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EX-32.2 - EXHIBIT 32.2 - Greenbacker Renewable Energy Co LLCs109009_ex32-2.htm
EX-32.1 - EXHIBIT 32.1 - Greenbacker Renewable Energy Co LLCs109009_ex32-1.htm
EX-31.2 - EXHIBIT 31.2 - Greenbacker Renewable Energy Co LLCs109009_ex31-2.htm
EX-31.1 - EXHIBIT 31.1 - Greenbacker Renewable Energy Co LLCs109009_ex31-1.htm
EX-21.1 - EXHIBIT 21.1 - Greenbacker Renewable Energy Co LLCs109009_ex21-1.htm

   

 

  

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

 

 

 

FORM 10-K

 

 

 

(Mark One)

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

  

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017

 

OR

 

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

 

Commission file number: 000-55610 

 

 

 

GREENBACKER RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANY LLC

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

 

 

Delaware 80-0872648
(State or Other Jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer
Incorporation or Organization) Identification No.)

 

11 East 44th Street, Suite 1200
New York, NY 10017

Tel (646) 237-7884

(Address, including zip code and telephone number, including area code, of registrants Principal Executive Office)

 

Charles Wheeler

c/o Greenbacker Capital Management LLC

11 East 44th Street, Suite 1200

New York, NY 10017
Tel (646) 237-7884

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933. Yes ¨   No x

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Yes ¨   No x

 

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 the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x   No ¨

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, 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 and post such files). Yes x   No ¨

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. Yes x   No ¨

 

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

 

Large accelerated filer ¨ Accelerated filer ¨
Non-accelerated filer ¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) Smaller reporting company ¨
Emerging growth company x  

 

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

 

As of March 1, 2018, the registrant had 24,493,037 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value, outstanding.

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

  PAGE
   
PART I 4
   
Item 1. Business 4
   
Item 1A. Risk Factors 26
   
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 50
   
Item 2. Properties 50
   
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 50
   
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 50
   
PART II 50
   
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 50
   
Item 6. Selected Consolidated Financial Data 53
   
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 55
   
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk 87
   
Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 88
   
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 131
   
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 131
   
Item 9B. Other Information 132
   
PART III 132
   
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 132
   
Item 11. Executive Compensation 136
   
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters 136
   
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence 136
   
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services 137
   
PART IV 138
   
Item 15. Exhibits, Consolidated Financial Statement Schedules 138
   
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary 140
   
Signatures 141

 

 2 

 

 

GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS -

 

In this annual report on Form 10-K, except as otherwise indicated, the terms:

 

  The term "LLC" refers to Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC;

 

  “we,” “us,” “our” and the “company” refers, collectively, to Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC and Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation;

 

  The “advisor” and “GCM” refer to Greenbacker Capital Management LLC, our advisor;

 

  The term “Special Unitholder” refers to GREC Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, which is a subsidiary of our advisor;

 

  The term “special unit” refers to the special unit of limited liability company interest in the LLC entitling the Special Unitholder to an incentive allocation and distribution;

 

  The term “SC Distributors” and “dealer manager” refer to SC Distributors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, the LLC’s dealer manager;

 

  “GREC” refers to Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation, a Maryland corporation;

 

  “GREC Holdco” refers to GREC Entity Holdco LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of GREC;

 

  “Greenbacker Administration” and “Administrator” refers to Greenbacker Administration, LLC, our Administrator;

 

  “Greenbacker Group LLC” refers to a sponsor of the company and the parent of GCM;

 

  “DRP” — Distribution Reinvestment Plan;
     
  “ITC” — Investment Tax Credit;
     
  “PTC” — Production Tax Credit;
     
  “MWh” — Megawatt Hours;
     
  “kW” — Kilowatts;
     
  “kWh” — Kilowatt hours;
     
  “REC” — Renewable Energy Credit;
     
  “SREC” — Solar Renewable Energy Credit;
     
  “MW” — Megawatts;

 

  “PPA” — Power Purchase Agreement;
     
  “RPS” — Renewable Portfolio Standard;
     
  “EEC” — Energy Efficiency Certificate; and
     
 

“PV” — Photovoltaic.

 

 3 

 

 

PART I

 

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

 

FORMATION OF OUR COMPANY

 

The LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, is an externally managed energy company that acquires and manages income-generating renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, and other energy-related businesses, as well as finances the construction and/or operation of these and sustainable development projects and businesses. The LLC conducts substantially all of its operations through its wholly-owned subsidiary, GREC. GREC is a Maryland corporation formed in November 2011 and the LLC currently holds all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of GREC. We are externally managed and advised by the advisor, a renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainability related project acquisition, consulting and development company. The LLC’s fiscal year end is December 31. 

 

Pursuant to an initial Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-178786-01), the company offered up to $1,500,000,000 in shares of limited liability company interests, or the shares, including up to $250,000,000 pursuant to a DRP, through the dealer manager. The offering pursuant to that initial Registration Statement terminated on February 7, 2017. Pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-211571), the company is offering on a continuous basis up to $1,000,000,000 in shares of limited liability company interests, or the shares, including up to $200,000,000 of shares pursuant to the DRP, on a “best efforts” basis through the dealer manager, meaning it is not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of shares. The dealer manager coordinates the distribution of our shares, manages our relationships with participating broker-dealers and provides assistance in connection with compliance matters relating to the marketing of our offering. The dealer manager provides only the foregoing distribution-related services to us, and does so pursuant to the dealer manager agreement. The dealer manager exercises no control or influence over our investment, asset management or accounting functions or any other aspect of our management or operations. For the avoidance of doubt, the dealer manager owns no equity interests in our advisor. The company is publicly offering three classes of shares: Class A, C and I shares in any combination with a dollar value up to the maximum offering amount. In addition, the company is privately offering Class P-I shares. The share classes have different selling commissions, dealer manager fees and there is an ongoing distribution fee with respect to Class C shares. The company has adopted a DRP pursuant to which a shareholder owning publicly offered share classes may elect to have the full amount of cash distributions reinvested in additional shares. The company reserves the right to reallocate the offered shares within each offering between each and any share class and between its public offering and the DRP.

 

Each quarter, our advisor, utilizing the services of an independent valuation firm when necessary, reviews and approves the net asset value for each class of shares, subject to the oversight of the company’s board of directors. The company expects such determination will ordinarily be made within 30 days after each such completed fiscal quarter. To the extent that the net asset value per share on the most recent valuation date increases above or decreases below the net proceeds per share, the company will adjust the offering prices of all classes of shares. The adjustments to the per share offering prices, which will become effective five business days after such determination is published, will ensure that after the effective date of the new offering prices, the offering prices per share, after deduction of selling commissions, dealer manager fees and organization and offering expenses, are not above or below net asset value per share as of the most recent valuation date. The purchase price per share to be paid by each investor will be equal to the price that is in effect on the date such investor submits his or her completed subscription agreement. The company’s shares are offered in the primary offering at a price based on the most recent valuation, plus related selling commissions, dealer manager fees and organization and offering expenses. Five days after the completion of each quarter end valuation, shares will be offered pursuant to the DRP at a price equal to the current offering price per each class of shares, less the sales selling commissions and dealer manager fees associated with that class of shares in the primary offering.

 

 4 

 

 

OVERVIEW OF OUR BUSINESS

 

Our business objective is to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for our members, consisting of both current income and long-term capital appreciation, by acquiring, and financing the construction and/or operation of income-generating renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable development projects, primarily within but also outside of North America. We expect the size of our investments to generally range between approximately $5 million and $100 million. We will seek to maximize our risk-adjusted returns by: (1) capitalizing on market opportunities; (2) focusing on hard assets that produce dependable cash flows; (3) efficiently utilizing government incentives where available; (4) employing creative deal structuring to optimize capital and ownership structures; (5) partnering with experienced financial, legal, engineering and other professional firms; (6) employing sound due diligence and risk mitigation processes; and (7) monitoring and managing our portfolio of assets on an ongoing basis.

 

Our goal is to assemble a diversified portfolio of renewable energy, energy efficiency and other sustainability related projects and businesses. Renewable energy projects generally earn revenue through the sale of generated electricity as well as frequently through the sale of related project attributes such as RECs and EECs. We initially have focused on solar, wind and energy efficiency projects. We believe solar energy projects generally offer more predictable power generation characteristics, due to the relative predictability of sunlight over the course of time compared to other renewable energy technologies and therefore we expect them to provide more stable income streams. However, technological advances in wind turbines and other energy generation technologies, as well as government incentives, also make wind energy and other types of projects attractive. Solar energy projects provide maximum energy production during daylight hours in the summer months when days are longer and nights shorter. Solar energy projects tend to have minimal environmental impact enabling such projects to be developed close to areas of dense population where electricity demand is highest. Solar technology is scalable and well-established and is relatively simple to integrate new acquisitions and projects into our portfolio. Over time, we expect to broaden our strategy to include other types of renewable energy projects and energy efficiency projects and businesses, which may include wind farms, hydropower assets, geothermal plants, biomass and biofuel assets, combined heat and power technology assets, fuel cell assets and other energy efficiency assets, among others, and to the extent we deem the opportunity attractive, other energy and sustainability related assets and businesses.

 

Our preferred investment strategy is to acquire controlling equity stakes in our target assets or to be named the managing member of a limited liability company in order to oversee and supervise their operations. We define controlling equity stakes as companies in which we own 25% or more of the voting securities of such company or have greater than 50% representation on such company’s board of directors. However, we will also provide financing to projects owned by others, including through the provision of secured loans which may or may not include some form of equity participation. We may also provide projects with senior unsecured debt, subordinated secured debt, subordinated unsecured debt, mezzanine debt, convertible debt, convertible preferred equity, and preferred equity, and make minority equity investments. We may also participate in projects by acquiring contractual payment rights or rights to receive a proportional interest in the operating cash flow or net income of a project. We may also make equity investments in or loans to parties financing the supply of renewable energy and energy efficiency to residential and commercial customers or the adoption of strategies that encourage energy conservation to reduce the consumption of energy by those customers. Our strategy will be tailored to balance long-term cash flow certainty, which we can achieve through long-term agreements for our products, with shorter term arrangements that allow us to potentially generate higher risk-adjusted returns.

 

Our renewable energy projects generate revenue primarily by selling (1) generated electric energy and/or capacity to local utilities and high quality, utility, municipal, corporate and individual residential counterparties, and (2) in some cases, RECs, EECs, and other attributes associated with renewable generation or related incentives. We seek to acquire or finance projects that contain transmission infrastructures and access to power grids or networks that will enable the generated power to be sold. We generally expect our projects will have PPAs with one or more counterparties, including local utilities or other high credit quality counterparties, who agree to purchase the electricity generated from the project. We refer to these PPAs as “must-take contracts”, and we refer to these other counterparties as “off-takers.” The must-take contracts in general are output-based and guarantee that all energy, capacity and/or related attributes generated by a project will be purchased. Although we intend to work primarily with highly rated creditworthy counterparties, in the event that an off-taker cannot fulfill its contractual obligations, we generally can sell the plant output to the local utility or other suitable replacement counterparty, ensuring revenue certainty for all solar generation. We may also generate revenue from the receipt of interest, fees, capital gains and distributions from investments in our target assets. 

 

 5 

 

 

Our PPAs, when structured with utilities and other large commercial users of electricity, are generally long-term in nature, tied to 100% of the output of the specific generating asset, and priced at a rate established pursuant to a formula set by the agreement. The formula is often dependent upon the type of subsidies, if any, offered by the local and state governments for project development. Although we focus on projects with long-term contracts that ensure price certainty, we also look for projects with shorter term arrangements that will allow us to participate in market rate changes which could lead to higher current income. 

 

Certain of our projects are structured as “behind the meter” systems in residential, commercial and/or or municipal installations. Under the agreements associated with these projects, all electricity generated is purchased by the off-taker at an agreed-upon rate that could be set at a slight discount to the equivalent retail electric tariff rate for the off-taker customer class. These agreements also typically provide for annual rate increases over the term of the agreement. The behind the meter agreement is generally long-term in nature and further typically provides that, should the off-taker fail to fulfill its contractual purchase obligations, electricity can be sold back to the interconnected utility, usually at an equivalent wholesale spot electric rate.

 

We have structured some of our investments in residential solar with a similar commercial arrangement to that of the PPAs with utilities and other large commercial users of electricity for our energy projects, as described above. In our residential solar asset portfolio we have a combination of long-term homeowner PPAs and leases.

 

We currently finance energy efficiency projects, which seek to enable residential customers, businesses and governmental organizations to consume less energy while at the same time providing the same or greater level of amenity. Financing for energy efficiency projects is generally used to pay for energy efficiency retrofits of buildings, homes, businesses, and upgrading inefficient energy consuming assets with more modern technologies. These projects are structured to provide predictable long-term cash flows by receiving a portion of the energy savings and the potential sale of associated RECs and EECs generated by such installations. In each of our renewable energy and energy efficiency investments, we intend, where appropriate, to maximize the benefits of renewable portfolio standards or RPS as well as other U.S. federal, state and local government support and incentives for the renewable energy industry.

 

 6 

 

 

The table below sets forth the company’s investments in alternative energy generation portfolios as of December 31, 2017.

 

   Acquisition
Date
  Industry  Location(s)  Form of
Investment
****
  Cost**/
Principal
Amount*
   Assets  Generation
Capacity in
(MW)*
 
Sunny Mountain Portfolio  Third quarter 2014  Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  Colorado  100% equity ownership  $884,578   Commercial and residential ground and roof mounted solar photovoltaic systems   0.801 
East to West Solar Portfolio  First quarter 2015, Second quarter 2015, Fourth quarter 2015  Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana and North Carolina  100% equity ownership  $27,934,875   Commercial ground and roof mounted solar photovoltaic systems   19.46 
Green Maple Portfolio  Fourth quarter 2014, Fourth quarter 2015  Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  Vermont  100% equity ownership  $13,075,000   Commercial ground mounted solar photovoltaic systems   7.393 
Magnolia Sun Portfolio  Third quarter 2015, First quarter 2016  Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  California, Massachusetts and Tennessee  100% equity ownership  $10,775,000   Commercial ground and roof mounted solar photovoltaic systems   5.302 
Six States Solar Portfolio  Fourth quarter 2015, Third quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana and North Carolina  100% equity ownership  $4,770,306   Ground and roof mounted solar systems   12.973 
Greenbacker Residential Solar Portfolio  Third quarter 2016, First quarter 2017, Second quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Residential Solar  Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and  New York  100% equity ownership or managing member, majority equity owner  $28,100,000   Residential rooftop mounted solar photovoltaic systems   18.559 
Greenbacker Residential Solar Portfolio II  Second quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Residential Solar  Arizona, California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts,  Nevada, New Jersey and  New York  Managing member, majority equity owner  $6,400,000   Residential rooftop mounted solar photovoltaic systems   10.221 
Enfinity Colorado DHA Portfolio  First quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Residential Solar  Colorado  100% equity ownership  $1,400,000   Residential rooftop mounted solar photovoltaic systems   2.508 
Golden Horizons Solar Portfolio  Fourth quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Solar  California  100% equity ownership  $9,450,000   Commercial ground mounted solar photovoltaic systems   7.792 
Raleigh Portfolio  Third quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  North Carolina  Managing member, majority equity Owner  $20,672,198   Commercial ground mounted solar photovoltaic systems   27.829 
Foresight Solar Portfolio  Fourth quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  California, Colorado  Managing member, majority equity owner  $13,200,071   Commercial ground mounted solar photovoltaic systems   10.0 

Midway III Portfolio

 

  Fourth quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  California  100% equity ownership  $10,093,861   Commercial ground mounted solar photovoltaic systems   *** 
Greenbacker Wind – California  Fourth quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Wind  California  100% equity ownership  $9,500,000   Operating wind power facilities   6.0 
Greenbacker Wind – Idaho  Second quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Wind  Idaho  100% equity ownership  $7,320,000   Operating wind power facilities   10.5 
Greenbacker Wind – Montana  Fourth quarter 2015, Fourth quarter 2016  Alternative Energy – Wind  Montana  Managing member, equity owner  $21,609,488   Operating wind power facilities   35.0 
Greenbacker Wind – Vermont  Fourth quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Wind  Vermont  100% equity ownership  $24,417,193   Operating wind power facilities   10.0 
GREC Energy Efficiency Portfolio  Third quarter 2015  Energy Efficiency – Lighting Replacement  Puerto Rico  Capital lease  $482,450   Energy efficiency LED lighting    
Renew AEC One, LLC  Fourth quarter 2015  Energy Efficiency – Lighting Replacement  Pennsylvania  Secured loan  $672,871   Energy efficiency LED lighting    
Canadian Northern Lights Portfolio  Fourth quarter 2014, Fourth quarter 2015  Alternative Energy – Residential Solar  Ontario, Canada  100% equity ownership  $1,603,136   Residential rooftop mounted solar photovoltaic systems   .6 

 

 

* Approximate.

** Does not include assumed project level debt.

*** Currently under construction.

**** 100% Equity ownership, majority equity owner (>50%), equity owner (<50%), Managing Member of the Limited Liability Company, secured loan or a capital lease

 

 7 

 

 

The investments described above have allowed us to execute on our strategy of constructing a portfolio of projects offering predictable power generation characteristics and generally stable income streams which includes seasonal solar generation income (generally stronger in the summer months), wind generation income (generally stronger in the winter months), and energy efficiency lights investments.

 

The LLC conducts a significant portion of its operations through GREC, of which the LLC is the sole shareholder, holding both shares of common stock and the special preferred stock. We intend to continue to operate our business in a manner permitting us to maintain our exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). We are not a blank check company within the meaning of Rule 419 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and have no specific intent to engage in a merger or acquisition in the next 12 months.

 

Pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-211571), we are offering on a continuous basis up to $1,000,000,000 in shares of our limited liability company interests, consisting of up to $800,000,000 of shares in the Primary Offering and up to $200,000,000 of shares pursuant to the Distribution Reinvestment Plan. SC Distributors, LLC is the dealer manager for the current offering. The company’s initial offering pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-178786-01) terminated on February 7, 2017.

 

After the finalization of the December 31, 2017 net asset value, the current offering price of the Class A shares is $9.780 per share, the current offering price of the Class C shares is $9.089 per share, the current offering price of the Class I shares is $8.984 per share, and the current offering price of the Class P-I shares is $8.810 per share.

 

As of December 31, 2017, through initial purchases of shares and participation in the DRP program, our advisor owned 23,601 shares. The affiliate of our advisor redeemed all of its shares during the year ended December 31, 2017 and no longer owns shares as of December 31, 2017. As of December 31, 2016, our advisor and its affiliate owned 23,469 and 93,191 shares, respectively.

 

As of December 31, 2017, we had received subscriptions for and issued 24,008,372 of our shares (including shares issued under the DRP) for gross proceeds of $230,720,821 (before dealer-manager fees of $3,242,439 and selling commissions of $11,160,498 for net proceeds of $216,317,884). As of December 31, 2016, we had received subscriptions for and issued 15,223,577 of our shares (including shares issued under the DRP) for gross proceeds of $149,746,470 (before dealer-manager fees of $2,416,177 and selling commissions of $8,713,815 for net proceeds of $138,616,478).

 

OUR ADVISOR

 

GCM, a private firm that is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), serves as our advisor. Under the direction of our board of directors, GCM manages our day-to-day operations and provides advisory and management services to us.

 

Led by its Chief Executive Officer, David Sher, who has 8 years of experience in the energy infrastructure and project finance sector and in excess of 25 years of experience in the financial services sector, its President and Chief Investment Officer, Charles Wheeler (Mr. Wheeler also serves as our President and board of directors’ member, as well as President, CEO and as a director of GREC), who has greater than 30 years of experience in the energy infrastructure and project finance sector as well as the financial services sector, its Chief Financial Officer, Richard Butt, who has 8 years of experience in the energy infrastructure and project finance sector and over 35 years of experience in the financial services sector, and Managing Director Spencer Mash, who has 6 years of experience in energy infrastructure and over 10 years in the financial services sector, and Vice President Mehul Mehta, who brings over 10 years of experience in energy finance, GCM’s management team has in excess of 50 years of experience in the energy, infrastructure, and project finance sectors and over 90 years of experience in the financial services sector. Over this time, they have developed significant commercial relationships across multiple industries that we believe will benefit us as we implement our business plan. GCM maintains comprehensive renewable energy, project finance, and capital markets databases and has developed proprietary analytical tools and due diligence processes that will enable GCM to identify prospective projects and to structure transactions quickly and effectively on our behalf. Neither GCM, Greenbacker Group LLC nor our senior management team have previously sponsored any other programs, either public or non-public, or any other programs with similar investment objectives as us.

 

We will continue to capitalize on the significant investing experience of our advisor’s management team, including the 25 years of investment banking and renewable energy expertise of Charles Wheeler, our Chief Executive Officer and President, and the Chief Investment Officer and President of GCM. Mr. Wheeler has held various senior positions with Macquarie Group, including Head of Financial Products for North America and Head of Renewables for North America. While serving as Head of Renewables for North America, Mr. Wheeler’s experience included evaluating wind project developers, solar asset acquisitions, assisting in the development of wind and solar greenfield projects, and assisting in the preparation of investment analyses for a biomass facility. Before moving to the United States to serve as Head of Financial Products for Macquarie Group in North America, Mr. Wheeler was a Director of the Financial Products Group in Australia with responsibility for the development, distribution and ongoing management of a wide variety of retail financial products, including Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”), infrastructure bonds, international investment trusts and diversified domestic investment trusts. Mr. Wheeler brings his extensive background in renewable energy and project and structured finance to help us effectively execute our strategy.

 

 8 

 

 

GCM’s Chief Executive Officer, David Sher has extensive experience in the financial services and capital markets industries as well as significant successful entrepreneurial experience. Mr. Sher was previously a senior adviser at Prospect Capital Corporation, a mezzanine debt and private equity firm that manages a publicly traded, closed-end, dividend-focused business development company. Prior to joining Prospect, Mr. Sher was a serial entrepreneur, founding a number of ventures in the financial services and brokerage industry. Mr. Sher was a founder and Managing Director of ESP Technologies, a leading provider of financial software and services to institutional asset managers and hedge funds. Prior to ESP, Mr. Sher was a founder and CEO of an online brokerage company, ElephantX dot com Inc. He was also co-founder of Lafayette Capital Management LLC, a statistical arbitrage hedge fund, and spent six years at The Bear Stearns and Company, Inc. where he developed trading ideas and strategies for institutional and brokerage correspondent clearing customers.

 

Together with Charles Wheeler and David Sher, Richard Butt is an integral part of GCM’s management team with extensive experience in the investment management industry. Over the course of his 35+ year career, Mr. Butt has held a variety of senior management positions for global investment and financial institutions. Most recently, from July 2012 to August 2013, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of P3 Global Management LLC, a firm focused on investing in municipal infrastructure assets. From August 2006 to January 2011, he served as President of Macquarie Capital Investment Management LLC., with offices in New York and Sydney, Australia, responsible for administration, operations, finance, compliance, treasury, marketing, business operations and FX/cash management for portfolios domiciled in North America, Australia, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. In addition, Mr. Butt served as Chief Financial and Accounting Officer for Macquarie Global Infrastructure Fund, a New York Stock Exchange listed closed end fund (NYSE: MGU). Prior to joining Macquarie, Mr. Butt served as President of Refco Alternative Investments LLC and Refco Fund Holdings LLC, the commodity pool businesses associated with Refco, Inc., from January 2003 to August 2006. In this capacity, Mr. Butt was responsible for the initial development and ongoing operations of numerous public and private commodity pools. During the period from 1990 through 2003, he served in various operational and financial capacities with multiple mutual / hedge fund third party administration firms. Earlier in his career, he served as Vice President at Fidelity Investments, where he was responsible for fund accounting and financial reporting for all equity and global mutual funds. Mr. Butt is a Certified Public Accountant (Inactive) previously working at major accounting firms such as PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, from July 1978 to July 1984, where he was an Audit Manager, and KPMG from December 1994 to October 1996, where he was a Director in their financial services consulting practice. Mr. Butt holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management Science from Duke University.

 

Spencer Mash, who is responsible for analyzing all potential asset acquisitions, has extensive experience in structuring, modeling, performing diligence for, and executing transactions such as mergers and acquisitions, investments in private debt securities and bankruptcy restructurings. Prior to joining GCM, from 2010 to 2011, Mr. Mash was employed by TM Capital Corp., a boutique investment bank where he focused on sell side mergers and acquisitions assignments and bankruptcy restructurings. From 2008 to 2009, Mr. Mash was an investment analyst at Gandhara Capital LTD, a long/short hedge fund investing in global large cap public equity. From 2005 to 2008, Mr. Mash was employed by Deerfield Capital Management in its Leveraged Finance Group. Mr. Mash’s duties included performing in-depth due diligence and financial analyses, negotiating loan documentation and monitoring for over 20 investments in private middle market first lien, second lien, mezzanine and one-stop senior secured debt investments. From 2003 to 2005, Mr. Mash was an analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he analyzed, structured and marketed financial sponsor- and mergers and acquisitions-related leveraged loan and high yield securities.

 

Mehul Mehta, who is responsible for analyzing all potential asset acquisitions, has extensive experience in structuring, modeling, performing diligence for energy finance. He has served as a Vice President of GCM since June 2016 bringing with him 10 years of experience within energy finance, working in a wide variety of roles and functions over that period.  From 2015 to 2016 Mehul worked at BlackRock Infrastructure Investment Group as an Associate within the Global Renewable Power team, helping structure and execute investments into the North American renewable power space.  Prior to this role, he worked at UBS within the equity research department helping cover alternative energy and semiconductor capital equipment companies, working on a team consistently ranked as a top research team by Institutional Investor.  From 2012 to 2014 he worked at Recurrent Energy, a leading solar developer, where he worked in Business Planning and Analysis, helping the company COO oversee development, construction, and operations of solar assets and in the Originations group helping to analyze deals for bidding and executing Power Purchase Agreements.  Mehul began his career as a power and natural gas options trader, first at Bank of America Merrill Lynch from 2006 to 2009 and later from 2009 to 2010 at Hess Energy Trading Company (now Hartree, a part of Oaktree Investments).  Mehul received his BA in Mathematics and Economics from New York University and his MBA from Yale University.

 

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INVESTMENT COMMITTEE OF OUR ADVISOR

 

Our advisor utilizes an internal investment committee to oversee the implementation of our investment strategy and to govern multiple aspects of our portfolio. The investment committee, among other things:

 

  determines the composition of our portfolio, the nature and timing of the changes to our portfolio and the manner of implementing such changes;

 

  identifies, evaluates and negotiates the structure of the investments we make (including performing due diligence on our prospective projects);

 

  closes and monitors the investments we make; and

 

  assists in the preparation of requests to members.

 

The investment committee is comprised of Charles Wheeler, who also serves as President of the company, and President and Chief Investment Officer of our advisor and a member of our board of directors, David Sher, who serves as Chief Executive Officer of our advisor and is a member of our board of directors, and Robert Brennan, who serves as Co-Chairmen of Greenbacker Group, LLC. All investments are required to be unanimously approved by the GCM investment committee prior to consideration and approval by the company.

 

OVERVIEW OF SIGNIFICANT GOVERNMENT INCENTIVES

 

The renewable energy and energy efficiency sector attracts significant U.S. federal, state and local government support and incentives to address technical barriers to the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and to promote the use of renewable energy and energy saving strategies. These U.S. federal, state and local government incentives have historically functioned to increase (1) the revenue generated by, and (2) the equity returns available from, renewable energy projects. Energy efficiency projects are also eligible to receive government incentives at the U.S. federal, state and local levels that can be applied to offset project development costs. Governments in other jurisdictions also provide several types of incentives.

 

Corporate entities are eligible to receive benefits through tax credits, such as PTCs, ITCs, tax deductions, accelerated depreciation and U.S. federal grants and loan guarantees (from the U.S. Department of Energy, for instance), as described below.

 

The following is a description of certain U.S. federal and state government incentives, which we may utilize in executing our business strategy.

 

U.S. Federal Incentives

 

The impacts of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “TCJA”) that are effective for tax years beginning January 1, 2018 include updates concerning depreciation that are being assessed by our advisor’s management team and are highlighted in the sections below.

 

Corporate Depreciation: Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (“MACRS”). Under MACRS, owners of renewable energy and some energy efficiency projects can recover capital invested through accelerated depreciation, which reduces the payment of corporate tax. Bonus depreciation under Section 168(k) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”) is extended and modified. Businesses can now immediately deduct 100% of the cost of eligible property in the year it is placed in service, through 2022. Also, the TCJA eliminated the rule that made bonus depreciation available only for new property. The changes in the TCJA provide more flexibility than the current bonus depreciation rules in that they permit a taxpayer to depreciate an asset that is not new; however the asset must be acquired from a third party in an arm’s-length sale.

 

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Production Tax Credits. PTCs are provided to owners of certain renewable energy projects that produce electricity for sale to unrelated persons. This credit is applicable for a 10-year period from the time a project is placed into service and benefits owners with tax liabilities against which to claim the tax credit. As part of the federal tax extenders legislation passed in December 2015, the 2.3 cent-per kilowatt hour PTC for wind has been extended through 2016. Projects that begin construction in 2017 will see a 20% reduction in the incentive. The PTC will then drop 20% each year through 2020. This provision was unaltered by the TCJA.

 

Investment Tax Credits. ITCs provide that eligible systems, such as solar systems and fuel cell systems, receive a credit of 30% of the eligible cost-basis with no maximum limit. This credit is currently structured as a tax credit, whereby the owners of a qualifying renewable energy or energy efficient project can elect to receive the tax credit once the project is placed into service. Also, under the federal tax extenders legislation passed in December 2015, the 30% ITC for solar energy will be extended for another three years. It will then ramp down incrementally through 2021, and remain at 10% permanently beginning in 2022. This provision was unaltered by the TCJA.

 

State Incentives

 

Renewable Portfolio Standards. RPSs, while varying based on jurisdiction, specify that a portion of the power utilized by local utilities must be derived from renewable energy sources. Currently, according to the Annual Energy Outlook, more than 30 state and territorial governments have enacted RPS programs, set mandates, or set goals that require utilities to include or obtain a minimum percentage of their energy from specific renewable energy sources. Under the RPS programs, utilities can (1) build or own renewable energy generation facilities, (2) purchase energy or RECs generated from renewable energy generation facilities, or (3) pay a penalty for any shortfalls in meeting the RPS.

 

Renewable Energy Certificates. RECs (or EECs) are used in conjunction with compliance with an RPS program or as tradable certificates that represents a certain number of kilowatt hours of energy that have been generated by a renewable source or that have been saved by an energy efficiency project, which provide further support to renewable energy initiatives. RECs are produced in conjunction with the generation of renewable energy and can used for state RPS compliance, traded or sold to load-serving entities or to third parties, brokers and other market makers for investment purposes. Many states have specific compliance carve-outs for different types of renewable generation.

 

Feed-In Tariffs. Certain U.S. states and provinces of Canada have implemented feed-in tariffs (“FITs”) that entitle the renewable energy producer to enter into long-term contracts pursuant to which payment is based on the cost of generation for the diverse types of renewable energy projects. In addition to differences in FITs based on the type of project, FITs vary based on projects in various locations, such as rooftops or ground-mounted for solar PV projects, different sizes, and different geographic regions. FITs are available to anyone including homeowners, business owners, farmers, as well as private investors. The tariffs are typically designed to ratchet downward over time to both track and encourage technological change.

 

Tax Reform

 

New tax legislation, commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”), was enacted on December 22, 2017. ASC 740, Accounting for Income Taxes, requires companies to recognize the effect of tax law changes in the period of enactment even though the effective date for most provisions is for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, or in the case of certain other provisions, January 1, 2018.

 

Given the significance of the legislation, the SEC staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (SAB 118), which allows registrants to record provisional amounts during a one year “measurement period” similar to that used when accounting for business combinations. However, the measurement period is deemed to have ended earlier when the registrant has obtained, prepared and analyzed the information necessary to finalize its accounting. During the measurement period, impacts of the law are expected to be recorded at the time a reasonable estimate for all or a portion of the effects can be made, and provisional amounts can be recognized and adjusted as information becomes available, prepared or analyzed.

 

The SAB summarizes a three-step process to be applied at each reporting period to account for and qualitatively disclose: (1) the effects of the change in tax law for which accounting is complete; (2) provisional amounts (or adjustments to provisional amounts) for the effects of the tax law where accounting is not complete, but that a reasonable estimate has been determined; and (3) a reasonable estimate cannot yet be made and therefore taxes are reflected in accordance with law prior to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

 

The major provisions under the Tax Cuts and Job Act are discussed below:

  

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Corporate Tax Rate

 

The law reduces the corporate tax rate to 21% effective January 1, 2018. A company must remeasure its deferred tax assets and liabilities to reflect the effects of enacted changes in tax laws or rates at the date of enactment, i.e., the date the President signed the law, even though the changes may not be effective until future periods. The effect of the remeasurement is reflected entirely in the interim period that includes the enactment date and allocated directly to income tax expense (benefit) from continuing operations.

 

The Company calculated the impact of the reduction in rate as of December 31, 2017 instead of the date of enactment. This methodology is acceptable given the fact that both the DTA balance at the enactment date and the year-end will be valued at the lower rate and the impact will be booked to income tax expense (benefit).

 

Repatriation of existing earnings and profits

 

Under the Act, a company’s foreign earnings and profits (E&P) accumulated in controlled foreign corporations (CFCs) under legacy tax laws are deemed repatriated for the last taxable year of a CFC that begins before January 1, 2018. E&P are determined as the higher of the balance at November 2 or December 31, 2017. The tax on those deemed repatriated earnings is no longer indefinitely deferred but may be paid over eight years with no interest charged:

 

8% in each of Years 1 to 5;
15% in Year 6;
20% in Year 7; and
25% in Year 8.

 

The Company has one Canadian CFC. This CFC has negative E&P at the end of 12/31/2017. As such, no mandatory repatriation is required.

 

Cost Recovery

 

Under the Act, a company can expense 100% of investments in depreciable property other than real property or certain utility property and certain businesses with floor plan indebtedness. The new rules apply to original or used property. The new rules apply to investments after September 27, 2017 and before January 1, 2023 and will phase-out beginning January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2026.

 

The Company expects to opt out of the 100% deduction on its eligible assets acquired in 2017.

 

Interest Expense Limitation

 

Under the Act, effective 1/1/2018, a company can only deduct interest expense up to 30% of “adjusted taxable income”. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2022, the definition of adjusted taxable income is computed without regard to the deduction for depreciation, amortization, or depletion. Beginning in 2022, depreciation, amortization, and depletion must be considered when calculating adjusted taxable income. The disallowed interest expense can be carried forward indefinitely. Certain businesses with average gross receipts of $25 million or less are exempt from the rule.

 

Net Operating Losses (NOL)

 

Under the Act, for NOL generated after 12/31/2017, it can only offset up to 80% of taxable income. The unused NOL can be carried forward indefinitely. The NOL generated before 1/1/2018 remains subject to the old rules (i.e., 100% utilization and 20 year expiration). When scheduling out future NOL utilization for The valuation reserve analysis, the Company applied the NOL limitation rules.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION

 

Various U.S. federal, state and local permits are required to construct renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. The projects in which we invest must conform to all applicable environmental regulations and codes, including those relating to the discharge of materials into the air, water and ground, which will vary from place to place and time to time, as well as based on the type of renewable energy asset involved in the project.

 

We seek to purchase, finance or otherwise invest in projects that are at least “shovel ready,” meaning that all, or substantially all, planning, engineering and permitting, including all major permits and approvals from local and state regulatory agencies, are in place and construction can begin immediately or upon receipt of certain final permits that must be obtained immediately prior to construction. However, the projects in which we invest may incur significant costs in the ordinary course of business related to operations, maintenance and continued compliance with these laws, regulations and permit requirements.

 

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Failure to comply with these laws, regulations and permit requirements may result in administrative, civil and criminal penalties, imposition of investigatory, cleanup and site restoration costs and liens, denial or revocation of permits or other authorizations and issuance of injunctions to limit or cease operations. In addition, claims for damages to persons or property have been brought and may in the future result from environmental and other impacts of the activities of our projects.

 

COMPETITION

 

Although we believe there is currently a capital shortage in the renewable energy sector, we will still compete for projects with other energy corporations including investment funds (including private equity funds and mezzanine funds), traditional financial services companies such as commercial banks and other sources of funding, as well as utilities and other producers of electricity. Moreover, alternative investment vehicles also make investments in renewable energy projects. Our competitors may be substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do.

 

STAFFING

 

We do not have any employees. Our day-to-day investment operations are managed by GCM. In addition, pursuant to an administration agreement with Greenbacker Administration LLC (Greenbacker Administration), it provides us with administrative services including accounting, compliance and asset management services for all our investments. As of the date hereof, Greenbacker Administration has delegated certain of its administrative functions to U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC. Greenbacker Administration may enter into similar arrangements with other third-party administrators as necessary in the future. While Greenbacker Administration performs the majority of asset management, accounting and oversight services for the company’s investments, it is anticipated that Greenbacker Administration will continue to delegate certain administrative functions to third parties for the LLC and GREC to recognize certain operational efficiencies for the benefit of the company.

 

ADVISORY AGREEMENT

 

Advisory Services

 

GCM, a private firm that is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act, serves as our advisor. Under the direction of our board of directors, GCM manages our day-to-day operations and provides advisory and management services to us. Under the terms of our advisory agreement, GCM will, among other things:

 

  determine the composition of our portfolio, the nature and timing of the changes to our portfolio and the manner of implementing such changes;

 

  identify, evaluate and negotiate the structure of the investments we make (including performing due diligence on our prospective projects);

 

  close and monitor the investments we make; and

 

  assist in the preparation of requests to members.

 

Our advisor and its officers and employees currently spend substantially all their time and resources on us. Pursuant to our advisory agreement, officers and personnel of the advisor who provide services to us must comply with our code of business conduct and ethics, including the conflicts of interest policy included in the code of business conduct and ethics. However, GCM’s services under the advisory agreement are not exclusive, and it, and its members and affiliates, are free to furnish similar services to other entities so long as its services to us are not impaired.

 

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The advisory agreement was initially approved by our board of directors and became effective on April 25, 2014. Unless earlier terminated, the advisory agreement will remain in effect for successive one-year periods if approved annually by a majority of our independent directors. The advisory agreement was most recently re-approved in February 2018, for a one-year period commencing April 24, 2018.

 

We may terminate the advisory agreement, without penalty, upon 60 days’ written notice. The decision to terminate the agreement may be made by a majority of our independent directors. In addition, GCM may terminate the advisory agreement with us upon 120 days’ written notice. If the advisory agreement is terminated or not renewed, we will pay our advisor accrued and unpaid fees and expense reimbursements, including any payment of subordinated fees, earned prior to termination or non-renewal of the advisory agreement. Furthermore, if the advisory agreement is terminated or not renewed, GCM will have no further obligation to incur offering expenses on behalf of the company and we will not have any further obligation to reimburse GCM for operating or offering expenses not reimbursed as of the date of the termination.

 

Pursuant to the advisory agreement, which has been approved by our board of directors, GCM is authorized to retain one or more sub-advisors with expertise in our target assets to assist GCM in fulfilling its responsibilities under the advisory agreement. However, GCM will be required to monitor any sub-advisor to ensure that material information discussed by management of any sub-advisor is communicated to our board of directors, as appropriate. If GCM retains any sub-advisor to assist it in fulfilling its responsibilities under the advisory agreement in the future, our advisor will pay such sub-advisor a portion of the fees that it receives from us. We will not pay any additional fees to a sub-advisor. While our advisor will oversee the performance of any sub-advisor, our advisor will remain primarily liable to us to perform all of its duties under the advisory agreement, including those delegated to any sub-advisor. No sub-advisors have been retained by GCM since inception of the advisory agreement.

 

Management Fee and Incentive Allocation and Distribution

 

Pursuant to an advisory agreement, we pay GCM a base management fee for advisory and management services. The base management fee is calculated at a monthly rate of 0.167% (2.00% annually) of our gross assets (including amounts borrowed). For services rendered under the advisory agreement, the base management fee is payable monthly in arrears. The base management fee is calculated based on the average of the values of our gross assets for each day of the prior month. Base management fees for any partial period are appropriately pro-rated.

 

GCM may elect to defer or waive all or a portion of the fees that would otherwise be paid to it in its sole discretion. Any portion of a deferred fee not taken as to any period will be deferred without interest and may be taken in any other period prior to the occurrence of a liquidity event as GCM may determine in its sole discretion.

 

In addition, the Special Unitholder, an entity affiliated with our advisor, holds the special unit in our company entitling it to an incentive allocation and distribution. Pursuant to the company’s amended and restated limited liability company agreement (“LLC Agreement”), the incentive allocation and distribution, or incentive distribution, is comprised of three parts as follows: The first part, the income incentive distribution, is calculated and payable quarterly in arrears based on our pre-incentive distribution net investment income for the immediately preceding fiscal quarter. For this purpose, pre-incentive distribution net investment income means (1) interest income, (2) dividend income from equity investments (but excluding that portion of distributions that are treated as a return of capital) and (3) any other income (including any other fees, such as commitment, origination, structuring, diligence and consulting fees or other fees that we receive, but excluding any fees for providing managerial assistance) accrued during the fiscal quarter, minus our operating expenses for the fiscal quarter (including the base management fee, expenses payable under the administration agreement with our Administrator, and any interest expense and distributions paid on any issued and outstanding indebtedness and preferred units of limited liability company interest, but excluding the incentive distribution). Pre-incentive distribution net investment income includes, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as original issue discount, debt instruments with pay in kind interest and zero-coupon securities), accrued income that we have not yet received in cash. If interest income is accrued but never paid, our board of directors would decide to write off the accrual in the fiscal quarter when the accrual is determined to be uncollectible in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The write off would cause a decrease in interest income for the fiscal quarter equal to the amount of the prior accrual. GCM is not under any obligation to reimburse us for any part of the incentive distribution it received that was based on accrued income that we never receive as a result of a default by an entity on the obligation that resulted in the accrual of such income. Pre-incentive distribution net investment income does not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses, unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation or any accrued income taxes and other taxes including, but not limited to, franchise, property, and sales taxes. Pre-incentive distribution net investment income, expressed as a rate of return on the value of our average adjusted capital at the end of the fiscal quarter will be compared to a “hurdle rate” of 1.75% per fiscal quarter (7.00% annualized). Our net investment income used to calculate this part of the incentive distribution is also included in the amount of our gross assets used to calculate the 2.00% annualized base management fee.

 

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Adjusted capital shall mean: cumulative gross proceeds generated from sales of our shares and preferred units of limited liability company interests (including our distribution reinvestment plan) reduced for distributions to members of proceeds from non-liquidation dispositions of our assets and amounts paid for share repurchases pursuant to our share repurchase program. Average adjusted capital shall mean: the average value of the adjusted capital for the two most recently completed fiscal quarters.

 

The Special Unitholder shall receive an incentive distribution with respect to our pre-incentive distribution net investment income in each fiscal quarter as follows:

 

  no incentive distribution in any fiscal quarter in which our pre-incentive distribution net investment income does not exceed the “hurdle rate” of 1.75%;

 

  100% of our pre-incentive distribution net investment income with respect to that portion of such pre-incentive distribution net investment income, if any, that exceeds the hurdle but is less than 2.1875% in any fiscal quarter (8.75% annualized with a 7% annualized hurdle rate). We refer to this portion of our pre-incentive distribution net investment income (which exceeds the hurdle but is less than 2.1875%) as the “catch-up.” The “catch-up” is meant to provide the Special Unitholder with 20% of our pre-incentive distribution net investment income as if a hurdle did not apply if this net investment income exceeds 2.1875% in any fiscal quarter; and

 

  20% of the amount of our pre-incentive distribution net investment income, if any, that exceeds 2.1875% in any fiscal quarter (8.75% annualized with a 7% annualized hurdle rate) is distributed to the Special Unitholder (once the hurdle is reached and the catch-up is achieved, 20% of all pre-incentive distribution investment income thereafter is allocated to the Special Unitholder).

 

The following is a graphical representation of the calculation of the income-related portion of the incentive distribution:

 

Quarterly Incentive Distribution Based on Net Investment Income

 

Pre-incentive distribution net investment income

(expressed as a percentage of the value of average adjusted capital)

 

 

Percentage of pre-incentive distribution net investment income

allocated to the Special Unitholder

 

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These calculations are appropriately prorated for any period of less than three months and adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the relevant quarter. You should be aware that a rise in the general level of interest rates can be expected to lead to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments. Accordingly, an increase in interest rates would make it easier for us to meet or exceed the incentive distribution hurdle rate and may result in an increase of the amount of incentive distributions payable to the Special Unitholder with respect to pre-incentive distribution net investment income.

 

The second part of the incentive distribution, the capital gains incentive distribution, will be determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each fiscal quarter (or upon termination of the advisory agreement, as of the termination date) and will equal 20.0% of our realized capital gains, if any, on a cumulative basis from inception through the end of each fiscal quarter, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gains incentive distributions. For purposes of calculating the foregoing: (1) the calculation of the incentive distribution shall include any capital gains that result from cash distributions that are treated as a return of capital, (2) any such return of capital will be treated as a decrease in our cost basis of an investment, and (3) all quarterly valuations will be determined by us in accordance with our valuation procedures. In determining the capital gains incentive distribution to which the Special Unitholder may be entitled, we will calculate the aggregate realized capital gains, aggregate realized capital losses and aggregate unrealized capital depreciation, as applicable, with respect to each of our assets. For this purpose, aggregate realized capital gains, if any, will equal the sum of the differences between the net sales price of each investment, when sold or otherwise disposed, and the aggregate cost basis of such investment reduced by cash distributions that are treated as returns of capital. Aggregate realized capital losses will equal the sum of the amounts by which the net sales price of each investment, when sold or otherwise disposed, is less than the aggregate cost basis of such investment reduced by cash distributions that are treated as returns of capital. Aggregate unrealized capital depreciation will equal the sum of the difference, if negative, between the valuation of each investment as of the applicable date and the aggregate cost basis of such investment reduced by cash distributions that are treated as returns of capital. At the end of the applicable period, the amount of capital gains that serves as the basis for our calculation of the capital gains incentive distribution will equal the aggregate realized capital gains, excluding any accrued income taxes and other taxes including, but not limited to, franchise, property, and sales taxes associated with the sale or disposal of the asset, less aggregate realized capital losses and less aggregate unrealized capital depreciation with respect to our assets. If this number is positive at the end of such period, then the capital gains incentive distribution for such period will be equal to 20% of such amount, less the aggregate amount of any capital gains incentive distributions paid in all prior periods.

 

Because of the structure of the incentive distribution, it is possible that the Special Unitholder may be entitled to receive an incentive distribution in a fiscal quarter where we incur a loss. For example, if we receive pre-incentive distribution net investment income in excess of the hurdle rate for a fiscal quarter, we will make the applicable income incentive distribution even if we have incurred a loss in that fiscal quarter due to realized or unrealized losses on our investments.

 

The third part of the incentive distribution, which we refer to as the liquidation incentive distribution, will equal 20.0% of the net proceeds from a liquidation of our company in excess of adjusted capital, as calculated immediately prior to liquidation. In the event of any liquidity event that involves a listing of our shares, or a transaction in which our members receive shares of a company that is listed, on a national securities exchange, if that liquidity event produces a listing premium (which we define as the amount, if any, by which our listing value following such liquidity event exceeds the adjusted capital, as calculated immediately prior to such listing), the liquidation incentive distribution, which will equal 20% of any listing premium, will be determined and payable in arrears 30 days after the commencement of trading following such liquidity event. To calculate this distribution, our “listing value” will be the product of: (i) the number of listed shares and (ii) average closing price per share over the 30 trading-day period following such liquidity event. To calculate the listing premium, any cash consideration received by members in connection with any such liquidity event will be included in (as an addition to) our listing value. If the members receive non-listed securities as full or partial consideration with respect to any listing, no value will be attributed to such non-listed securities.

 

The liquidation incentive distribution is payable in cash or shares, or in any combination thereof.

 

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Upon the occurrence of (1) non-renewal of the advisory agreement upon the expiration of its then current term; (2) termination of the advisory agreement for any reason under circumstances where an affiliate of Greenbacker Group LLC does not serve as the advisor under any replacement advisory agreement; or (3) resignation of GCM under the advisory agreement, which we refer to as a “trigger event”, we will have the right, but not the obligation, to repurchase the special unit or the special preferred stock, as applicable, at the fair market value of the special unit or the special preferred stock on the date of termination, as determined by an independent appraiser. In such event, the purchase price will be paid in cash or shares of limited liability company interests, at the option of the Special Unitholder. We must purchase any such interests within 120 days after giving the Special Unitholder written notice of our desire to repurchase the special unit or the special preferred stock. If the advisory agreement is terminated or not renewed, we will pay our advisor accrued and unpaid fees and expense reimbursements, including any payment of subordinated fees, earned prior to termination or non-renewal of the advisory agreement.

 

Examples of Quarterly Incentive Distribution Calculation

 

Example 1: Income Related Portion of Incentive Distribution:

 

Alternative 1

 

Assumptions

 

Investment income (including interest, distributions, fees, etc.) = 1.25% Hurdle rate (1) = 1.75%

Management fee (2) = 0.500%

Other operating expenses (i.e. legal, accounting, custodian, transfer agent, etc.) = 0.20%

Pre-incentive distribution net investment income

(investment income – (management fee + other operating expenses)) = 0.55%

 

Pre-incentive net investment income does not exceed hurdle rate, therefore there is no incentive distribution.

 

Alternative 2

 

Assumptions

 

Investment income (including interest, distributions, fees, etc.) = 2.70% Hurdle rate (1) = 1.75%

Management fee (2) = 0.50%

Other operating expenses (i.e. legal, accounting, custodian, transfer agent, etc.) = 0.20%

Pre-incentive distribution net investment income

(investment income – (management fee + other operating expenses)) = 2.00%

 

Pre-incentive net investment income exceeds hurdle rate, therefore there is an income incentive distribution payable by us to GCM.

 

Incentive distribution = 100% × pre-incentive distribution net investment income, subject to the “catch-up” (3)

= 100% × (2.00% – 1.75%)

= 0.25%

 

Alternative 3

 

Assumptions

 

Investment income (including interest, distributions, fees, etc.) = 3.00% Hurdle rate (1) = 1.75%

Management fee (2) = 0.50%

Other operating expenses (i.e. legal, accounting, custodian, transfer agent, etc.) = 0.20%

Pre-incentive distribution net investment income

(investment income – (management fee + other operating expenses)) = 2.30%

 

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Pre-incentive net investment income exceeds hurdle rate, therefore there is an income incentive distribution made to the Special Unitholder.

 

Incentive distribution = 20% × pre-incentive distribution net investment income, subject to “catch-up” (3)

Incentive distribution = 100% × “catch-up” + (20% × (pre-incentive distribution net investment income – 2.1875%))

Catch-up = 2.1875% – 1.75%

= 0.4375%

Incentive distribution = (100% × 0.4375%) + (20% × (2.3% – 2.1875%))

= 0.4375% + (20% × 0.1125%)

= 0.4375% + 0.0225%

= 0.46%

 

 
(1) Represents 7.00% annualized hurdle rate.

 

(2) Represents 2.00% annualized management fee.

 

(3) The “catch-up” provision is intended to provide the Special Unitholder with an incentive distribution of 20% on all our pre-incentive distribution net investment income as if a hurdle rate did not apply when our net investment income exceeds 2.1875% in any fiscal quarter.

 

Example 2: Capital Gains Portion of Incentive Distribution:

 

Alternative 1

 

Assumptions

 

  Year 1: $20 million investment made in company A (“Investment A”), and $30 million investment made in company B (“Investment B”)

 

  Year 2: Investment A sold for $50 million and fair market value (“FMV”) of Investment B determined to be $32 million

 

  Year 3: FMV of Investment B determined to be $25 million

 

  Year 4: Investment B sold for $31 million

 

The capital gains portion of the incentive distribution would be:

 

  Year 1: None

 

  Year 2: Capital gains incentive distribution of $6 million ($30 million realized capital gains on sale of Investment A multiplied by 20%)

 

  Year 3: None

 

  Year 4: Capital gains incentive distribution of $200,000

 

$6.2 million ($31 million cumulative realized capital gains multiplied by 20%) less $6 million (capital gains fee taken in Year 2)

 

Alternative 2

 

Assumptions

 

  Year 1: $20 million investment made in company A (“Investment A”), $30 million investment made in company B (“Investment B”) and $25 million investment made in company C (“Investment C”)

 

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  Year 2: Investment A sold for $50 million, FMV of Investment B determined to be $25 million and FMV of Investment C determined to be $25 million

 

  Year 3: FMV of Investment B determined to be $27 million and Investment C sold for $30 million

 

  Year 4: FMV of Investment B determined to be $35 million

 

  Year 5: Investment B sold for $20 million

 

The capital gains incentive distribution, if any, would be:

 

  Year 1: None

 

  Year 2: $5 million capital gains incentive distribution

 

  20% multiplied by $25 million ($30 million realized capital gains on Investment A less $5 million unrealized capital depreciation on Investment B)

 

  Year 3: $1.4 million capital gains incentive distribution (1)

 

$6.4 million (20% multiplied by $32 million ($35 million cumulative realized capital gains less $3 million unrealized capital depreciation)) less $5 million capital gains fee received in Year 2

 

  Year 4: None

 

  Year 5: None

 

$5 million (20% multiplied by $25 million (cumulative realized capital gains of $35 million less realized capital losses of $10 million)) less $6.4 million cumulative capital gains fee paid in Year 2 and Year 3

 

 
(1) As illustrated in Year 3 of Alternative 1 above, if we were to be wound up on a date other than December 31st of any year, we may have paid aggregate capital gains incentive distributions that are more than the amount of such fees that would be payable if we had been wound up on December 31 of such year.

 

Example 3: Liquidation Incentive Distribution:

 

Alternative 1

 

Assumptions

 

  Year 1: Gross offering proceeds total $85 million. $20 million investment made in company A (“Investment A”), $30 million investment made in company B (“Investment B”) and $25 million investment made in company C (“Investment C”).

 

  Year 2: Investment A sold for $25 million and all proceeds, net of any capital gains incentive distributions payable, are returned to members. FMV of Investment B determined to be $30 million and FMV of Investment C determined to be $27 million.

 

  Year 3: FMV of Investment B determined to be $31 million. FMV of Investment C Determined to be $20 million.

 

  Year 4: FMV of Investment B determined to be $35 million. FMV of Investment C determined to be $25 million.

 

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  Year 5: Investments B and C sold in an orderly liquidation for total proceeds of $55 million. All proceeds, net of any capital gains incentive distributions payable, are returned to members.

 

The capital gains incentive distribution, if any, would be:

 

  Year 1: None

 

  Year 2: Incentive distribution on capital gains during operations of $1 million ($5 million realized capital gains on sale of Investment A multiplied by 20.0%). Adjusted capital now equals $61 million ($85 million gross proceeds less $24 million returned to members from the sale of portfolio investments).

 

  Year 3: None

 

  Year 4: None

 

  Year 5: No liquidation incentive distribution due—Liquidation proceeds of $55 million are less than adjusted capital immediately prior to liquidation ($61 million).

 

Alternative 2

 

Assumptions

 

  Year 1: Gross offering proceeds total $85 million. $20 million investment made in company A (“Investment A”), $30 million investment made in company B (“Investment B”) and $25 million investment made in company C (“Investment C”).

 

  Year 2: Investment A sold for $25 million and all proceeds, net of any capital gains incentive distributions payable, are returned to members. FMV of Investment B determined to be $30 million and FMV of Investment C determined to be $27 million.

 

  Year 3: FMV of Investment B determined to be $31 million. FMV of Investment C determined to be $20 million.

 

  Year 4: FMV of Investment B determined to be $35 million. FMV of Investment C determined to be $25 million.

 

  Year 5: Investments B and C sold in an orderly liquidation for total proceeds of $80 million. All proceeds, net of any capital gains incentive distributions payable, are returned to members.

 

The capital gains incentive distribution, if any, would be:

 

  Year 1: None

 

  Year 2: Incentive distribution on capital gains during operations of $1 million ($5 million realized capital gains on sale of Investment A multiplied by 20.0%). Adjusted capital now equals $61 million ($85 million gross proceeds less $24 million returned to members from the sale of portfolio investments).

 

  Year 3: None

 

  Year 4: None

 

  Year 5: $3.8 million liquidation incentive distribution—20.0% multiplied by liquidation proceeds ($80 million) in excess of adjusted capital immediately prior to liquidation ($61 million), or $19 million.

 

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Alternative 3 (If the liquidity event is a listing)

 

Assumptions

 

  Year 1: Gross offering proceeds total $85 million. $20 million investment made in company A (“Investment A”), $30 million investment made in company B (“Investment B”) and $25 million investment made in company C (“Investment C”).

 

  Year 2: Investment A sold for $25 million and all proceeds, net of any capital gains incentive distributions payable, are returned to members.

 

Incentive distribution on capital gains paid to GCM of $1 million ($5 million realized capital gains on sale of Investment A multiplied by 20.0%). Adjusted capital now equals $61 million ($85 million gross proceeds less $24 million returned to members from the sale of portfolio investments).

 

  Year 3: No change in adjusted capital.

 

  Year 4: No change in adjusted capital.

 

  Year 5: All shares of the company are listed on a national securities exchange. The listing value is $85 million.

 

The liquidation incentive distribution in this example would be:

 

Year 5: $4.8 million liquidation incentive distribution (20% multiplied by $24 million listing premium ($85 million listing value in excess of $61 million of adjusted capital immediately prior to listing)).

 

The returns shown are for illustrative purposes only. There is no guarantee that positive returns will be realized and actual returns may vary from those shown in the examples above.

 

Payment of Our Expenses

 

Our primary operating expenses are the payment of advisory fees and other expenses under the advisory agreement and other expenses necessary for our operations. Our advisory fee compensates GCM for its work in identifying, evaluating, negotiating, executing, monitoring and servicing our investments. We also pay fees and expenses on a direct cost basis to Greenbacker Administration or others engaged by the Greenbacker Administration for the administrative services they provide directly or indirectly under the administration agreement.

 

We will bear all other expenses of our operations and transactions, including (without limitation) fees and expenses relating to:

 

  corporate and organizational expenses relating to offerings of our shares, subject to limitations included in the advisory agreement;

 

  the cost of effectuating sales and repurchase of units;
     
  the cost of calculating our net asset value, including the related fees and cost of retaining third-party valuation services;

 

  investment advisory fees;

 

  fees payable to third parties relating to, or associated with our financial and legal affairs, making investments, and valuing investments, including fees and expenses associated with performing due diligence reviews of prospective investments and sub-advisors;

 

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  transfer agent and custodial fees;

 

  fees and expenses associated with marketing efforts;

 

  Federal, state and local taxes/registration fees;

 

  costs of board meetings, unitholders’ reports and notices, proxy statements and directors’ fees and expenses;

 

  fidelity bond, directors and officers/errors and omissions liability insurance and other insurance premiums;

  

  direct costs, including those relating to printing of unitholder reports and advertising or sales materials, mailing, telephone and staff;

 

  fees and expenses associated with independent audits and outside legal costs, including compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and applicable federal and state securities laws;

 

  costs associated with our reporting and compliance obligations under applicable federal and state securities laws;

 

  brokerage commissions, origination fees and any investment banking fees related to our investments;

 

  all other expenses incurred by GCM, in performing its obligations subject to the limitations included in the advisory agreement; and

 

  all other expenses incurred by either the Administrator, its delegates or us in connection with administering our business, including payments for the administrative services the Administrator provides under the administration agreement that will be based upon our allocable portion (subject to the review and approval of our board of directors) of the Administrator’s overhead and other expenses.

 

Pursuant to the terms of the expense reimbursement agreement, the advisor paid for certain pre-operating and operating expenses from inception to through the first quarter of 2016 on behalf of the company. While the advisor has assumed responsibility for $830,884, of the company’s operating expenses under the expense reimbursement agreement since inception, as of December 31, 2016 the company had fully reimbursed the advisor for previously assumed operating expenses. While the expense reimbursement agreement was amended in November 2015 to extend its term until the earlier of December 31, 2016 or the end of the offering, the expense reimbursement agreement was not extended past December 31, 2016 since the total annual operating expenses (as defined in the expense reimbursement agreement) were less than 5% of average net assets for each share class.

 

Organization and Offering Expenses

 

We will reimburse our advisor and its affiliates for organization and offering expenses it may incur on our behalf but only to the extent that the reimbursement would not cause the selling commissions, the dealer manager fee and the other organization and offering expenses borne by us to exceed 15.0% of gross offering proceeds as of the date of the reimbursement. If we raise the maximum offering amount in the current offering and under the distribution reinvestment plan, we expect organization and offering expenses (other than selling commissions and the dealer manager fee) to be 1.5% of gross offering proceeds. If less than the maximum offering amount is raised, organization and offering expenses could be as high as 5.0% of gross offering proceeds. These organization and offering expenses include all expenses (other than selling commissions and the dealer manager fee) to be paid by us relating to the offering, including but not limited to:

 

  Our legal, accounting, printing, mailing and filing fees;

 

  Charges of our transfer agent, charges of our advisor for administrative services related to the issuance of shares in the offering;

 

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  Reimbursement of bona fide due diligence expenses of broker-dealers;

 

  Reimbursement of our advisor for costs relating to preparing sales materials, the cost of bona fide training and education meetings held by us (primarily the travel, meal and lodging costs of registered representatives of broker-dealers), attendance and sponsorship fees and cost reimbursement for employees of our affiliates to attend retail seminars conducted by broker-dealers; and

 

  Reimbursement to participating broker-dealers for technology costs associated with the offering, costs and expenses related to such technology costs and costs and expenses associated with the facilitation of the marketing of shares and the ownership of shares by such broker-dealers’ customers, which will be included in underwriting compensation. 

 

Organization and offering costs are calculated and borne by the company with respect to each offering pursuant to a separate Registration Statement. For the offering pursuant to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-178786-01), which was declared effective on August 7, 2013 and was terminated on February 7, 2017, total organization and offering costs borne by the company were approximately $7,556,000, or 4.8% of gross offering proceeds.

 

Other Operating Expenses

 

We will reimburse the expenses incurred by GCM, Greenbacker Administration or their affiliates relating to its provision of services to us, including the investigation and monitoring of our investments, oversight of third party service providers including accounting and administration entities, accounting services for any of our investments and any costs incurred in connection with GCM’s valuation methodologies or the effectuating of sales and repurchases of our shares and other securities. We will not reimburse our advisor, Greenbacker Administration or their affiliates for (i) rent or depreciation, utilities, capital equipment and other administrative items; (ii) salaries, fringe benefits and other comparable items incurred or allocated to any controlling person of GCM; (iii) the salaries and benefits paid to any executive officer or board member of GCM; or (iv) any services for which GCM receives a separate fee.

 

Indemnification

 

The advisory agreement provides that, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of its duties and obligations, GCM and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with it are entitled to indemnification from us for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of GCM’s services under the advisory agreement or otherwise as advisor of the company. Notwithstanding the above, our LLC Agreement provides that we shall not hold harmless our advisor or any of its affiliates for any loss or liability suffered by us unless all of the following conditions are met:

 

  the party seeking exculpation or indemnification has determined in good faith that the course of action leading to the loss or liability was in our best interests;

 

  the party seeking exculpation or indemnification was acting on our behalf or providing services to us;

 

  the loss or liability was not the result of negligence or misconduct; and

 

  the indemnification is recoverable only out of net assets and not from our members.

 

Organization of GCM

 

GCM is a Delaware limited liability company. The principal executive offices of GCM are located at 11 East 44th Street, Suite 1200, New York, NY 10017.

 

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VALUATION PROCESS AND DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

 

Relevance of Our Net Asset Value

 

Our net asset value is calculated and published on a quarterly basis. For all our current investments, market quotations are not available and are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by our advisor and reviewed by an independent valuation firm, currently Alvarez & Marsal Valuation Services, LLC, subject to the review and approval of the board of directors.

 

Our net asset value will:

 

  be disclosed in our quarterly and annual consolidated financial statements;

 

  determine the price per share that is paid to shareholder participants in our share repurchase program, and the price per share paid by participants in our distribution reinvestment plan after the conclusion of the current offering;

 

  be an input in the computation of fees earned by our advisor and the Special Unitholder whose fees and distributions are linked, directly or indirectly, in whole or part to the value of our gross assets; and

 

  be evaluated alongside the net proceeds per share to us from the current offering to ensure the net offering price per share is not above or below our net asset value per share.

 

Determination of Our Net Asset Value

 

We calculate our net asset value per share by subtracting all liabilities from the total carrying amount of our assets, which includes the fair value of our investments, and dividing the result by the total number of outstanding shares on the date of valuation.

 

We have adopted Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC Topic 820”) which defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and expands disclosures about fair value measurements.

 

ASC Topic 820 defines fair value as “the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date”, other than a forced sale or liquidation. The transaction to sell the asset or transfer the liability is a hypothetical transaction at the measurement date, considered from the perspective of a market participant that holds the asset or owes the liability. ASC Topic 820 provides a consistent definition of fair value which focuses on exit price and prioritizes, within a measurement of fair value, the use of market-based inputs over entity-specific inputs. In addition, ASC Topic 820 provides a framework for measuring fair value and establishes a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date. The three levels of valuation hierarchy established by ASC Topic 820 are defined as follows:

 

Level 1: Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities, accessible by the company at the measurement date.

 

Level 2: Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, or quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, or other observable inputs other than quoted prices.

 

Level 3: Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.

 

In all cases, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls will be determined based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Our assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment and considers factors specific to each investment.

 

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Our board of directors will have the ability to review our advisor’s valuation methodologies each quarter regarding GCM’s presentation of its valuation recommendations to the audit committee. If during the period between quarterly board of directors’ meetings, GCM determines that significant changes have occurred since the prior meeting of the board of directors at which it presented its recommendations on the valuation methodology, then GCM will also prepare and present recommendations to the audit committee of the board of directors of its proposed changes to the current valuation methodology. Any such changes to our valuation methodologies will require the approval of our board of directors, including a majority of our independent directors. We will disclose any material change in our valuation methodologies or any material change in our investment criteria or strategies that would constitute a fundamental change in a registration statement amendment prior to its implementation.

 

Our board of directors has approved the selection of an independent valuation firm to review our advisor’s valuation methodology and to work with our advisor and officers to provide additional inputs for consideration by our audit committee and to work directly with our full board of directors, at the board of directors’ request, with respect to the fair value of investments. Generally, one quarter of our investments are reviewed by an independent valuation firm each quarter, on a rotating quarterly basis. Accordingly, each such investment would be evaluated by an independent valuation firm at least once per year.

 

The determination of the fair value of our investments requires judgment, especially with respect to investments for which market quotations are not available. For most of our investments, market quotations will not be available. Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily available market value, the fair value of the investments may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a readily available market value existed for such investments, and the differences could be material. Because the calculation of our net asset value is based, in part, on the fair value of our investments as determined by our advisor, who is affiliated with us, our calculation of net asset value is to a degree, subjective and could be adversely affected if the determinations regarding the fair value of our investments were materially higher than the values that we ultimately realize upon the disposal of such investments.

 

Net Asset Value Determinations in Connection with our Continuous Offerings

 

Since commencing operations on April 25, 2014, the company has sold shares on a continuous basis at the following prices (in each case, based on the then - current net asset value determination):

 

Period  Class 
From  To  A   C   I   P-A   P-I 
25-Apr-14  4-Nov-15  $10.000   $9.576   $9.186    NA    NA 
5-Nov-15  4-Feb-16  $10.024   $9.599   $9.208    NA    NA 
5-Feb-16  5-May-16  $10.048   $9.621   $9.230    NA    NA 
6-May-16  3-Aug-16  $10.068   $9.640   $9.248   $9.589   $8.808 
4-Aug-16  6-Nov-16  $10.227   $9.791   $9.394   $9.739   $8.946 
7-Nov-16  7-Feb-17  $10.282   $9.581   $9.445   $9.782   $8.828 
8-Feb-17  4-May-17  $10.224   $9.526   $9.391   $9.704   $8.758 
5-May-17  17-May-17  $10.165   $9.479   $9.337   $9.704   $8.690 
18-May-17  03-Aug-17  $9.735   $9.067   $8.942   $9.704   $8.690 
04-Aug-17  02-Nov-17  $9.724   $9.078   $8.932    N/A   $8.730 
03-Nov-17  05-Feb-18  $9.735   $9.089   $8.943    N/A   $8.750 
06-Feb-18       $9.780   $9.089   $8.984    N/A   $8.810 

 

Our advisor, in conjunction with an independent valuation firm, subject to the review and approval of the board of directors, determines our net asset value for each class of our shares at each quarter end. We expect such determination will ordinarily be made within 30 days after each such completed fiscal quarter. To the extent that our net asset value per share on the most recent valuation date increases above or decreases below our net proceeds per share as stated in this annual report, the company will adjust the offering prices of all classes of shares. The adjustments to the per share offering prices, which will become effective five business days after such determination is published, will ensure that after the effective date of the new offering prices, the offering prices per share, after deduction of selling commissions, dealer manager fees and organization and offering expenses, are not above or below our net asset value per share as of such valuation date.

 

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Promptly following any such adjustment to the offering prices per share, we will file a prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to the registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) disclosing the adjusted offering prices of the publicly offered share classes and the effective date of such adjusted offering prices, and we will also post the updated information on our website at www.greenbackerrenewableenergy.com. If the new offering price per share for any of the publicly available classes of our shares being offered represents more than a 20% change in the per share offering price of our shares from the most recent offering price per share, we will file an amendment to the registration statement with the SEC. We will attempt to file the amendment on or before such time to avoid interruptions in the continuous offering of our shares; however, there can be no assurance that our continuous offering will not be suspended while the SEC reviews any such amendment and until it is declared effective. The purchase price per share to be paid by each investor will be equal to the price that is in effect on the date such investor submits his or her completed subscription agreement to our dealer manager.

 

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

 

Investing in our shares involves several significant risks. In addition to the other information contained herein, you should consider carefully the following information before making an investment in our shares. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In such case, the value of our shares could decline, and you may lose part or all your investment.

 

Risks Related to Our Business and Structure

 

Because we have not yet reached a fully invested minimum level of net assets to support distributions exclusively from cash flow from operations, we have a large accumulated deficit.

 

While we had accumulated deficit balances of $(10,216,279) and $(3,629,220) as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, the full financial condition of earnings and loss is best understood when accumulated unrealized appreciation is considered alongside accumulated deficit. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, our total accumulated deficit, accumulated net realized gain on investments and accumulated unrealized appreciation combined was $904,545 and $977,492 (i.e. net positive earning), respectively. When we commenced operations, we expected an accumulated deficit in the initial stages of operations for several reasons. Because we had not yet been fully invested and are still in the early stages of our investing cycle, expenses as a percentage of assets have run higher than they would be expected to run on a higher amount of invested assets.

 

You will not have the opportunity to evaluate our investments before we make them, which makes an investment in the shares more speculative.

 

Our investment activities to date have been limited compared to our target capital raise and the investments we plan to make. As a result, you have very limited information, if any, upon which to evaluate the economic merit of our investments and going forward you will be relying entirely on the ability of GCM and our board of directors to select or approve well-performing investments. Additionally, GCM, subject to oversight by the board of directors, will have broad discretion to review, approve and oversee our investment policies, to evaluate our investment opportunities and to structure the terms of our investments and you will not be able to evaluate the transaction terms or other financial or operational data concerning our investments. Because of these factors, this offering may entail more risk than other types of offerings, which may hinder your ability to achieve your own personal investment objectives related to portfolio diversification, risk-adjusted investment returns and other objectives.

 

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Our ability to achieve our investment objectives depends on GCM’s ability to manage and support our investment process. If GCM were to lose any members of its senior management team, our ability to achieve our investment objectives could be significantly harmed.

 

We have no internal management capacity or employees other than our appointed executive officers and are dependent on the diligence, skill and network of business contacts of GCM’s senior management team to achieve our investment objective. We also depend, to a significant extent, on GCM’s access to its investment professionals and the information and deal flow generated by these investment professionals. GCM’s senior management team will evaluate, negotiate, structure, close, and monitor our assets. Our success will depend to a significant extent on the continued service of GCM’s senior management team, particularly David Sher, Charles Wheeler, and Richard Butt. The departure of any of GCM’s senior management team could have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objectives.

 

Because our business model depends to a significant extent upon relationships with renewable energy and energy efficiency developers, utilities, energy companies, investment banks, commercial banks, individual and institutional investors, consultants, EPC companies, contractors, and renewable energy and energy efficiency technology manufacturers (such as panel manufacturers), the inability of GCM to maintain relationships, or the failure of these relationships to generate business opportunities, could adversely affect our business.

 

We rely to a significant extent on GCM’s relationships with renewable energy and energy efficiency developers, energy consultants, retail energy providers, utilities, energy companies, investment banks, commercial banks, individual and institutional investors, consultants, EPC companies, contractors, and renewable energy and energy efficiency technology manufacturers (such as panel manufacturers), among others, as a source of potential investment opportunities. If GCM fails to maintain its relationships with other sponsors or sources of business opportunities, we will not be able to grow our portfolio or will grow it at a slower rate. In addition, individuals with whom GCM’s professionals have relationships are not obligated to provide us with business opportunities, and, therefore, there is no assurance that such relationships will generate business opportunities for us.

 

We may face increasing competition for business opportunities, which could delay deployment of our capital, reduce returns and result in losses.

 

We will compete for potential projects and business investments with other energy corporations, investment funds (including private equity funds and mezzanine funds), traditional financial services companies such as commercial banks and other sources of funding as well as utilities and other business entities. Moreover, alternative investment vehicles also make investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Our competitors may be substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, some competitors may have a lower cost of capital and access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments than we have. These characteristics could allow our competitors to consider a wider variety of investments, establish more relationships and offer better pricing and more flexible structuring than we are able to do. We may lose business opportunities if we do not match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure. If we are forced to match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure, we may not be able to achieve acceptable risk-adjusted returns on our projects or may bear risk of loss. A significant part of our competitive advantage stems from the fact that the renewable energy and energy efficiency market is underserved by traditional commercial banks and other financial sources when compared to the size of opportunity. A significant increase in the number and/or the size of our competitors in this target market could force us to accept less attractive investment terms.

 

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The amount of any distributions we may pay is uncertain. We may not be able to sustain the payment of distributions, and our distributions may not grow over time.

 

Subject to our board of directors’ discretion, based upon management’s recommendations, and applicable legal restrictions, we authorized, declared and paid distributions monthly starting in September 2014. However, while we intend to pay these distributions to our members out of assets legally available for distribution, we cannot assure you that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to make a targeted level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. Our ability to pay distributions might be adversely affected by, among other things, the impact of the risks described herein. All distributions will be paid at the discretion of our board of directors, based on management’s recommendations, and will depend on our earnings, our financial condition, compliance with applicable regulations and such other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant from time to time. We cannot assure you that we will pay distributions to our members in the future. In the event that we encounter delays in locating suitable business opportunities, we may pay all or a substantial portion of our distributions from borrowings, the proceeds of this offering and other sources, without limitation. During certain periods, the company has paid distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, including offering proceeds. The company expects to continue to fund distributions from a combination of cash from operations as well as offering proceeds until a minimum of $250 million in net assets is reached and the company is fully invested in operating assets. If we fund distributions from financings, then such financings will need to be repaid, and if we fund distributions from offering proceeds, then we will have fewer funds available for investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, which may affect our ability to generate future cash flows from operations and, therefore, reduce your overall return. These risks will be greater for persons who acquire our shares relatively early in this offering, before a significant portion of the offering proceeds have been invested. Accordingly, members who receive the payment of a dividend or other distribution from us should not assume that such dividend or other distribution is the result of a net profit earned by us.

 

There is no public market for our shares and the shares are subject to limited transferability.

 

There is no public market for our shares, and none is expected to develop. Consequently, you may not be able to liquidate your investment in the event of emergencies or for other reasons, or obtain financing from lenders who may not accept our shares as collateral. Your ability to transfer your shares is limited. Pursuant to our LLC Agreement, we have the discretion under certain circumstances to prohibit transfers of shares, or to refuse to consent to the admission of a transferee as a member.

 

We may change our investment policies and strategies without prior notice or member approval, the effects of which may be adverse.

 

We have the authority to modify or waive our current investment policies, criteria and strategies without prior notice and without member approval, subject to the review and approval of the board of directors. In such event, we will promptly file a prospectus supplement and a press release on Form 8-K, disclosing any such modification or waiver. We cannot predict the effect any changes to our current investment policies, criteria and strategies would have on our business, operating results and value of our shares. However, the effects might be adverse, which could negatively impact our ability to pay you distributions and cause you to lose all or part of your investment. Moreover, we will have significant flexibility in investing the net proceeds of this offering and may use the net proceeds from this offering in ways with which investors may not agree or for purposes other than those contemplated at the time of this offering.

 

Efforts to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act will involve significant expenditures, and non-compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may adversely affect us.

 

We are subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the related rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. We will be required to review on an annual basis our internal control over financial reporting, and on a quarterly and annual basis to evaluate and disclose changes in our internal control over financial reporting. As a result, we expect to incur additional expenses in the near term, which may negatively impact our financial performance and our ability to pay distributions. This process also will result in a diversion of management’s time and attention. We cannot be certain as to the timing of completion of our evaluation, testing and remediation actions or the impact of the same on our operations and we may not be able to ensure that the process is effective or that our internal control over financial reporting is or will be effective in a timely manner. If we are unable to maintain or achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and related rules, we may be adversely affected.

 

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We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly results.

 

We could experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results due to a number of factors, including, but not limited to, our ability to consummate transactions, the terms of any transactions that we complete, variations in the earnings and/or distributions paid by our investments, variations in the interest rates on loans we make, the level of our expenses, variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized and unrealized gains or losses, changes in market prices for RECs or EECs, the availability of governmental incentives for our projects, electricity demand, changes in regulated or market electricity prices, marking to market of our hedging arrangements (if any), the degree to which we encounter competition in our markets and general economic conditions. Because of these factors, results for any period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods.

 

We may experience fluctuations in our operating expenses.

 

We could experience fluctuations in our operating expenses due to many factors, including, but not limited to, changes in inflation and the flow on effects on prices generally, the terms of any transactions that we complete, changes in operating conditions, changes to our operating environment, unexpected wear and tear of our investments, changes in the perception of risk associated with operating these assets. Because of these factors, results for any period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods.

 

We are not able to insure against all potential risks and may become subject to higher insurance premiums.

 

Our business is exposed to the risks inherent in the construction and operation of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, such as breakdowns, manufacturing defects, natural disasters, terrorist attacks and sabotage. We are also exposed to environmental risks. We have insurance policies covering certain risks associated with our business. However, our insurance policies do not cover losses due to force majeure, terrorist attacks or sabotage, among other things. Further, we do not maintain insurance for certain environmental risks, such as environmental contamination. In addition, we expect our insurance policies will be subject to annual review by our insurers and may not be renewed at all or on similar or favorable terms. A serious uninsured loss or a loss significantly exceeding the limits of our insurance policies could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

In the event we pursue any projects or investments outside of the United States, we will be subject to currency rate exposure and certain other risks associated with the uncertainty of foreign laws and markets.

 

We may make investments in projects outside of the United States to the extent that such international investments help us meet our investment objectives. To the extent that we invest in international projects, we will be subject to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and the uncertainty of foreign laws and markets, including but not limited to, unexpected changes in regulatory requirements, political and economic instability in certain geographic locations, difficulties in managing international operations, currency exchange, controls, potentially adverse tax consequences, and the administrative burden associated with complying with foreign laws. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates may adversely impact the fair values and earnings streams of our international investments and therefore the returns on our non-dollar denominated investments. Although we may hedge our foreign currency risk, we may not be able to do so successfully and may incur losses on any international investments due to exchange rate fluctuations.

 

If we internalize our management functions or otherwise acquire a portion of GCM, your interest in us could be diluted, and we could incur other significant costs and face other significant risks associated with being self-managed or owning a portion of an asset manager.

 

We may decide in the future to internalize our management functions. If we do so, we may elect to negotiate to acquire GCM’s assets and personnel. At this time, we cannot anticipate the form or amount of consideration or other terms relating to any such transaction. Such consideration could take many forms, including cash payments, promissory notes and shares. The payment of such consideration could result in dilution of your interests as a member and could reduce the earnings per share attributable to your investment.

 

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In addition, if we internalized our management function, while we would no longer bear the costs of the various fees and expenses we expect to pay to GCM under the advisory agreement, we would incur the compensation and benefits costs of our officers and other employees and consultants that we now expect will be paid by GCM or its affiliates. In addition, we may issue equity awards to officers, employees and consultants, which awards would decrease net income and may further dilute your investment. We cannot reasonably estimate the amount of fees we would save or the costs we would incur if we became self-managed. If the expenses we assume as a result of internalization are higher than the expenses we avoid paying to GCM, our earnings per share would be lower as a result of the internalization than they otherwise would have been, potentially decreasing the amount of funds available to distribute to our members and the value of our shares. As currently organized, we do not expect to have any employees. If we elect to internalize our operations, we would employ personnel and would be subject to potential liabilities commonly faced by employers, such as workers’ disability and compensation claims, potential labor disputes and other employee-related liabilities and grievances.

 

If we internalize our management functions, we could have difficulty integrating these functions as a stand-alone entity. In addition, we could have difficulty retaining such personnel employed by us. We expect individuals employed by GCM to perform asset management, and an affiliate of GCM to perform general and administrative functions, including accounting and financial reporting for us. These personnel have a great deal of know-how and experience. We may fail to properly identify the appropriate mix of personnel and capital needs to operate as a stand-alone entity. An inability to manage an internalization transaction effectively could result in our incurring excess costs and/or suffering deficiencies in our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal control over financial reporting. Such deficiencies could cause us to incur additional costs, and our management’s attention could be diverted from most effectively managing our assets.

 

If we seek to internalize management functions, we do so as part of a multi-stepped transaction over an extended period of time, which longer time horizon and more complex set of transactions may increase the risk that we fail to fully consummate the desired internalization and/or that, if consummated, the costs of such transactions are greater than a single-step internalization transaction.

 

In some cases, internalization transactions involving the acquisition of an advisor have resulted in litigation. If we were to become involved in such litigation regarding an internalization of our management functions, we could be forced to spend significant amounts of money defending ourselves in such litigation, regardless of the merit of the claims against us, which would reduce the amount of funds available to make investments or make distributions to our members.

 

Your investment return may be reduced if we are required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

 

We intend to conduct our operations directly and through wholly or majority-owned subsidiaries, so that the company and each of its subsidiaries do not fall within or are excluded from the definition of an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act. Under Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act, a company is deemed to be an “investment company” if it is, or holds itself out as being, engaged primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities. Under Section 3(a)(1)(C) of the Investment Company Act, a company is deemed to be an “investment company” if it is engaged, or proposes to engage, in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading in securities and owns or proposes to acquire “investment securities” having a value exceeding 40% of the value of its total assets (exclusive of U.S. Government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis, which we refer to as the “40% test.” Excluded from the term “investment securities,” among other instruments, are U.S. Government securities and securities issued by majority-owned subsidiaries that are not themselves investment companies and are not relying on the exception from the definition of investment company set forth in Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act.

 

We intend to conduct our operations so that the company is not required to register as an investment company. The company is organized as a holding company that conducts its business primarily through its subsidiaries. The company intends to conduct operations so that it and most of its subsidiaries will comply with the 40% test. We will monitor our holdings on an ongoing basis and determine compliance with this test in connection with new acquisitions. We expect that most, if not all, of our wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries will be outside the definitions of investment company under Section 3(a)(1)(A) and Section 3(a)(1)(C) or relying on an exception from the definition of investment company other than the exceptions under Section 3(c)(1) and Section 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act. Consequently, interests in these subsidiaries (which are expected to constitute most, if not all, of our assets) generally will not constitute “investment securities.” Accordingly, we believe that the company will not be considered an investment company under Section 3(a)(1)(C) of the Investment Company Act. We believe the company will not be considered an investment company under Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act because the company will not engage primarily or hold itself out as being engaged primarily in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities. Rather, through the company’s wholly-owned or majority-owned subsidiaries, the company is primarily engaged in the non-investment company businesses of these subsidiaries, namely the business of acquiring and financing renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.

 

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The determination of whether an entity is a majority-owned subsidiary of the company is made by us. The Investment Company Act defines a majority-owned subsidiary of a person as a company that represents 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of which are owned by such person, or by another company which is a majority-owned subsidiary of such person. The Investment Company Act further defines voting securities as any security presently entitling the owner or holder thereof to vote for the election of directors of a company. We treat companies in which we own at least a majority of the outstanding voting securities as majority-owned subsidiaries for purposes of the 40% test. We have not requested the SEC to approve our treatment of any company as a majority-owned subsidiary and the SEC has not done so. If the SEC, or its staff, were to disagree with our treatment of one of more companies as majority-owned subsidiaries, we would need to adjust our strategy and our assets in order to continue to pass the 40% test. Any such adjustment in our strategy could have a material adverse effect on us.

 

Some of our majority-owned subsidiaries may also rely on the exceptions from the definition of investment company under Section 3(c)(5)(A) or (B) of the Investment Company Act, which except from the definition of investment company, respectively, (i) any person who is primarily engaged in the business of purchasing or otherwise acquiring notes, drafts, acceptances, open accounts receivable, and other obligations representing part or all of the sales price of merchandise, insurance, and services or (ii) any person who is primarily engaged in the business of making loans to manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers of, and to prospective purchasers of, specified merchandise, insurance, and services. The SEC staff has issued no-action letters interpreting Section 3(c)(5)(A) and (B) pursuant to which the staff has taken the position that these exceptions are available to a company with at least 55% of its assets consisting of eligible loans and receivables of the type specified in Section 3(c)(5)(A) and (B). We believe that most of the loans that we will provide to finance renewable energy and energy efficiency projects will relate to the purchase price of specific equipment or the cost to engage contractors to install equipment for such projects. Accordingly, we believe that most of these loans will be eligible loans that qualify for this 55% test. However, no assurance can be given that the SEC staff will concur with this position. In addition, the SEC or its staff may, in the future, issue further guidance that may require us to re-classify our assets for purposes of qualifying with this exemption.

 

A change in the value of our assets could cause us or one or more of our wholly or majority-owned subsidiaries, including those relying on Section 3(c)(5)(A) or (B), to fall within the definition of “investment company” and negatively affect our ability to maintain our exemption from regulation under the Investment Company Act. To avoid being required to register the company or any of its subsidiaries as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may be unable to sell assets we would otherwise want to sell and may need to sell assets we would otherwise wish to retain. In addition, we may have to acquire additional income- or loss-generating assets that we might not otherwise have acquired or may have to forgo opportunities to acquire interests in companies that we would otherwise want to acquire and would be important to our investment strategy.

 

If we become obligated to register the company or any of its subsidiaries as an investment company, the registered entity would have to comply with a variety of substantive requirements under the Investment Company Act imposing, among other things:

 

limitations on capital structure;

 

restrictions on specified investments;

 

prohibitions on transactions with affiliates; and

 

compliance with reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy disclosure and other rules and regulations that would significantly change our operations.

 

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If we were required to register the company as an investment company but failed to do so, we would be prohibited from engaging in our business, and criminal and civil actions could be brought against us. In addition, our contracts would be unenforceable unless a court required enforcement, and a court could appoint a receiver to take control of us and liquidate our business.

 

Risks Related to Our Advisor and Its Affiliates

 

Our advisor and its affiliates, including our officers and some of our directors will face conflicts of interest including conflicts that may result from compensation arrangements with us and our affiliates, which could result in actions that are not in the best interests of our members.

 

Our advisor and its affiliates will receive substantial fees from us in return for their services, and these fees could influence the advice provided to us. Among other matters, the compensation arrangements could affect their judgment with respect to public offerings of equity by us, which allow the dealer manager to earn additional dealer manager fees and GCM to earn increased management fees. The incentive distribution that the Special Unitholder, an affiliate of our advisor, may be entitled to receive from us may create an incentive for our advisor to oversee and supervise renewable energy or energy efficiency projects or make investments on our behalf that are risky or more speculative than would be the case in the absence of such compensation arrangement. The way in which the incentive distribution to which the Special Unitholder may be entitled is determined may encourage our advisor to use leverage to increase the return on our portfolio. In addition, the fact that our base management fee is payable based upon the average of the values of our gross assets for each day of the prior month, which would include any borrowings for investment purposes, may encourage GCM to use leverage in connection with the construction of additional projects or to make additional investments. Our LLC Agreement does not impose limitations on the amount of leverage we may employ. At such time when the net proceeds from this offering have been fully invested, we expect that we will generally target a leverage ratio of up to $2 of debt for every $1 of equity on our overall portfolio, with individual allocations of leverage based on the mix of asset types and obligors; however, we will in no event exceed a leverage ratio of $3 of debt for every $1 of equity, unless any excess is approved by a majority of our independent directors. Furthermore, GCM is primarily responsible for calculating the net asset value of our portfolio and, because the base management fee is payable based upon the average of the values of the gross assets for each day of the prior month, a higher net asset value of our portfolio would result in a higher base management fee to our advisor. Under certain circumstances, the use of leverage may increase the likelihood of default, which could adversely affect our results of operations. Such a practice could result in us making more speculative investments than would otherwise be the case, which could result in higher losses, particularly during cyclical economic downturns.

 

We pay substantial fees and expenses to GCM and the dealer manager, which payments increase the risk that you will not earn a profit on your investment.

 

GCM performs services for us in connection with the identification, selection and acquisition of our investments, and the monitoring and administration of our other investments. We pay GCM fees for advisory and management services, including a base management fee that is not tied to the performance of our portfolio. We pay fees and commissions to the dealer manager in connection with the offer and sale of the shares. These fees reduce the amount of cash available for investment in power generation assets or distribution to our members. These fees also increase the risk that the amount available for distribution to members upon a liquidation of our portfolio would be less than the purchase price of the shares in our offering and that you may not earn a profit on your investment.

 

No portion of the net worth of GCM, our sponsor, and its affiliates will be available to us to satisfy our liabilities or other obligations which may expose us to risks associated with leverage.

 

In order to achieve our investment objectives, we may be required to utilize financial leverage. We may borrow money in order to make investments, for working capital and to make distributions to our members. No portion of the net worth of GCM, our sponsor, and its affiliates will be available to us to satisfy our liabilities or other obligations. Accordingly, we are subject to the risks that our cash flow will not be sufficient to cover the required debt service payments and repayment obligations and, to the extent that we cannot meet our financing obligations, we risk the loss of some or all our assets to liquidation or sale, at significantly depressed prices in some cases due to market conditions or otherwise, to satisfy the obligations. Furthermore, any amounts that we use to service our indebtedness will not be available for distributions to our members.

 

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The time and resources that individuals associated with our advisor devote to us may be diverted, and we may face additional competition since GCM is not prohibited from raising money for or managing another entity that makes the same types of investments that we target.

 

We currently expect our advisor and its officers and employees to spend substantially all of their time and resources on us. However, our advisor and its officers and employees are not required to do so. Moreover, neither GCM nor its affiliates are prohibited from raising money for and managing another investment entity that makes the same types of investments as those we target. Accordingly, our and GCM’s management team may have obligations to investors in entities they work at or manage in the future, the fulfillment of which might not be in the best interests of us or our members or that may require them to devote time to services for other entities, which could interfere with the time available to provide services to us. In addition, we may compete with any such investment entity for the same investors and investment opportunities.

 

We do not have a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, officers, security holders or affiliates from engaging for their own account in business activities of the types conducted by us.

 

We do not have a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, officers, security holders or affiliates from engaging for their own account in business activities of the types conducted by us. However, our code of business conduct and ethics contains a general conflicts of interest policy to be followed by our directors and executive officers, as well as personnel of our advisor who provide services to us. In addition, the advisory agreement does not prevent the advisor and its affiliates from engaging in additional management or investment opportunities, some of which could compete with us.

 

Our advisor can resign on 120 days’ notice and we may not be able to find a suitable replacement within that time, resulting in a disruption in our operations that could adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations.

 

Our advisor has the right, under the advisory agreement, to resign at any time on 120 days’ written notice, whether we have found a replacement or not. If our advisor resigns, we may not be able to contract with a new advisor or hire internal management with similar expertise and ability to provide the same or equivalent services on acceptable terms within 120 days, or at all, in which case our operations are likely to experience a disruption, our financial condition, business and results of operations as well as our ability to pay distributions are likely to be adversely affected. In addition, the coordination of our internal management, acquisition activities and supervision of our businesses is likely to suffer if we are unable to identify and reach an agreement with a single institution or group of executives having the expertise possessed by our advisor and its affiliates. Even if we are able to retain comparable management, whether internal or external, the integration of such management and their lack of familiarity with our businesses may result in additional costs and time delays that may adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations.

 

Exercising our right to repurchase the special unit or the special preferred stock upon certain termination events could be prohibitively expensive and could deter us from terminating the advisory agreement.

 

The occurrence of a trigger event would give us the right, but not the obligation, to repurchase the special unit or the special preferred stock, as applicable, at the fair market value of the special unit or the special preferred stock on the date of termination, as determined by an independent appraiser. This repurchase could be prohibitively expensive, could require us to have to sell assets to raise sufficient funds to complete the repurchase and could discourage or deter us from terminating the advisory agreement. Alternatively, if we do not exercise our repurchase right, we might be unable to find another entity that would be willing to act as our advisor while an affiliate of GCM owns the special unit or the special preferred stock. If we do find another entity to act as our advisor, we may be subject to higher fees than the fees charged by GCM.

 

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Risks Related to Our Investments and Industry Focus

 

Our strategic focus will be on the renewable energy, energy efficiency and related sectors, which will subject us to more risks than if we were broadly diversified.

 

Because we are specifically focused on the renewable energy, energy efficiency and related sectors, investments in our shares may present more risks than if we were broadly diversified over more sectors of the economy. Therefore, a downturn in the renewable energy or energy efficiency sectors would have a larger impact on us than on a company that does not concentrate in limited segments of the economy. For example, biofuel companies operating in the renewable energy sector can be significantly affected by the supply of and demand for specific products and services, especially biomass such as corn or soybean oil, the supply and demand for energy commodities, the price of capital expenditures, government regulation, world and regional events and economic conditions. Companies that produce renewable energy can be negatively affected by lower energy output resulting from variable inputs, mechanical breakdowns, faulty technology, competitive electricity markets or changing laws which mandate the use of renewable energy sources by electric utilities.

 

In addition, companies that engage in energy efficiency projects may be unable to protect their intellectual property or face declines in the demand for their services due to changing governmental policies or budgets. At times, the returns from investments in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors may lag the returns of other sectors or the broader market.

 

Furthermore, with respect to the construction and operation of individual renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, there are several additional risks, including:

 

  substantial construction risk, including the risk of delay, that may arise due to inclement weather or labor disruptions;

 

  the risk of entering into markets where we have limited experience;

 

  the need for substantially more capital to complete than initially budgeted and exposure to liabilities as a result of unforeseen environmental, construction, technological or other complications;

 

  a decrease in the availability, pricing and timeliness of delivery of raw materials and components, necessary for the projects to function;

 

  the continued good standing of permits, authorizations and consents from local city, county, state and U.S. federal governments as well as local and U.S. federal governmental organizations; and

 

  the consent and authorization of local utilities or other energy development off takers to ensure successful interconnection to energy grids to enable power sales.

 

Our renewable energy and energy efficiency projects may be subject to the risk of fluctuations in commodity prices.

 

The operations and financial performance of projects in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors may be affected by energy commodity prices like unleaded gasoline and wholesale electricity. For example, the price of renewable energy resources will change in relation to the market price of electricity. The market price of electricity is sensitive to cyclical changes in demand and capacity supply, and in the economy, as well as to regulatory trends and developments impacting electricity market rules and pricing, transmission development and investment to power markets within the United States and in other jurisdictions through interconnects and other external factors outside of the control of renewable energy power-producing projects or energy efficiency projects. In addition, volatility of commodity prices, such as the market price of electricity, may also make it more difficult for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects to raise any additional capital that may be necessary to operate, to the extent the market perceives that the project’s performance may be tied directly or indirectly to commodity prices. Accordingly, the potential revenue and cash flow of these projects may be volatile and adversely affect the value of our investments.

 

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Existing regulations and policies and changes to these regulations and policies may present technical, regulatory and economic barriers to the purchase and use of energy generation and consumption projects, including solar and wind energy projects, which may significantly reduce our ability to meet our investment objectives.

 

The market for electricity generation and consumption projects is influenced by U.S. federal, state and local government regulations and policies concerning the electric utility industry, as well as policies promulgated by electric utilities. Similar government influences apply in the other jurisdictions in which we may invest. These regulations and policies often relate to electricity pricing and technical interconnection of customer-owned electricity generation. In the United States and in several other countries, these regulations and policies are being modified and may continue to be modified. Customer purchases of, or further investment in the research and development of, alternative energy sources, including solar energy technology, could be deterred by these regulations and policies, which could result in a significant reduction in the potential demand for renewable energy and energy efficiency project development and investments. For example, without certain major incentive programs and or the regulatory mandated exception for renewable energy or energy efficiency systems, utility customers are often charged interconnection or standby fees for putting distributed power generation on the electric utility network. These fees could increase the cost to our customers of using our renewable energy and energy efficiency projects and make them less desirable, thereby harming our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

 

We anticipate that our renewable energy and energy efficiency projects will be subject to oversight and regulation in accordance with national and local ordinances relating to building codes, safety, environmental protection, utility interconnection and metering and related matters. It is difficult to track the requirements of individual states and design equipment to comply with the varying standards. Any new government regulations or utility policies pertaining to our renewable energy or energy efficiency projects may result in significant additional expenses or related development costs and, as a result, could cause a significant reduction in demand for our investments.

 

The reduction or elimination of government economic incentives could impede growth of the renewable energy and energy efficiency market.

 

We believe that the near-term growth of the market for application on the U.S. electricity grid, where renewable energy is used to supplement a customer’s electricity purchased from the utility network or sold to a utility under tariff, depends in part on the availability and size of government and economic incentives for solar energy. Because a significant portion of our sales are expected to involve the market for the U.S. electricity grid, the reduction or elimination of government and economic incentives may adversely affect the growth of this market or result in increased price competition, both of which could cause our revenue to decline.

 

Today, the cost of renewable energy exceeds retail electric rates in many locations. As a result, federal, state and local government bodies in many countries, including the United States, have provided incentives in the form of feed-in tariffs, rebates, tax credits and other incentives to end users, distributors, system integrators and manufacturers of renewable energy projects to promote the use of renewable energy in on-grid applications and to reduce dependency on other forms of energy. These government economic incentives could be reduced or eliminated altogether as a result of the government’s effort to reduce the federal deficit or for other reasons. Some renewable energy and energy efficiency program incentives expire, decline over time, are limited in total funding or require renewal of authority. Reductions in, or eliminations or expirations of, governmental incentives could result in decreased demand for and lower revenue from our projects. Changes in the level or structure of a renewable portfolio standard could also result in decreased demand for and lower revenue from our projects.

 

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Certain projects may generate a portion of their revenue from the sales of RECs and EECs, which may be subject to market price fluctuations, and there is a risk of a significant, sustained decline in their market prices. Such a decline may make it more difficult for our projects to grow and become profitable.

 

We may not be able to foster growth for our projects economically if there is a significant, sustained decline in market prices for electricity, RECs or EECs without a commensurate decline in the cost of equipment, such as solar panels and turbines, and the other capital costs of constructing renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Electricity prices are affected by numerous factors and may decline for many reasons that are not within our control. Those factors include changes in the cost or availability of fuel, regulatory and governmental actions, changes in the amount of available generating capacity from both traditional and renewable sources, changes in power transmission or fuel transportation capacity, seasonality, weather conditions and changes in demand for electricity. In addition, other power generators may develop innovative technologies or improvements to traditional technologies to produce power that could increase the supply of electricity and cause a sustained reduction in market prices for electricity, RECs and EECs. If governmental action or conditions in the markets for electricity, RECs or EECs cause a significant, sustained decline in the market prices of electricity or those attributes, without an offsetting decline in the cost of turbines or other capital costs of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, we may not be able to construct our pipeline of projects or achieve expected revenues, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

For those projects that generate RECs or EECs, all or a portion of the revenues generated from the sale of such RECs or EECs, as the case may be, may not be hedged, and therefore, such projects may be exposed to volatility of REC or EEC prices, as applicable, with respect to those sales.

 

REC and EEC prices are driven by various market forces, including electricity prices and the availability of electricity from other renewable energy sources and conventional energy sources. We may be unable to hedge all or a portion of our revenues from RECs or EECs in certain markets where conditions limit our ability to sell forward all our RECs or EECs, as the case may be. Our ability to hedge RECs and EECs generated by projects is limited by the unbundled nature of the RECs and EECs and the relative illiquidity of this market. Certain of our projects will be exposed to volatility of commodity prices with respect to all or the portion of RECs or EECs, as applicable, that we are unable to hedge, including risks resulting from changes in regulations, including state renewable portfolio standard (“RPS”) targets, general economic conditions and changes in the level of renewable energy generation. We expect to have quarterly variations in the revenues from the projects in which we invest from the sale of unhedged RECs and EECs.

 

If there is not sufficient demand for renewable energy or energy efficiency technology, or if renewable energy or energy efficiency projects do not develop or take longer to develop than we anticipate, we may be unable to achieve our investment objectives.

 

If demand for renewable energy and energy efficiency products fails to grow sufficiently, we may be unable to achieve our investment objectives. In addition, demand for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in the markets and geographic regions we target may not develop or may develop more slowly than we anticipate. Many factors will influence the widespread adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency technology and demand for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, including:

 

  cost-effectiveness of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies as compared with conventional and competitive technologies;

 

  performance and reliability of renewable energy and energy efficiency products as compared with conventional and non-renewable products;

 

  success of alternative distributed generation technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells, wind turbines, bio-diesel generators and large-scale solar thermal technologies;

 

  fluctuations in economic and market conditions that impact the viability of conventional and competitive alternative energy sources;

 

  increases or decreases in the prices of oil, coal and natural gas;

 

  capital expenditures by customers, which tend to decrease when the domestic or foreign economies slow;

 

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  continued deregulation of the electric power industry and broader energy industry; and

 

  availability and or effectiveness of government subsidies and incentives.

 

Moreover, negative public or community response to renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in general or our projects specifically can adversely affect our ability to grow and manage our projects. This type of negative response can lead to legal, public relations and other challenges that impede our ability to meet our construction targets, achieve commercial operations for a project on schedule, address the changing needs of our projects over time and generate revenues. Some of our projects may be the subject of administrative and legal challenges from groups opposed to the projects in general or concerned with potential environmental, health or aesthetic impacts, impacts on property values or the rewards of property ownership, or impacts on the natural beauty of public lands. We expect this type of opposition to continue as we execute our business plan. Opposition to our project’s requests for permits or successful challenges or appeals to permits issued to our projects could materially adversely affect our operations plans. If we are unable to grow and manage the capacity that we expect from our projects in our anticipated timeframes, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Our business will be subject to the risk of extreme or changing weather patterns.

 

Extreme weather patterns, such as the 2011 Joplin tornado, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and wildfires in California and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017, could result in significant volatility in the supply and prices of energy. This volatility may create fluctuations in commodity or energy prices and earnings of companies in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors. In general, extreme weather, such as hurricanes, lightning strikes, ice storms, tornados, extreme wind, severe storms, wildfires and other unfavorable weather conditions or natural disasters, such as floods, fires and earthquakes, can have an adverse impact on the input and output commodities associated with the renewable energy sector or require us to shut down the equipment associated with our renewable energy projects, such as solar panels, turbines or related equipment and facilities, which would impede the ability of our project facilities ability to maintain and operate, and decrease electricity production levels and our revenue. Operational problems, such as degradation of our project’s equipment due to wear or weather or capacity limitations or outages on the electrical transmission network, can also affect the amount of energy that our projects are able to deliver. Any of these events, to the extent not fully covered by insurance, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

The profitability of our projects may be adversely affected if they are subject to regulation under the Federal Power Act (“FPA”), state, or local public utility laws and regulations that regulate the sale of electricity.

 

Companies owning or operating electric generation projects may be subject to regulatory requirements under the FPA, state, or local public utility laws. The FPA grants the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) jurisdiction over the sale of electric power for resale (i.e., sales at wholesale) in interstate commerce. Jurisdiction over retail sales (i.e., the sale of power to end-users) is left to the states. Rates and charges for wholesale sales of electric power are subject to FERC’s supervision. Upon an appropriate showing, FERC will authorize an entity to engage in wholesale sales of electricity at negotiated rates based on market conditions (i.e., market-based rates) rather than at cost- bases rates pre-approved by FERC. FERC continues to have jurisdiction over entities granted market-based rate authority and retains the authority to remove the authorization to sell at market-based rates and otherwise impose significant regulatory obligations. FERC also has jurisdiction to regulate the issuance of securities by entities subject to its jurisdiction.

 

On the state level, public utility regulatory commissions have plenary jurisdiction over public utilities in their respective states, including responsibility for approving rates and other terms and conditions under which “public utilities”, as defined by relevant state law, sell retail electric power to consumers.

 

Certain of our future projects may be Qualifying Facilities (“QFs”), and/or Exempt Wholesale Generators (“EWGs”). Depending on their production capacity, certain QFs are exempt from regulation: (i) as public utilities by FERC under the FPA; (ii) under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005 (“PUHCA”); and (iii) under state law as to rates and financial and organizational regulation. EWG’s are exempt from FERC regulation under PUHCA and are subject to FERC regulation under the FPA. To the extent our future projects are subject to rate regulation by FERC, their rate schedules for wholesale sales of energy, capacity and ancillary services will need to be approved by FERC. FERC may revoke or revise an entity’s authorization to make wholesale sales at market-based rates if FERC subsequently determines that such entity can exercise market power in transmission or generation, create barriers to entry or engage in abusive affiliate transactions or market manipulation.

 

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Any market-based rate authority that we obtain will be subject to certain market behavior rules. If we are deemed to have violated these rules, we will be subject to potential disgorgement of profits associated with the violation and/or suspension or revocation of our market-based rate authority, as well as potential criminal and civil penalties. If we were to lose market-based rate authority for a project, we would be required to obtain the FERC’s acceptance of a cost-based rate schedule and could become subject to, among other things, the burdensome accounting, record keeping and reporting requirements that are imposed on public utilities with cost-based rate schedules. This could have an adverse effect on the rates we charge for power from our projects and our cost of regulatory compliance.

 

Certain projects, depending on their production capacity and configuration may be subject to the reliability standards of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. If we fail to comply with the mandatory reliability standards, we could be subject to sanctions, including substantial monetary penalties.

 

Although the sale of electric energy has been to some extent deregulated, the industry is subject to increasing regulation and even possible re-regulation. Due to major regulatory restructuring initiatives at the U.S. federal and state levels, the U.S. electric industry has undergone substantial changes over the past several years. We cannot predict the future design of wholesale power markets or the ultimate effect ongoing regulatory changes will have on our business. Other proposals to re-regulate may be made and legislative or other attention to the electric power market restructuring process may delay or reverse the movement toward competitive markets. If deregulation of the electric power markets is reversed, discontinued or delayed, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

 

Our projects may rely on electric transmission lines and other transmission facilities that are owned and operated by third parties. In these situations, our projects will be exposed to transmission facility curtailment risk, including but not limited to curtailment caused by breakdown of the power grid system, which may delay and increase the costs of our projects or reduce the return to us on those investments.

 

Our projects may rely on electric transmission lines and other transmission facilities owned and operated by third parties to deliver the electricity our projects generate. We expect some of our projects will have limited access to interconnection and transmission capacity because there are many parties seeking access to the limited capacity that is available. We may not be able to secure access to this limited interconnection or transmission capacity at reasonable prices or at all. Moreover, a failure in the operation by third parties of these transmission facilities could result in our losing revenues because such a failure could limit the amount of electricity we deliver. In addition, our production of electricity may be curtailed due to third-party transmission limitations or limitations on the grid’s ability to accommodate intermittent energy sources, reducing our revenues and impairing our ability to capitalize fully on a project’s potential. Such a failure or curtailment at levels significantly above which we expect could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We depend in part on U.S. federal, state and local government support for our renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.

 

We depend in part on government policies that support renewable energy and energy efficiency and enhance the economic feasibility of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. The U.S. federal government and several of the states in which we operate or into which we sell power provide incentives that support the sale of energy from renewable sources or incentives to reduce energy consumption.

 

Certain renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, such as solar energy projects, may be eligible for an ITC. The placed-in-service deadline for solar energy projects to produce electricity can be as late as December 31, 2019 for a full credit, dropping to 26% in 2020 with further decreases to 22% in 2021 and 10% in 2022 and beyond. The ITC is a credit claimed against the income tax of the owner of the eligible project.

 

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In addition to U.S. federal incentives, we rely in part on state incentives that support the sale of energy generated from renewable sources and incentives to reduce energy consumption, including state adopted RPS programs. RPS programs generally require that electricity supply companies include a specified percentage of renewable energy in the electricity resources serving a state or purchase credits demonstrating the generation of such electricity by another source. However, the legislation creating such RPS requirements usually grants the relevant state public utility commission the ability to reduce electric supply companies’ obligations to meet the RPS requirements in certain circumstances. If the RPS or EEC requirements are reduced or eliminated, this could result in our receiving lower prices for our power and in a reduction in the value of our RECs, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

 

We depend on these programs, in part, to finance the projects in our pipeline. If any of these incentives are adversely amended, eliminated, subjected to new restrictions, not extended beyond their current expiration dates, or if funding for these incentives is reduced, it would have a material adverse effect on our ability to obtain financing. A delay or failure by governmental authorities to administer these programs in a timely and efficient manner could have a material adverse effect on our financing.

 

While certain U.S. federal, state and local laws, programs and policies promote renewable energy or energy efficiency and additional legislation is regularly being considered that would enhance the demand for renewable energy or reduce the consumption of energy, they may be adversely modified, legislation may not pass or may be amended and governmental support of renewable energy and energy efficiency development may not continue or may be reduced. If governmental authorities do not continue supporting, or reduce or eliminate their support of renewable energy or energy efficiency projects, our revenues may be adversely affected, our economic return on certain projects may be reduced, our financing costs may increase, it may become more difficult to obtain financing, and our business and prospects may otherwise be adversely affected.

 

Liability relating to environmental matters may impact the value of properties that we may acquire or the properties underlying our projects.

 

Under various U.S. federal, state and local laws, an owner or operator of a project may become liable for the costs of removal of certain hazardous substances released from the project of any underlying real property. These laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the release of such hazardous substances.

 

The presence of hazardous substances may adversely affect an owner’s ability to sell a contaminated project or borrow using the project as collateral. To the extent that a project owner becomes liable for removal costs, the ability of the owner to make payments to us may be reduced.

 

We typically have title to projects or their underlying real estate assets underlying our equity investments, or, in the course of our business, we may take title to a project or its underlying real estate assets relating to one of our debt investments, and, in either case, we could be subject to environmental liabilities with respect to these assets. To the extent that we become liable for the removal costs, our results of operation and financial condition may be adversely affected. The presence of hazardous substances, if any, may adversely affect our ability to sell the affected project and we may incur substantial remediation costs, thus harming our financial condition.

 

Future litigation or administrative proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We may become involved in legal proceedings, administrative proceedings, claims and other litigation that arise in the ordinary course of business. Individuals and interest groups may sue to challenge the issuance of a permit for a renewable energy or energy efficiency project or seek to enjoin construction of a renewable energy or energy efficiency project. In addition, we may be subject to legal proceedings or claims contesting the construction or operation of our renewable energy or energy efficiency projects. In defending ourselves in these proceedings, we may incur significant expenses in legal fees and other related expenses, regardless of the outcome of such proceedings. Unfavorable outcomes or developments relating to these proceedings, such as judgments for monetary damages, injunctions or denial or revocation of permits, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, settlement of claims could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

 

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Our projects and/or other investments may incur liabilities that rank equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies.

 

We will invest in various types of debt and equity securities, including first lien, second lien, mezzanine debt, preferred equity and common equity, issued by U.S. and Canadian middle market companies in the renewable energy, energy efficiency and related sectors. Our projects and other investments may have, or may be permitted to incur, other liabilities that rank equally with, or senior to, our positions or investments in such projects or businesses. By their terms, such instruments may entitle the holders to receive payment of interest or principal on or before the dates on which we are entitled to receive payments with respect to the instruments in which we invest. Also, in the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of a portfolio company, holders of instruments ranking senior to our investment in that project or business would typically be entitled to receive payment in full before we receive any distribution. After repaying such senior stakeholders, such project or other investment may not have any remaining assets to use for repaying its obligation to us. In the case of securities ranking equally with instruments we hold, we would have to share on an equal basis any distributions with other stakeholders holding such instrument in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant project or investment.

 

We may not control the projects and other investments in which we invest.

 

We may not control the projects and other investments in which we invest. We define control as ownership of 25% or more of the outstanding voting securities of a company or having greater than 50% representation on a company’s board of directors. As a result, we are subject to the risk that the controlling entity of a project in which we invest may make business decisions with which we disagree and the management of such project, as representatives of the holders of their common equity, may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve our interests.

 

We may invest in joint ventures, including partnerships, which creates additional risk because, among other things, we cannot exercise sole decision-making power and our partners may have different economic interests than we have.

 

We may invest in joint ventures, including partnerships, with third parties. There are additional risks involved in joint venture transactions. As a co-investor in a joint venture, we may not be in a position to exercise sole decision-making authority relating to the project or asset, joint venture or other entity. As a result, the operations of a project or other investment may be subject to the risk that the project or other investment owners may make business, financial or management decisions with which we do not agree or the management of the project may take risks or otherwise act in a manner that does not serve our interests. Because we may not have the ability to exercise control over such operations, we may not be able to realize some or all the benefits that we believe will be created from our involvement. In addition, there is the potential of our joint venture partner becoming bankrupt and the possibility of diverging or inconsistent economic or business interests of us and our partner. These diverging interests could result in, among other things, exposing us to liabilities of the joint venture in excess of our proportionate share of these liabilities. If any of the foregoing were to occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could suffer as a result.

 

A lack of liquidity in certain of our investments may adversely affect our business.

 

We invest in certain companies and projects whose securities are not publicly traded or actively traded on the secondary market and whose securities are subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or are otherwise less liquid than publicly traded securities. We invest in other financial instruments that are subject to similar restrictions. The illiquidity of certain of our investments may make it difficult for us to sell these investments when desired. In addition, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we may realize significantly less than the value at which we had previously recorded these investments. The reduced liquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to dispose of them at a favorable price, and, as a result, we may suffer losses.

 

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A significant portion of our investments will be recorded at fair value as determined in good faith by our advisor, subject to the review of the board of directors and, as a result, there will be uncertainty as to the value of our investments.

 

Our consolidated financial statements will be prepared using the specialized accounting principles of Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services—Investment Companies, or ASC Topic 946, which requires us to carry our investments at fair value or, if fair value is not determinable based on transactions observable in the market, at fair value as determined by our advisor, subject to the oversight of our board of directors. At the direction of our board of directors, an independent valuation firm will review the valuations prepared by GCM. For most of our investments, market quotations will not be available. As a result, we will value these investments quarterly at fair value as determined in good faith.

 

The determination of fair value is to a degree subjective, and our advisor has a conflict of interest in making the determination. We expect to value our investments quarterly at fair value as determined in good faith by our advisor, subject to the oversight of our board of directors. At the direction of our board of directors, an independent valuation firm will periodically review the valuations prepared by GCM. The types of factors that may be considered in determining the fair values of our investments include available current market data, including relevant and applicable market trading and comparable transactions, applicable market yields and multiples, security covenants, call protection provisions, information rights, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the project’s ability to make payments, its earnings and discounted cash flows, the markets in which the project does business, comparisons of financial ratios of peer business entities that are public, mergers and comparable acquisitions, the principal market and enterprise values, among other factors. Because such valuations, and particularly valuations of private companies, are inherently uncertain, the valuations may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time due to changes in current market conditions. The determinations of fair value by our advisor, subject to the oversight of our board of directors, may differ materially from the values that would have been used if an active market and market quotations existed for these investments. Our net asset value could be adversely affected if the determinations regarding the fair value of our investments were materially higher than the values that we ultimately realize upon the disposal of such investments.

 

Risks Related to Investments in the Solar, Wind Power and Energy Efficiency Industries

 

If the solar power industry experiences a shortage of key inputs, such as polysilicon, the profitability of solar power-producing projects may decrease, which may result in slower growth in the solar power market than we anticipate.

 

Solar power companies depend on certain technologies and key inputs, such as polysilicon. If the solar power industry experiences shortages of these technologies and key inputs, profitability of the solar businesses in which we invest may be negatively impacted due to the resulting increase in prices of these technologies and key inputs. In addition, increases in polysilicon prices have in the past increased manufacturing costs for solar power producers and may impact manufacturing costs and net income or cause a shortage of polysilicon in the future. Polysilicon is also used in the semiconductor industry generally and any increase in demand from that sector may cause a shortage. To the extent a shortage results in these types of technologies and key inputs due to price increases, the solar power market may experience slower growth than we anticipate.

 

The recently enacted tariff on solar panels may have an adverse effect on the prices of future solar investments.

 

The United States announced that it will be levying tariffs on certain types of imported solar panels in January 2018. The tariffs are applicable over a four-year period beginning at 30% the first year and declining to 25%, 20% and 15% respectively, with each subsequent year.  For certain sectors of the industry, particularly large utility scale transactions, these tariffs will likely have some pricing impact. However, for the reasons described below, we do not see this market event significantly affecting our investment thesis or the cost of future investments.

 

1.A PV solar module today costs about $0.30. Over the six months leading upto the tariff enactment, certain developers stockpiled panels at prices as high as $0.45 to $0.50 per module. Given that the tariff maximum is currently 30% declining to 15% in the fourth year, it puts the most expensive modules at approximately $0.42, effectively below where modules have been selling in recent months. In short, developers had already put these higher prices into the market, significantly muting any pricing impact from the tariff enactment.

 

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2.Furthermore, the first 2.5GW of panels imported for each of the four years are exempt from the tariff, which is likely to mitigate pricing impact.

 

3.Over half of the company’s investments are operating plants, where the panels are already installed and all of them are either operational (where they are producing electricity) or in construction queue (where the panels are stockpiled) so the tariffs will not have an effect on the cost of those systems.

 

4.Many developers have stockpiled panels in anticipation of a tariff increase and there are many projects that are expected to be completed this coming year with those stockpiled panels.

 

5.Some developers are moving to thin film modules, which are not likely affected by the tariff. Thin film modules are generally more expensive but if the tariff were to result in higher prices for affected panels, thin film modules would become more cost-competitive. This includes First Solar modules and Solar Frontier modules, for which as of January 2018, the company is bidding on a project in California. The largest solar asset in the company’s portfolio to date is the Midway III asset that is under construction. This asset uses thin film modules that are exempt from the tariff.

 

Given these and other factors, we expect negligible impact from the tariff as we continue to raise capital, acquire assets and bring the offering towards its eventual close.

 

The reduction or elimination of government and economic incentives for solar power production could affect the financial results of our projects that produce solar power.

 

The market for on-grid applications, where solar power is used to supplement a customer’s electricity purchased from the electric utility network or sold to a utility under tariff, depends in part on the availability and size of government and economic incentives. The reduction or elimination of government and economic incentives would adversely affect the growth of this market or result in increased price competition, either of which could cause solar power producers’ revenue to decline and harm their financial results.

 

Our solar power projects may not be able to compete successfully and may lose or be unable to gain market share.

 

Solar power producers also compete against other power generation sources including conventional fossil fuels supplied by utilities, other alternative energy sources such as wind, biomass, and emerging distributed generation technologies such as micro-turbines, sterling engines and fuel cells. In the large-scale on-grid solar power systems market, our solar power projects will face direct competition from several companies that manufacture, distribute, or install solar power systems.

 

The operating results of the projects in which we invest that produce solar power may be negatively affected by several other factors.

 

In addition to shortages of technologies and key inputs and changes in governmental policies, the results of the projects in which we invest that produce solar power can be affected by a variety of factors, including the following:

 

  the average selling price of solar cells, solar panels and solar power systems;

 

  a decrease in the availability, pricing and timeliness of delivery of raw materials and components, particularly solar panels and components, including steel, necessary for solar power systems to function;

 

  the rate and cost at which solar power producers can expand their manufacturing and product assembly capacity to meet customer demand, including costs and timing of adding personnel;

 

  construction cost overruns, including those associated with the introduction of new products;

 

  the impact of seasonal variations in demand and/or revenue recognition linked to construction cycles and weather conditions;

 

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  unplanned additional expenses such as manufacturing failures, defects or downtime;

 

  the impact of seasonal variations in sunlight on energy production;

 

  the impact of weather variations on energy production;

 

  acquisition and investment related costs;

 

  the loss of one or more key customers or the significant reduction or postponement of orders from these customers;

 

  changes in manufacturing costs;

 

  the availability, pricing and timeliness of delivery of products necessary for solar power products to operate;

 

  changes in electric rates due to changes in fossil fuel prices;

 

  the lack of a viable secondary market for positions in solar energy projects; and

 

  the ability of a solar energy project to generate cash and pay yield substantially depends on power generation, which depends on continuing productive capability of the solar energy hardware, including proper operations and maintenance of the solar energy hardware and fair sunlight for the life of the investment.

 

If wind conditions are unfavorable or below our estimates on any of our wind projects, the electricity production on such project and therefore, our income, may be substantially below our estimates.

 

The financial performance of our projects that produce wind energy will be dependent upon the availability of wind resources. The strength and consistency of wind resources at wind projects will vary. Weather patterns could change or the historical data could prove to be an inaccurate reflection of the strength and consistency of the wind in the future. If wind resources are insufficient, the assumptions underlying the economic feasibility about the amount of electricity to be generated by wind projects will not be met and the project’s income and cash flows will be adversely impacted. Wind-producing projects and our evaluations of wind projects will be based on assumptions about certain conditions that may exist and events that may occur in the future. A number of additional factors may cause the wind resource and energy capture at wind projects to differ, possibly materially, from those initially assumed by the project’s management, including: the limited time period over which the site-specific wind data were collected; the potential lack of close correlation between site-specific wind data and the longer-term regional wind data; inaccurate assumptions related to wake losses and wind shear; the limitations in the accuracy with which anemometers measure wind speed; the inherent variability of wind speeds; the lack of independent verification of the turbine power curve provided by the manufacturer; the potential impact of global warming and other climatic factors, including icing and soiling of wind turbines; the potential impact of topographical variations, turbine placement and local conditions, including vegetation; the power delivery schedule being subject to uncertainty; the inherent uncertainty associated with the use of models, in particular future-oriented models; and the potential for electricity losses to occur before delivery.

 

Furthermore, a project’s wind resources may be insufficient for them to become and remain profitable. Wind is naturally variable. The level of electricity production at any of our wind projects, therefore, will also be variable. If there are insufficient wind resources at a project site due to variability, the assumptions underlying the company’s belief about the amount of electricity to be generated by the wind project will not be met. Accordingly, there is no assurance that a project’s wind resources will be sufficient for it to become or remain profitable.

 

If our wind energy production assessments turn out to be wrong, our wind energy projects could suffer several material adverse consequences, including:

 

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  our wind energy production and sales for the project may be significantly lower than we predict;

 

  our hedging arrangements may be ineffective or costlier;

 

  we may not produce sufficient energy to meet our commitments to sell electricity or RECs and, as a result, we may have to buy electricity or RECs on the open market to cover our obligations or pay damages; and

 

  our projects may not generate sufficient cash flow to make payments of principal and interest as they become due on the debt we provided on the project, and we may have difficulty refinancing such debt.

 

Risks Related to Debt Financing and Lending

 

The base management fee payable to GCM increases with the use of leverage and thus, GCM will have a financial incentive to incur leverage; however, if we borrow money, the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested in us will be magnified and may increase the risk of investing in us. Borrowed money may also adversely affect the return on our assets, reduce cash available for distribution to our members, and result in losses.

 

We currently use leverage to finance certain of our investments. At such time when the net proceeds from this offering have been fully invested, we expect that we will generally target a leverage ratio of up to $2 of debt for every $1 of equity on our overall portfolio, with individual allocations of leverage based on the mix of asset types and obligors; however, we will in no event exceed a leverage ratio of $3 of debt for every $1 of equity, unless any excess is approved by a majority of our independent directors. The amount of leverage that we employ will depend on our advisor’s assessment of market and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing. Our LLC Agreement does not impose limits on the amount of leverage we may employ. There can be no assurance that leveraged financing will be available to us on attractive terms or at all. The use of leverage increases the volatility of investments by magnifying the potential for gain or loss on invested equity capital. If we use leverage to partially finance our investments, through borrowing from banks and other lenders, you will experience increased risks of investing in our shares. If the value of our assets decreases, leveraging would cause such value to decline more sharply than it otherwise would have had we not leveraged. Similarly, any decrease in our income would cause net income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline could negatively affect our ability to make distributions to our members. In addition, we and our members will bear the burden of any increase in our expenses as a result of our use of leverage, including interest expenses and any increase in the management fees payable to the advisor. Furthermore, as we expect that the base management fee payable to GCM will be payable based on the average of the values of our gross assets for each day of the prior month, including those assets acquired with leverage, GCM will have a financial incentive to incur leverage, which may not be consistent with our members’ interests. The incentive distribution, to which the Special Unitholder, an affiliate of our advisor, may be entitled, may encourage our advisor to use leverage to increase the return on our portfolio, in the construction of additional projects.

 

To achieve our investment objectives, we may be required to utilize financial leverage. We may borrow money to make investments, for working capital and to make distributions to our members. No portion of the net worth of GCM, our sponsor, and its affiliates will be available to us to satisfy our liabilities or other obligations. Accordingly, we are subject to the risks that our cash flow will not be sufficient to cover the required debt service payments and, to the extent that we cannot meet our financing obligations, we risk the loss of some or all our assets to liquidation or sale, at significantly depressed prices in some cases due to market conditions or otherwise, to satisfy the obligations.

 

Furthermore, any amounts that we use to service our indebtedness will not be available for distributions to our members.

 

We will be exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates.

 

To the extent we borrow to finance our investments, we will be subject to financial market risks, including changes in interest rates. An increase in interest rates would make it more expensive to use debt for our financing needs.

 

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When we borrow, our net investment income will depend, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds and the rate at which we employ those funds. As a result, we can offer no assurance that a meaningful change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income. In periods of rising interest rates when we have debt outstanding, our cost of funds may increase, which could reduce our net investment income. We expect that our long-term fixed-rate investments will be financed primarily with equity and long-term debt. We may use interest rate risk management techniques to limit our exposure to interest rate fluctuations. These techniques may include borrowing at fixed rates or various interest rate hedging activities. These activities may limit our ability to participate in the benefits of lower interest rates with respect to the hedged portfolio. Adverse developments resulting from changes in interest rates or hedging transactions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We will be exposed to borrower default, prepayment risk, bankruptcy risk and liquidity risk to the extent we make loans or provide financing to others.

 

We may provide financing to projects owned by others, including through the provision of secured loans. We may also provide projects with senior unsecured debt, subordinated secured debt, subordinated unsecured debt, mezzanine debt, convertible debt and convertible preferred debt. We may also make loans to parties financing the supply of renewable energy and energy efficiency to residential and commercial customers or the adoption of strategies to reduce the consumption of energy by those customers. As a result, we are subject to the risk of borrower default. Defaults may increase because of economic conditions beyond the control of the company, our advisor and the borrowers, including prevailing interest rates, the value of the U.S. dollar, energy prices, changes in the demand for renewable energy or energy efficiency projects, construction delays, disruptions in the credit markets and other factors. Any such defaults will directly affect the operating results of, and risks of an investment in, the company.

 

In addition, we face prepayment risk, bankruptcy risk and liquidity risk in lending. There may not be any prepayment penalty for borrowers who prepay their loans. If borrowers choose to prepay their loans, we may not receive the full amount of interest payments otherwise to be received by us. In addition, borrowers may seek the protection of debtor relief under bankruptcy or insolvency laws, which may result in the nonpayment of the underlying loans. Our lending represents binding commitments, and such committed funds generally may not be withdrawn. The loans will not be listed on any securities exchange, generally will not be transferable, and generally must be held by us for the term of the relevant loan. Such prepayment risk, bankruptcy risk and liquidity risk could diminish the value of your investment in us.

 

Risks Related to This Offering and Our Shares

 

The offering prices may change on a quarterly basis and investors will purchase shares at the offering price that is effective at the time they submit their subscriptions.

 

The offering prices for our classes of shares may change on a quarterly basis and investors will need to determine the price by checking our website at www.greenbackerrenewableenergy.com or reading a supplement to our prospectus. Investors will purchase shares at the offering price that is effective at the time they submit their subscriptions. In addition, if there are issues processing an investor’s subscription, the offering price may change prior to the acceptance of such subscription; however, such investor will purchase shares subscribed for at the price that was effective at the time such investor submitted his or her subscription to the dealer manager and not at the newly changed offering price.

 

Purchases of our shares by our directors, officers and other affiliates in this offering should not influence the investment decisions of independent, unaffiliated investors.

 

Purchases of shares by our advisor and its affiliates were included in determining that we had satisfied the minimum offering requirement. Any shares purchased by directors, officers and other affiliates of ours will be purchased for investment purposes only. The investment decisions made by any such directors, officers or affiliates should not influence your decision to invest in our shares, and you should make your own independent investment decision concerning the risks and benefits of an investment in our shares.

 

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Since this is a “best-efforts” offering, there is neither any requirement, nor any assurance, that any specific amount of gross offering proceeds will be raised.

 

This is a “best-efforts,” as opposed to a “firm commitment” offering. This means that the dealer manager is not obligated to purchase any shares, but has only agreed to use its “best efforts” to sell the shares to investors. As a general matter, investors purchasing such shares should not assume that the number of shares sold, or gross offering proceeds received, by us will be greater than the number of shares sold or the gross offering proceeds received by us to that point in time. No investor should assume that we will sell the maximum offering, or any other offering amount.

 

The shares sold in the public offering will not be listed on an exchange or quoted through a quotation system for the foreseeable future, if ever. Therefore, if you purchase Class A, C, I or P-I shares, you will have limited liquidity and may not receive a full return of your invested capital if you sell your shares.

 

The shares offered by us are illiquid assets for which there is not expected to be any secondary market nor is it expected that any will develop in the future. Your ability to transfer your shares is limited. Pursuant to our LLC Agreement, we have the discretion under certain circumstances to prohibit transfers of shares, or to refuse to consent to the admission of a transferee as a member. Moreover, you should not rely on our share repurchase program as a method to sell shares promptly because our share repurchase program includes numerous restrictions that limit your ability to sell your shares to us, and we may amend, suspend or terminate our share repurchase program at any time without giving you notice in advance. In particular, the share repurchase program provides that we may make repurchase offers only to members who have purchased Class A, C, I or P- I shares and have held their shares for a minimum of one year.. In addition, we limit repurchases (i) during any 12-month period, to 5% of our weighted average number of outstanding shares and (ii) during any fiscal quarter, to 1.25% of the weighted average number of shares outstanding in the prior four fiscal quarters. Our ability to repurchase shares is subject to and may be limited by the company’s available funds. Therefore, it will be difficult for you to sell your shares promptly or at all. In addition, the price received for any shares sold prior to a liquidity event is likely to be less than the proportionate value of our assets. Investor suitability standards imposed by certain states may also make it more difficult to sell your shares to someone in those states. The shares should be purchased as a long-term investment only.

 

We intend to explore a potential liquidity event for our members within five years following the completion of our offering stage, which may include follow-on offerings after completion of this offering. However, there can be no assurance that we will complete a liquidity event within such time or at all. We expect that our board of directors, in the exercise of its fiduciary duty to our members, will determine to pursue a liquidity event when it believes that then-current market conditions are favorable for a liquidity event, and that such an event is in the best interests of our members. A liquidity event could include, but shall not be limited to, (1) the sale of all or substantially all of our assets either on a portfolio basis or individually followed by a liquidation, (2) a listing of our shares, or a transaction in which our members receive shares of a company that is listed, on a national securities exchange or (3) a merger or another transaction approved by our board of directors in which our members will receive cash or shares of a publicly traded company.

 

In making the decision to apply for listing of our shares, our board of directors will try to determine whether listing our shares or liquidating our assets will result in greater value for our members. In making a determination of what type of liquidity event is in the best interest of our members, our board of directors, including our independent directors, may consider a variety of criteria, including, but not limited to, market conditions, portfolio diversification, portfolio performance, our financial condition, potential access to capital as a listed company, market conditions for the sale of our assets or listing of our shares, internal management requirements to become a perpetual life company and the potential for member liquidity. If our shares are listed, we cannot assure you a public trading market will develop. Since a portion of the offering price from the sale of shares in this offering will be used to pay expenses and fees, the full offering price paid by members will not be invested in our target assets. As a result, even if we do complete a liquidity event, you may not receive a return of all of your invested capital.

 

 46 

 

 

The ongoing offering price, including the current offering price, may not accurately reflect the value of our assets.

 

We determine our net asset value each quarter. If our net asset value per share on such valuation date increases above or decreases below our net proceeds per share, we will adjust the offering price of all classes of shares, effective five business days later, to ensure that after the effective date of the new offering prices, the offering prices per share, after deduction of selling commissions, dealer manager fees and organization and offering expenses, are not above or below our net asset value per share on such valuation date. Ongoing offering prices, including the current offering prices, may not be the equivalent of the value of our assets, as offering prices will take into consideration other factors such as selling commissions, dealer manager fees and organization and offering expenses.

 

Because the dealer manager is an affiliate of GCM, there will be no independent review of our offering customarily performed in underwritten offerings.

 

The dealer manager, SC Distributors, LLC, is an affiliate of GCM, and did not make an independent review of us or the offering. Accordingly, you will have to rely on your own broker-dealer to make an independent review of the terms of this offering. If your broker-dealer does not conduct such a review, you will not have the benefit of an independent review of the terms of this offering. Further, the due diligence investigation of us by the dealer manager cannot be an independent review and, therefore, may not be as meaningful as a review conducted by an unaffiliated broker-dealer or investment banker. In addition, we do not, and do not expect to, have research analysts reviewing our performance or our securities on an ongoing basis. Therefore, you will not have an independent review of our performance and the value of our shares relative to publicly traded companies.

 

We may be unable to invest a significant portion of the net proceeds of this offering on acceptable terms in the timeframe contemplated herein.

 

Delays in investing the net proceeds of this offering may impair our performance. We cannot assure you that we will be able to identify any investment opportunities that meet our investment objectives or that any investment that we make will produce a positive return. We may be unable to invest the net proceeds of this offering on acceptable terms within the time that we anticipate or at all, which could harm our financial condition and operating results.

 

During the offering, we may invest the net proceeds primarily in cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, repurchase agreements and high-quality debt instruments maturing in one year or less from the time of investment (collectively, “cash and cash equivalents”) prior to investing in alternative energy projects. Investing in cash and cash equivalents may produce returns that are significantly lower than the returns which we expect to achieve when our portfolio is fully invested in securities meeting our investment objