after a change in control, Mr. Masina is entitled to (a) a lump sum cash payment equal to 50% of his then-current base salary, and (b) continued health insurance coverage for six months.

The terms “for good reason,” “cause” and “change in control in Mr. Masina’s Executive Employment Agreement are identical to the definitions contained in Mr. Sams’ Amended and Restated Executive Employment Agreement.

Luis Zavala

Our Executive Employment Agreement with Luis Zavala, dated as of July 8, 2016, provides for at-will employment as our Vice President Finance at an annual base salary of $120,000. On April 2, 2018, we appointed Mr. Zavala as our Chief Financial Officer and increased his annual base salary to $175,000 effective as of April 1, 2018. Mr. Zavala is eligible to receive an annual discretionary cash bonus to be paid based upon performance criteria set by our Compensation Committee, as more fully described above, and is eligible to participate in all of our employee benefit programs including our 2016 Plan. The general terms of Mr. Zavala’s Executive Employment Agreement are identical to the terms of Mr. Masina’s Executive Employment Agreement.

2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan

On July 8, 2016 our board of directors and stockholders adopted the 2016 Plan. The material terms of the 2016 Plan, as amended, are summarized below.

Summary of the Material Terms of the 2016 Plan

Purpose. We established the 2016 Plan to attract, retain and motivate our employees, officers and directors, to promote the success of our business by linking the personal interests of our employees, officers, consultants, advisors and directors to those of our stockholders and to encourage stock ownership on the part of management. The 2016 Plan is intended to permit the grant of stock options (both incentive stock options, or ISOs and non-qualified stock options, or NQSOs or, collectively, Options), stock appreciation rights, or SARS, restricted stock awards, or Restricted Stock Awards, restricted stock units, or RSUs, incentive awards, or Incentive Awards, other stock-based awards, or Stock Based Awards, dividend equivalents, or Dividend Equivalents, and cash awards, or Cash Awards.

Administration. The 2016 Plan is administered by our Compensation Committee. Our Compensation Committee may act through subcommittees or, with respect to awards granted to individuals who are not subject to the reporting and other provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and who are not members of our board of directors or the board of directors of our Affiliates (as defined by the 2016 Plan), delegate to one or more officers all or part of its duties with respect to such awards. Our Compensation Committee may, at its discretion, accelerate the time at which any award may be exercised, become transferable or nonforfeitable or become earned and settled including without limitation (i) in the event of the participant’s death, disability, retirement or involuntary termination of employment or service (including a voluntary termination of employment or service for good reason) or (ii) in connection with a Change in Control (as defined in the 2016 Plan). 

Authorized Shares. Under the 2016 Plan, we may issue a maximum aggregate of 1,754,385 shares of common stock, all of which may be issued pursuant to Options, SARs, Restricted Stock Awards, RSUs, Incentive Awards, Stock-Based Awards or Dividend Equivalents. Each share issued in connection with an award will reduce the number of shares available under the 2016 Plan by one, and each share covered under a SAR will reduce the number of shares available under the 2016 Plan by one, even though the share is not actually issued upon settlement of the SAR. Shares relating to awards that are terminated by expiration, forfeiture, cancellation or otherwise without issuance of shares of common stock, settled in cash in lieu of shares, or exchanged prior to the issuance of shares for awards not involving shares, will again be available for issuance under the 2016 Plan. Shares not issued as a result of net settlement of an award, tendered or withheld to pay the exercise price, purchase price or withholding taxes of an award or shares purchased on the open market with the proceeds of the exercise price of an award will not again be available for issuance under the 2016 Plan.

Award Limits. In any calendar year, no participant may be granted awards that relate to more than 500,000 shares of our common stock. For these purposes, an Option and its corresponding SAR will be counted as a single award. For any Cash Awards that are intended to constitute annual incentive awards, the maximum amount payable to any one participant with respect to any 12-month period is $5,000,000. Award limits that are expressed as a number of shares are subject to the adjustment provisions of the 2016 Plan as described below.

A non-employee director may not be granted awards during any single calendar year that, taken together with any cash fees paid to such non-employee director during such calendar year in respect of the non-employee director’s service as a member of the board during such year, exceeds $750,000 in total value (calculating the value of any such awards based on the grant date fair value of such awards for financial accounting purposes). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the board may make exceptions to the foregoing limit (up to twice such limit) for a non-executive chair of the board or, in extraordinary circumstances, for other individual non-employee directors, as the board may determine, provided that the non-employee director, receiving such awards may not participate in the decision to make such awards.

Written Agreements. All awards granted under the 2016 Plan will be governed by separate written agreements between the participants and us. The written agreements will specify the terms of the particular awards.

Transferability. Generally, an award is non-transferable except by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and during the lifetime of the participant to whom the award is granted, the award may only be exercised by, or payable to, the participant. However, the Compensation Committee may provide that awards, other than ISOs or a Corresponding SAR that is related to an ISO, may be transferred by a participant to immediate family members or trust or other entities on behalf of the Participant and/or family members for charitable donations. Any such transfer will be permitted only if (i) the participant does not receive any consideration for the transfer and (ii) the Compensation Committee expressly approves the transfer. The holder of the transferred award will be bound by the same terms and conditions that governed the award during the period that it was held by the participant, except that such transferee may only transfer the award by will or the laws of descent and distribution.

Maximum Award Period. No award shall be exercisable or become vested or payable more than ten years after the date of grant.

Compliance With Applicable Law. No award shall be exercisable, vested or payable except in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations (including, without limitation, tax and securities laws), any listing agreement with any stock exchange to which we are a party, and the rules of all domestic stock exchanges on which our shares may be listed.

Payment. The exercise or purchase price of an award, and any taxes required to be withheld with respect to an award, may be paid in cash or, if the written agreement so provides, the Compensation Committee may allow a participant to pay all or part of the exercise or purchase price, and any required withholding taxes, by tendering shares of common stock, through a broker-assisted cashless exercise, by means of “net exercise” procedure, or any other specified medium of payment.

Stockholder Rights. No participant shall have any rights as our stockholder as a result of issuance of an award until the award is settled by the issuance of common stock (other than a Restricted Stock Award or RSUs for which certain stockholder rights may be granted).

Forfeiture Provisions. Awards do not confer upon any individual any right to continue in our employ or service or in the employ or service of our Affiliates. All rights to any award that a participant has will be immediately forfeited if the participant is discharged from employment or service for “Cause” (as defined in the 2016 Plan). 

Types of awards

Options. Both ISOs and NQSOs may be granted under the 2016 Plan. Our Compensation Committee will determine the eligible individuals to whom grants of Options will be made, the number of shares subject to each option, the exercise price per share, the time or times at which the option may be exercised, whether any performance or other conditions must be satisfied before a participant may exercise an option, the method of payment by the participant, the method of delivery of shares to a participant, whether the Option is an ISO or a NQSO, and all other terms and conditions of the award. However, the exercise price of an Option may not be less than the fair market value of a share of common stock on the date the Option is granted. No participant may be granted ISOs that are first exercisable in any calendar year for shares of common stock having an aggregate fair value (determined on the date of grant) that exceeds $100,000. With respect to an ISO granted to a participant who is a Ten Percent Shareholder (as defined in the 2016 Plan), the exercise price per share may not be less than 110% of the fair market value of the common stock on the date the Option is granted. At the Compensation Committee’s discretion, an Option may be granted with or without a Corresponding SAR (as defined below).

SARs. A SAR entitles the participant to receive, upon exercise, the excess of the fair market value on that date of each share of common stock subject to the exercised portion of the SAR over the fair market value of each such share on the date of the grant of the SAR. A SAR can be granted alone or in tandem with an Option. A SAR granted in tandem with an Option is called a Corresponding SAR and entitles the participant to exercise the Option or the SAR, at which time the other tandem award expires with respect to the number of shares being exercised. The Compensation Committee is authorized to determine the eligible individuals to whom grants of SARs will be made, the number of shares of common stock covered by the grant, the time or times at which a SAR may be exercised and all other terms and conditions of the SAR. However, no participant may be granted Corresponding SARs that are related to ISOs which are first exercisable in any calendar year for shares of common stock having an aggregate fair market value (determined on the date of grant) that exceeds $100,000. 

Restricted Stock Awards and RSUs. A Restricted Stock Award is the grant or sale of shares of common stock, which may be subject to forfeiture for a period of time or subject to certain conditions. A RSU entitles the participant to receive, upon vesting, shares of our common stock. We will deliver to the participant one share of common stock for each RSU that becomes earned and payable. With regard to Restricted Stock Awards, the Compensation Committee is authorized to determine the eligible individuals to whom grants will be made, the number of shares subject to such grants, the purchase price, if any, to be paid for each share subject to the award of restricted stock, the time or times at which the restrictions will terminate, and all other terms and conditions of the restricted stock. With regard to RSUs, the Compensation Committee is authorized to determine the eligible individuals to whom grants will be made, the number of shares subject to such grants and the vesting conditions entitling a participant to settlement of the RSUs.

Incentive Awards. An Incentive Award entitles the participant to receive cash or common stock when certain conditions are met. The Compensation Committee has the authority to determine the eligible individuals to whom grants will be made and all other terms and conditions of the Incentive Award.

Stock-Based Awards. Stock-Based Awards may be denominated or payable in, valued by reference to or otherwise based on shares of common stock, including awards convertible or exchangeable into shares of common stock (or the cash value thereof) and common stock purchase rights and awards valued by reference to the fair market value of the common stock. The Compensation Committee has the authority to determine the eligible individuals to whom grants will be made and all other terms and conditions of Stock-Based Awards. However, the purchase price for the common stock under any Stock-Based Award in the nature of a purchase right may not be less than the fair market value of a share of common stock as of the date the award is granted. Cash awards, as an element of or supplement to any other award under the 2016 Plan, may also be granted.

Our Compensation Committee is authorized under the 2016 Plan to grant shares of common stock as a bonus, or to grant shares of common stock or other awards in lieu of any of our obligations or of our affiliates to pay cash or to deliver other property under the 2016 Plan or under any other of our plans or compensatory arrangements or any of our affiliates.

Dividend Equivalents. Our Compensation Committee may also grant Dividend Equivalents under the 2016 Plan. A Dividend Equivalent is an award that entitles the participant to receive cash, shares of common stock, other awards or other property equal in value to all or a specified portion of dividends paid with respect to shares of our common stock. The Compensation Committee is authorized to determine the eligible individuals to whom grants will be made and all other terms and conditions of the Dividend Equivalents. However, no Dividend Equivalents may be awarded with an Option, SAR or Stock-Based Award in the nature of purchase rights.

Cash Awards. Cash Awards will also be authorized under the 2016 Plan. Cash Awards may be granted as an element of or a supplement to any other award under the 2016 Plan or as a stand-alone Cash Award. The Compensation Committee will determine the terms and conditions of any such Cash Awards.

Performance Criteria. Our Compensation Committee has the discretion to establish objectively determinable performance conditions for when awards will become vested, exercisable and payable. These performance conditions may be based on one or any combination of metrics related to our financial, market or business performance. The form of the performance conditions also may be measured on a company, affiliate, division, business unit or geographic basis, individually, alternatively or in any combination, subset or component thereof. Performance goals may reflect absolute entity performance or a relative comparison of entity performance to the performance of a peer group of entities or other external measure of the selected performance conditions. Profits, earnings and revenues used for any performance condition measurement may exclude any extraordinary or nonrecurring items. The performance conditions may, but need not, be based upon an increase or positive result under the aforementioned business criteria and could include, for example and not by way of limitation, maintaining the status quo or limiting the economic losses (measured, in each case, by reference to the specific business criteria). An award that is intended to become exercisable, vested or payable on the achievement of performance conditions means that the award will not become exercisable, vested or payable solely on mere continued employment or service. However, such an award, in addition to performance conditions, may be subject to continued employment or service by the participant. The performance conditions may include any or any combination of the following: (a) revenue, (b) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, (c) cash earnings (earnings before amortization of intangibles), (d) operating income, (e) pre-or after-tax income, (f) earnings per share, (g) net cash flow, (h) net cash flow per share, (i) net earnings, (j) return on equity, (k) return on total capital, (l) return on sales, (m) return on net assets employed, (n) return on assets or net assets, (o) share price performance, (p) total stockholder return, (q) improvement in or attainment of expense levels, (r) improvement in or attainment of working capital levels, (s) net sales, (t) revenue growth or product revenue growth, (u) operating income (before or after taxes), (v) pre-or after-tax income (before or after allocation of corporate overhead and bonus), (w) earnings per share; (x) return on equity, (y) appreciation in and/or maintenance of the price of the shares of common stock, (z) market share, (aa) gross profits, (bb) comparisons with various stock market indices; (cc) reductions in cost, (dd) cash flow or cash flow per share (before or after dividends), (ee) return on capital (including return on total capital or return on invested capital), (ff) cash flow return on investments; (gg) improvement in or attainment of expense levels or working capital levels, (hh) stockholder equity and/or (ii) other criteria selected by the Compensation Committee.

Our Compensation Committee has the discretion to select one or more periods of time over which the attainment of one or more of the foregoing performance conditions will be measured for the purpose of determining when an award will become vested, exercisable or payable. The Compensation Committee has the authority to adjust goals and awards in the manner set forth in the 2016 Plan.

Change in Control. In the event of a “Change in Control” (as defined in the 2016 Plan) and, with respect to awards that are subject to Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, and such awards, 409A Awards, only to the extent permitted by Section 409A of the Code, our Compensation Committee in its discretion may, on a participant-by-participant basis (a) accelerate the vesting of all unvested and unexercised Options, SARs or Stock-Based Awards in the nature of purchase rights and/or terminate such awards, without any payment therefore, immediately prior to the date of any such transaction after giving the participant at least seven days written notice of such actions; (b) fully vest and/or accelerate settlement of any awards; (c) terminate any outstanding Options, SARs or Stock-Based Awards in the nature of purchase rights after giving the participant notice and a chance to exercise such awards (to the extent then exercisable or exercisable upon the change in control); (d) cancel any portion of an outstanding award that remains unexercised or is subject to restriction or forfeiture in exchange for a cash payment to the participant of the value of the award; or (e) require that the award be assumed by the successor corporation or replaced with interests of an equal value in the successor corporation.

Amendment and Termination. The 2016 Plan will expire 10 years after its effective date, unless terminated earlier by our board of directors. Any award that is outstanding as of the date the 2016 Plan expires will continue in force according to the terms set out in the award agreement. Our board of directors may terminate, amend or modify the 2016 Plan at any time. However, stockholder approval may be required for certain types of amendments under applicable law or regulatory authority. Except as may be provided in an award agreement or the 2016 Plan, no amendment to the 2016 Plan may adversely affect the terms and conditions of any existing award in any material way without the participant’s consent.

An amendment will be contingent on approval of our stockholders, to the extent required by law, by the rules of any stock exchange on which our securities are then traded or if the amendment would (i) increase the benefits accruing to participants under the 2016 Plan, including without limitation, any amendment to the 2016 Plan or any agreement to permit a re-pricing or decrease in the exercise price of any outstanding awards, (ii) increase the aggregate number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the 2016 Plan, or (iii) modify the requirements as to eligibility for participation in the 2016 Plan.

Material U.S. federal income tax consequences of awards under the 2016 Plan

The following discussion summarizes the principal federal income tax consequences associated with awards under the 2016 Plan. The discussion is based on laws, regulations, rulings and court decisions currently in effect, all of which are subject to change.

ISOs. A participant will not recognize taxable income on the grant or exercise of an ISO (although the excess of the fair market value of the common stock over the exercise price will be included for alternative minimum tax purposes). A participant will recognize taxable income when he or she disposes of the shares of common stock acquired under the ISO. If the disposition occurs more than two years after the grant of the ISO and more than one year after its exercise, the participant will recognize long-term capital gain (or loss) to the extent the amount realized from the disposition exceeds (or is less than) the participant’s tax basis in the shares of common stock. A participant’s tax basis in the common stock generally will be the amount the participant paid for the stock. If common stock acquired under an ISO is disposed of before the expiration of the ISO holding period described above, the participant will recognize as ordinary income in the year of the disposition the excess of the fair market value of the common stock on the date of exercise of the ISO over the exercise price. Any additional gain will be treated as long-term or short-term capital gain, depending on the length of time the participant held the shares. Special rules apply if a participant pays the exercise price by delivery of common stock. We will not be entitled to a federal income tax deduction with respect to the grant or exercise of an ISO. However, in the event a participant disposes of common stock acquired under an ISO before the expiration of the ISO holding period described above, we generally will be entitled to a federal income tax deduction equal to the amount of ordinary income the participant recognizes.

NQSOs. A participant will not recognize any taxable income on the grant of a NQSO. On the exercise of a NQSO, the participant will recognize as ordinary income the excess of the fair market value of the common stock acquired over the exercise price. A participant’s tax basis in the common stock is the amount paid plus any amounts included in income on exercise. Special rules apply if a participant pays the exercise price by delivery of common stock. The exercise of a NQSO generally will entitle us to claim a federal income tax deduction equal to the amount of ordinary income the participant recognizes.

SARs. A participant will not recognize any taxable income at the time SARs are granted. The participant at the time of receipt will recognize as ordinary income the amount of cash and the fair market value of the common stock that he or she receives. We generally will be entitled to a federal income tax deduction equal to the amount of ordinary income the participant recognizes.

Restricted Stock Awards and RSUs. With regard to Restricted Stock Awards, a participant will recognize ordinary income on account of a Restricted Stock Award on the first day that the shares are either transferable or not subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture. The ordinary income recognized will equal the excess of the fair market value of the common stock on such date over the price, if any, paid for the stock. However, even if the shares under a Restricted Stock Award are both nontransferable and subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture, the participant may make a special “83(b) election” to recognize income, and have his or her tax consequences determined, as of the date the Restricted Stock Award is made. The participant’s tax basis in the shares received will equal the income recognized plus the price, if any, paid for the Restricted Stock Award. We generally will be entitled to a federal income tax deduction equal to the ordinary income the participant recognizes. With regard to RSUs, the participant will not recognize any taxable income at the time RSUs are granted. When the terms and conditions to which the RSUs are subject have been satisfied and the RSUs are paid, the participant will recognize as ordinary income the fair market value of the common stock he or she receives. We generally will be entitled to a federal income tax deduction equal to the ordinary income the participant recognizes.

Incentive Awards. A participant will not recognize any taxable income at the time an Incentive Award is granted. When the terms and conditions to which an Incentive Award is subject have been satisfied and the award is paid, the participant will recognize as ordinary income the amount of cash and the fair market value of the common stock he or she receives. We generally will be entitled to a federal income tax deduction equal to the amount of ordinary income the participant recognizes.

Stock-Based Awards. A participant will recognize ordinary income on receipt of cash or shares of common stock paid with respect to a Stock-Based Award. We generally will be entitled to a federal tax deduction equal to the amount of ordinary income the participant recognizes.

Dividend Equivalents. A participant will recognize as ordinary income the amount of cash and the fair market value of any common stock he or she receives on payment of the Dividend Equivalents. To the extent the Dividend Equivalents are paid in the form of other awards, the participant will recognize income as otherwise described herein.

Limitation on Deductions. The deduction for a publicly-held corporation for otherwise deductible compensation to a “covered employee” generally is limited to $1,000,000 per year. An individual is a covered employee if he or she is the chief executive officer or one of the three highest compensated officers for the year (other than the chief executive officer or chief financial officer) or was a covered employee for any preceding year beginning after December 31, 2016.

Other Tax Rules. The 2016 Plan is designed to enable our Compensation Committee to structure awards that will not be subject to Section 409A of the Code, which imposes certain restrictions and requirements on deferred compensation. However, our Compensation Committee may grant awards that are subject to Section 409A of the Code. In that case, the terms of such 409A Award will be (a) subject to the deferral election requirements of Section 409A of the Code; and (b) may only be paid upon a separation from service, a set time, death, disability, a change in control or an unforeseeable emergency, each within the meanings of Section 409A of the Code. Our Compensation Committee shall not have the authority to accelerate or defer a 409A Award other than as permitted by Section 409A of the Code. Moreover, any payment on a separation from service of a “Specified Employee” (as defined in the 2016 Plan) will not be made until six months following the participant’s separation from service (or upon the participant’s death, if earlier) as required by Section 409A of the Code.  

Non-Employee Director Compensation

Our non-employee directors received a quarterly cash retainer of $7,500 during 2019. In addition, we reimburse all non-employee directors for travel and other necessary business expenses incurred in the performance of director services and extend coverage to them under our directors’ and officers’ indemnity insurance policies. During 2019, each of Messrs. Goldman, Albrecht and Gross received total compensation in the amount of $30,000 and Ms. Koster received total compensation in the amount of $500 based upon her appointment to the board of directors in December 2019.

Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL, provides that a corporation may indemnify directors and officers as well as other employees and individuals against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any threatened, pending or completed actions, suits or proceedings in which such person is made a party by reason of such person being or having been a director, officer, employee or agent to the corporation. The DGCL provides that Section 145 is not exclusive of other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise. Sections of our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws provide for indemnification by us of our directors, officers, employees and agents to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL.

Article X of our certification of incorporation eliminates the liability of a director or stockholder for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under Delaware law. Under Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL, a director shall not be exempt from liability for monetary damages for any liabilities arising (i) from any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) from acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

 We have entered into agreements to indemnify our directors and officers as determined by our board of directors. These agreements provide for indemnification of related expenses including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by any of these individuals in any action or proceeding. We believe that these indemnification agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers. We also maintain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.

The limitation of liability and indemnification provisions in our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against our directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. They may also reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against our directors and officers, even though an action, if successful, might benefit us and other stockholders. Furthermore, a stockholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent that we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers as required by these indemnification provisions.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers and controlling persons under the foregoing provisions of our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws, or otherwise, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC, this indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

.

Item 12.  Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.

The following table sets forth information regarding beneficial ownership of our common stock as of May 14, 2020 by:

 The table is based on information provided to us by our directors, executive officers and principal stockholders. Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC, and generally means that a person has beneficial ownership of a security if he, she or it possesses sole or shared voting or investment power of that security, including stock options and warrants that are exercisable within 60 days of May 14, 2020. To our knowledge, except as indicated by footnote, and subject to community property laws where applicable, the persons named in the table below have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock shown as beneficially owned by them. Shares of common stock underlying derivative securities, if any, that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days after May 14, 2020 are deemed to be outstanding in calculating the percentage ownership of the applicable person or group, but are not deemed to be outstanding as to any other person or group. Percentage of beneficial ownership is based on 10,125,681 shares of common stock outstanding as of the date of the table.

Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial owner listed in the table below is c/o Polar Power, Inc., 249 E. Gardena Boulevard, Gardena, California 90248.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

The following table provides information about our common stock that may be issued upon the exercise of options, warrants and rights under all our existing equity compensation plans as of December 31, 2019.

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.

The following is a summary of transactions since January 1, 2018 to which we have been a participant, in which:

All of the related person transactions described below have been approved by a majority of the independent and disinterested members of our board of directors. We believe that each of the transactions described below were on terms no less favorable to us than terms we would have obtained from unaffiliated third parties.

It is our intention to ensure that all future transactions, if any, between us and related persons are approved by our audit committee or a majority of the independent and disinterested members of our board of directors (except for compensation arrangements, which are approved by our compensation committee), and are on terms no less favorable to us than those that we could obtain from unaffiliated third parties. See “Policies and Procedures for Related Person Transactions” below.

Transactions with Stockholders, Officers and Directors

On March 1, 2014, we entered into a Subcontractor Installer Agreement with Smartgen Solutions, Inc., or Smartgen, a company engaged in business of equipment rental and providing maintenance, repair and installation services to mobile telecommunications towers in California. Rajesh Masina, our Vice President of Operations, owns 40% of the share capital of Smartgen and 30% is owned by his brother. On July 8, 2016, our board of directors reviewed the terms and conditions of, and ratified, the Subcontractor Installer Agreement.

Under the terms of the agreement, Smartgen has been appointed as a non-exclusive, authorized service provider for the installation, repair and service of Polar products in Southern California. The agreement has a term of three years from the date of execution and automatically renews for additional one-year periods if not terminated. Once we have completed this offering and established an audit committee, all transactions involving this agreement will be monitored by our audit committee.

During 2019 and 2018, Smartgen performed $288,910 and $174,290 in field services, respectively, the cost of which is included in cost of goods sold.

Employment Agreements

We have entered into amended employment agreement with each of Arthur D. Sams, our President, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary; Rajesh Masina, our Chief Operating Officer; and Luis Zavala, our Chief Financial Officer; providing for, without limitation, certain payments upon termination and change in control. See “Executive and Director Compensation–Employment Agreements” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a further discussion of these agreements.

Indemnification of Officers and Directors

Our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws provide that we will indemnify our directors and officers with respect to certain liabilities, expenses and other accounts imposed upon them because of having been a director or officer, except in the case of willful misconduct or a knowing violation of criminal law.

Policies and Procedures for Related Person Transactions

Our board of directors has adopted a written policy with respect to related person transactions. This policy governs the review, approval or ratification of covered related person transactions. The Audit Committee of our board of directors manages this policy.

For purposes of the policy, a “related person transaction” is a transaction, arrangement or relationship (or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships) in which we were, are or will be a participant, and the amount involved exceeds the applicable dollar threshold set forth under Item 404 of Regulation S-K and in which any related person had, has or will have a direct or indirect material interest. As defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K, “related person” generally includes our directors (and director nominees), executive officers, holders of more than 5% of our voting securities, and immediate family members or affiliates of such persons.

The policy generally provides that we may enter into a related person transaction only if:

In the event a related person transaction is not pre-approved by the Audit Committee and our management determines to recommend such related person transaction to the Audit Committee, such transaction must be reviewed by the Audit Committee. After review, the Audit Committee will approve or disapprove such transaction. If our Chief Executive Officer, in consultation with our Audit Committee, determines that it is not practicable or desirable for us to wait until the next Audit Committee meeting, the chairperson of the Audit Committee will possess delegated authority to act on behalf of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee (or the chairperson of the Audit Committee) may approve only those related person transactions that are in, or not inconsistent with, our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders, as the Audit Committee (or the chairperson of the Audit Committee) determines in good faith. All approvals made by chairperson of the Audit Committee will be ratified by the full Audit Committee at the next regularly scheduled meeting or within 120 days from approval by chairperson.

Our Audit Committee has determined that the following transactions, even if the amount exceeds the applicable dollar threshold set forth under Item 404 of Regulation S-K in the aggregate, will be deemed to be pre-approved by the Audit Committee:

In addition, the Audit Committee will review the policy at least annually and recommend amendments to the policy to the board of directors from time to time.

The policy provides that all related person transactions will be disclosed to the Audit Committee, and all material related person transactions will be disclosed to the board of directors. Additionally, all related person transactions requiring public disclosure will be properly disclosed, as applicable, on our various public filings.

The Audit Committee will review all relevant information available to it about the related person transaction. The policy will provide that the Audit Committee may approve or ratify the related person transaction only if the Audit Committee determines that, under all of the circumstances, the transaction is in, or is not inconsistent with, our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders. The policy will also provide that the Audit Committee may, in its sole discretion, impose such conditions as it deems appropriate on us or the related person in connection with approval of the related person transaction.

Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Expenses.

The following table presents fees for professional audit services rendered by Weinberg & Company, P.A. for 2019 and 2018.

Audit Fees. Consist of amounts billed for professional services rendered for the audit of our annual consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Audit-Related Fees. Audit-Related Fees consist of fees billed for professional services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our consolidated financial statements but are not reported under “Audit Fees.”

Tax Fees. Tax Fees consist of fees for professional services for tax compliance activities, including the preparation of federal and state tax returns and related compliance matters.

All Other Fees. Consists of amounts billed for services other than those noted above.

Our Audit Committee considered all non-audit services provided by Weinberg & Company, P.A. and determined that the provision of such services was compatible with maintaining such firm’s audit independence.

Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policy

Our Audit Committee is responsible for approving all audit, audit-related, tax and other services. The Audit Committee pre-approves all auditing services and permitted non-audit services, including all fees and terms to be performed for us by our independent auditor at the beginning of the fiscal year. Non-audit services are reviewed and pre-approved by project at the beginning of the fiscal year. Any additional non-audit services contemplated by us after the beginning of the fiscal year are submitted to the Chairman of our Audit Committee for pre- approval prior to engaging our independent auditor for such services. These interim pre-approvals are reviewed with the full Audit Committee at its next meeting for ratification.

PART IV

Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.

(a)(1) Financial Statements

Reference is made to the financial statements listed on and attached following the Index to Financial Statements contained on page F-1 of this report.

(a)(2) Financial Statement Schedules

None.

(a)(3) Exhibits

Reference is made to the exhibits listed on the Index to Exhibits immediately preceding the signature page of this report.

Item 16. Form 10-K Summary.

None.

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors

Polar Power, Inc.

Gardena, California

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Polar Power, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the related statements of operations, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the years then ended, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Going Concern

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company incurred a net loss and used cash in operations during the year ended December 31, 2019. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 1. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2016.

/s/ Weinberg & Company, P.A.

Los Angeles, California

May 14, 2020

POLAR POWER, INC.
BALANCE SHEETS

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

POLAR POWER, INC.
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

POLAR POWER, INC.
STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

POLAR POWER, INC.
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

POLAR POWER, INC.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019 AND 2018

NOTE 1 – ORGANIZATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The Company

Polar Power, Inc. was incorporated in 1979 in the State of Washington as Polar Products Inc., and in 1991 reincorporated in the State of California under the name Polar Power, Inc. In December 2016, Polar Power, Inc. reincorporated in the State of Delaware (the “Company”). The Company designs, manufactures and sells direct current, or DC, power systems to supply reliable and low-cost energy to off-grid, bad-grid and backup power applications. The Company’s products integrate DC generator and proprietary automated controls, lithium batteries and solar systems to provide low operating cost and lower emissions alternative power needs in telecommunications, defense, automotive and industrial markets.

Going Concern

The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the going concern basis, which presumes the Company will continue realization of its assets and settlement of its liabilities in the normal course of operations.  The application of the going concern basis is dependent upon the Company achieving profitable operations to generate sufficient cash flows to fund continued operations, or, in the absence of adequate cash flows from operations, obtaining additional financing.  The Company has reported losses from operations for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 and used cash in operations during the year ended as of December 31, 2019. Its U.S. telecommunications customers, which represented 95% of the Company’s net sales as of December 31, 2019, have postponed shipments and orders to prioritize expansion of 5G and cell site edge computing networks. In March 2020 the World Health Organization declared coronavirus COVID-19 a global pandemic. This contagious disease outbreak, which has continued to spread, and any related adverse public health developments, has adversely affected workforces, economies, and financial markets globally, potentially leading to an economic downturn. It is not possible for the Company to predict the duration or magnitude of the adverse results of the outbreak and its effects on the Company’s business or ability to raise funds. These factors raise substantial doubt regarding the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

The financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue in existence.

At December 31, 2019, the Company had cash on hand in the amount of $2,840,117. On May 4, 2020, the Company entered into a loan with Citibank, N.A. in an aggregate principal amount of $1,714,989 pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (See Note 12). Management estimates that the current funds on hand will be sufficient to continue operations through September 30, 2020. The continuation of the Company as a going concern is dependent upon its ability to obtain necessary debt or equity financing to continue operations until it begins generating positive cash flow. No assurance can be given that any future financing will be available or, if available, that it will be on terms that are satisfactory to the Company. Even if the Company is able to obtain additional financing, it may contain undue restrictions on its operations, in the case of debt financing or cause substantial dilution for its stockholders, in case or equity financing. Management continues to review operations in order to identify additional strategies designed to generate cash flow, improve the Company’s financial position, and enable the timely discharge of the Company’s obligations.  If management is unable to identify sources of additional cash flow in the short term, it may be required to further reduce or limit operations.

Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP 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 financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Material estimates relate to the assumptions made in determining reserves for uncollectible receivables, inventory reserves and returns, impairment analysis of long term assets and deferred tax assets, income tax accruals, accruals for potential liabilities and warrant reserves and assumptions made in valuing the fair market value of equity transactions. Actual results may differ from those estimates.

Revenue

The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), (ASC 606). The underlying principle of ASC 606 is to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers at the amount expected to be collected. ASC 606 creates a five-step model that requires entities to exercise judgment when considering the terms of contract(s), which includes (1) identifying the contract(s) or agreement(s) with a customer, (2) identifying our performance obligations in the contract or agreement, (3) determining the transaction price, (4) allocating the transaction price to the separate performance obligations, and (5) recognizing revenue as each performance obligation is satisfied. Under ASC 606, revenue is recognized when performance obligations under the terms of a contract are satisfied, which occurs for us upon shipment or delivery of products or services to our customers based on written sales terms, which is also when control is transferred. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration we expect to receive in exchange for transferring the products or services to a customer.

We determine whether delivery has occurred based on when title transfers and the risks and rewards of ownership have transferred to the customer, which usually occurs when we place the product with the customer’s carrier or deliver the product to a customer’s location. We regularly review our customers’ financial positions to ensure that collectability is reasonably assured.

We recognize revenues from rental equipment on a straight-line basis over the rental period. Our rental contracts are fixed price contracts for fixed durations of time and include freight and delivery charges. Our rental revenues have not been significant to date and accounted for less than one percent of our total revenues for the twelve months ended December 31, 2019 and 2018.

Disaggregation of Net Sales

The following table shows the Company’s disaggregated net sales by product type:

The following table shows the Company’s disaggregated net sales by customer type:

Cash and cash equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of 90 days or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The carrying amounts reported in the Balance Sheets for cash and cash equivalents are valued at cost, which approximates their fair value.

Accounts Receivable

Trade receivables are recorded at net realizable value consisting of the carrying amount less an allowance for uncollectible accounts, as needed. The Company uses the allowance method to account for uncollectible trade receivable balances. Under the allowance method, if needed, an estimate of uncollectible customer balances is made based upon specific account balances that are considered uncollectible. Factors used to establish an allowance include the credit quality and payment history of the customer. The Company did not deem it necessary to provide an allowance for doubtful accounts as of December 31, 2019 and 2018. 

Inventories

Inventories consist of raw materials and finished goods and are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined principally on a first-in-first-out average cost basis. Inventory quantities on hand are reviewed regularly and write-downs for obsolete inventory is recorded based on an estimated forecast of the inventory item demand in the near future. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company has established inventory reserves of $600,000 and $330,000, respectively, for obsolete and slow-moving inventory. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the components of inventories were as follows:

Product Warranties

The Company provides limited warranties for parts and labor at no cost to its customers within a specified time period after the sale. The warranty terms are typically from one to five years. The Company’s warranties are of an assurance-type and come standard with all Company products to cover repair or replacement should product not perform as expected. Provisions for estimated expenses related to product warranties are made at the time products are sold. These estimates are established using historical information about the nature, frequency and average cost of warranty claim settlements as well as product manufacturing and recovery from suppliers. Management actively studies trends of warranty claims and takes action to improve product quality and minimize warranty costs. The Company estimates the actual historical warranty claims coupled with an analysis of unfulfilled claims to record a liability for specific warranty purposes. The Company’s product warranty obligations are included in other accrued liabilities in the balance sheets. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company had accrued a liability for warranty reserve of $375,000 and $175,000, respectively. Management believes that the warranty accrual is appropriate; however, actual claims incurred could differ from original estimates, requiring adjustments to the accrual. The product warranty accrual is included in current liabilities in the accompanying balance sheets.

The following is a tabular reconciliation of the product warranty liability, excluding the deferred revenue related to the Company’s warranty coverage:

Accounting Policy on Shipping Costs

Amounts billed to a customer in a sales transaction related to shipping and handling are reported as revenue. Costs incurred by the Company for shipping and handling are reported as cost of sales.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at historical cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization of property and equipment is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life. Maintenance and repairs that do not improve or extend the useful life of the respective assets are expensed. Estimated useful lives of the principal classes of assets are as follows:

Management regularly reviews property, equipment and other long-lived assets for possible impairment. This review occurs annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable. Based upon management’s annual assessment, there were no indicators of impairment of the Company’s property and equipment and other long-lived assets as of December 31, 2019 or December 31, 2018.

Leases

Prior to January 1, 2019, the Company accounted for leases under ASC 840, Accounting for Leases. Effective January 1, 2019, the Company adopted the guidance of ASC 842, Leases, which requires an entity to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for virtually all leases. The Company adopted ASC 842 using a modified retrospective approach. As a result, the comparative financial information has not been updated and the required disclosures prior to the date of adoption have not been updated and continue to be reported under the accounting standards in effect for those periods. The adoption of ASC 842 on January 1, 2019 resulted in the recognition of operating lease right-of-use assets and lease liabilities for operating leases of $2,847,495. There was no cumulative-effect adjustment to accumulated deficit. See Note 11 for further information regarding the adoption of ASC 842.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method whereby deferred tax assets are recognized for deductible temporary differences, and deferred tax liabilities are recognized for taxable temporary differences. Temporary differences are the differences between the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax bases. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized before the Company is able to realize their benefits, or that future deductibility is uncertain.

Tax benefits from an uncertain tax position are recognized only if it more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities based on technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effects of changes in tax laws and rates on the date of enactment.

Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value

The Company uses various inputs in determining the fair value of its investments and measures these assets on a recurring basis. Financial assets recorded at fair value in the balance sheets are categorized by the level of objectivity associated with the inputs used to measure their fair value.

Authoritative guidance provided by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) defines the following levels directly related to the amount of subjectivity associated with the inputs to fair valuation of these financial assets:

The carrying amounts of financial assets and liabilities, such as cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable, approximate their fair values because of the short maturity of these instruments. The carrying values of the line of credit, notes payable approximate their fair values due to the fact that the interest rates on these obligations are based on prevailing market interest rates.

Segments

The Company operates in one segment for the manufacture and distribution of its products. In accordance with the “Segment Reporting” Topic of the ASC, the Company’s chief operating decision maker has been identified as the Chief Executive Officer and President, who reviews operating results to make decisions about allocating resources and assessing performance for the entire Company. Existing guidance, which is based on a management approach to segment reporting, establishes requirements to report selected segment information quarterly and to report annually entity-wide disclosures about products and services, major customers, and the countries in which the entity holds material assets and reports revenue. All material operating units qualify for aggregation under “Segment Reporting” due to their similar customer base and similarities in: economic characteristics; nature of products and services; and procurement, manufacturing and distribution processes. Since the Company operates in one segment, all financial information required by “Segment Reporting” can be found in the accompanying financial statements.

Concentrations

Cash. The Company maintains cash balances at five banks, with the majority held at one bank located in the U.S. At times, the amount on deposit exceeds the federally insured limits. Management believes that the financial institutions that hold the Company’s cash are financially sound and, accordingly, minimal credit risk exists.

Cash denominated in Australian Dollar with a U.S. Dollar equivalent of $16,727 and $152,254 at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, was held in an account at a financial institution located in Australia. Cash denominated in Romanian Leu with a U.S. Dollar equivalent of $4,273 and $9,368 at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, was held in an account at a financial institution located in Romania.

Revenues. For the years ended December 31, 2019, 68%, 17%, and 6% of revenue were generated from the company’s three largest customers, which were Tier-1 telecommunications wireless carriers. In 2018, 53%, 22%, and 10% of revenue were generated from the Company’s three largest customers, all Tier-1 telecommunication wireless carriers. In 2019 and 2018, sales to telecommunications customers accounted for 96% and 90% of total revenue, respectively. In 2019 and 2018, sales to international customers accounted for 1% and 6%, of total revenue, respectively.

Accounts receivable. At December 31, 2019, 70%, nil, and 6% of the Company’s accounts receivable were from the Company’s three largest customers. At December 31, 2018, 42%, 45%, and 1% of the Company’s accounts receivable were from the Company’s three largest customers.

Accounts payable. On December 31, 2019, accounts payable to the Company’s largest vendor represented 11% while the other two largest vendors represented 10% each. On December 31, 2018, accounts payable to the Company’s largest vendor represented 71%, while the other two largest vendors represented 3% each. 

Net Income (Loss) Per Share

Basic net income (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing the net income applicable to common stock holders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus the number of additional common shares that would have been outstanding if all dilutive potential common shares had been issued using the treasury stock method. Potential common shares are excluded from the computation when their effect is antidilutive. The dilutive effect of potentially dilutive securities is reflected in diluted net income per share if the exercise prices were lower than the average fair market value of common shares during the reporting period.

The following potentially dilutive shares were excluded from the shares used to calculate diluted earnings per share as their inclusion would be anti-dilutive:

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Credit Losses - Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASC 326”). The standard significantly changes how entities will measure credit losses for most financial assets, including accounts and notes receivables. The standard will replace today’s “incurred loss” approach with an “expected loss” model, under which companies will recognize allowances based on expected rather than incurred losses. Entities will apply the standard’s provisions as a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the guidance is effective. The standard is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The adoption of ASU 2016-13 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.

The Company’s management does not believe that there are other recently issued, but not yet effective, authoritative guidance, if currently adopted, would have a material impact on the Company’s financial statement presentation or disclosures.

NOTE 2 – RESTRICTED CASH

As of December 31, 2018, the Company’s cash balance included restricted cash $1,002,683. In March 2019, the Company closed the credit facility securing the restricted cash account, and as such, no cash balance was restricted as of December 31, 2019. The restricted cash served as a collateral for the line of credit (see Note 5) opened with a bank in March 2017 and closed in March 2019. 

NOTE 3 – PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT

Property and equipment consist of the following:

Depreciation and amortization expense on property and equipment for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 was $628,107 and $385,583 respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, $586,217 and $349,750, respectively, of depreciation expense was included in cost of sales for the years then ended.

NOTE 4 – NOTES PAYABLE

Notes payable consist of the following:

The Company has entered into several financing agreements for the purchase of equipment. The terms of these financing arrangements are for a term of 2 years to 5 years, with interest rates ranging from 1.9% to 6.9% per annum, secured by the purchased equipment.

As of December 31, 2018, the balance of notes payable was $1,207,927. During 2019, the Company acquired additional equipment under financing agreements for a total of $153,307 with terms ranging from 2 to 5 years, interest rate of from 2.9% to 5.0% per annum, and secured by the purchased equipment. During 2019, the Company also made repayments on the notes payable totaling about $255,145. As of December 31, 2019, the balance of notes payable was $1,106,089. The aggregate monthly payments of principal and interest of the outstanding notes payable as of December 31, 2019 is approximately $42,000 are due through 2024.

Annual future principal payments under the outstanding note agreements as of December 31, 2019 are as follows:

NOTE 5 – LINE OF CREDIT

Line of Credit

On March 21, 2017, the Company entered into a Credit Agreement and related documents with Citibank, N.A. for a revolving credit facility in the aggregate amount of up to $1,000,000. The credit facility was secured by a Certificate of Deposit (restricted cash) account opened by the Company with Citibank in the amount of $1,000,000 (see Note 2). On March 20, 2019, the Company terminated the credit facility and transferred the balance of the Certificate of Deposit that secured the credit facility to its liquid cash account. As of March 20, 2019, the Company had not borrowed any funds under the credit facility.

Supplier Agreement 

Effective June 4, 2019, the Company executed a Supplier Agreement with Citibank, N.A. Under the terms of the Supplier Agreement, the Company may from time to time offer to sell to Citibank, without recourse, certain of the Company’s accounts receivable relating to invoiced sales made to AT&T. Once AT&T approves the invoice, AT&T sends payment instructions to Citibank. The sale price is equal to the face amount of the receivable less the applicable discount charge calculated by multiplying the face amount of the receivable by (i) the annual discount rate (which is equal to the 90-day London Inter-bank Offered Rate plus 1.00%) and (ii) the discount acceptance period (which is equal the number of days in the payment terms less the number of days necessary to approve the invoice) divided by 360.

Citibank may change the pricing terms at any time in its sole discretion upon at least thirty days prior written notice to the Company. In addition, either party may terminate the Supplier Agreement upon thirty business days prior written notice to the other party, provided that either party may terminate the agreement upon five business days prior written notice if the other party is in breach of, or fails to perform any of its material obligations under the Supplier Agreement. For the year ended December 31, 2019, a total of $13,228,765 of accounts receivables were sold to Citibank by the Company, and the Company incurred fees of approximately $52,000 during the year then ended.

NOTE 6 – STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Common Stock

The Company is authorized to issue up to a total of 50,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share. Holders of common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders. Holders of common stock do not have cumulative voting rights. Further, holders of common stock have no preemptive, conversion, redemption or subscription rights and there are no sinking fund provisions applicable to the Company’s common stock. Upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company, holders of common stock are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of all liabilities and the liquidation preferences of any outstanding shares of preferred stock. Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding shares of preferred stock, holders of common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by the Company’s board of directors, out of the Company’s assets which are legally available.

Preferred Stock

The Company’s board of directors is authorized to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges, qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, including dividend rights and rates, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, redemption prices, liquidation preferences and the number of shares constituting any series or the designation of such series, without any vote or action by the Company’s stockholders. Any preferred stock to be issued could rank prior to the Company’s common stock with respect to dividend rights and rights on liquidation. The Company’s board of directors, without stockholder approval, may issue preferred stock with voting and conversion rights which could adversely affect the voting power of holders of common stock and discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of the Company.

Treasury Stock

The Company entered into a 10b-18 Stock Repurchase Agreement on November 6, 2019 authorizing ThinkEquity, a division of Fordham Financial Management, Inc. to repurchase up to $500,000 of the Company’s common stock par value $0.0001.. As of December 31, 2019, the Company purchased of 17,477 shares and held them as treasury stock at cost of $39,942. On January 20, 2020, the Company terminated the Stock Repurchase Agreement

NOTE 7 – STOCK OPTIONS

The following table summarizes stock option activity:

Effective July 8, 2016 the Company’s board of directors approved the Polar Power 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2016 Plan”), authorizing the issuance of up to 1,754,385 shares of common stock as incentives to employees and consultants to the Company with awards limited to a maximum of 350,877 shares to any one participant in any calendar year.

In April 2018, the Company granted options to purchase an aggregate of 330,000 shares of the Company’s common stock to three of its executive officers, with exercise prices ranging from $5.09 to $5.60 per share, that expire ten years from the date of grant, and with one-third of the total options granted vesting on each of the first, second, and third anniversaries of the grant date. The fair value of each of the option award was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model based on the following assumptions: (i) volatility rate of 57.71%, (ii) discount rate of 2.42%, (iii) zero expected dividend yield, and (iv) expected life of 6.5 years, which is the average of the term of the options and their vesting periods. The total fair value of these options at their grant dates was approximately $948,000.

On October 1, 2019, the Company’s three executive officers agreed to terminate their rights to 220,000 stock option shares that had not vested as of April 1, 2019.

 During the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company recorded stock-based compensation costs of $78,943 and $327,471 related to the vesting of these options. As of December 31, 2019, there was $210,511 of unamortized cost compensation costs that will be amortized over the next 1.25 years.

There was no intrinsic value of the outstanding and exercisable options at December 31, 2019.

NOTE 8 – WARRANTS

The following table summarizes warrant activity: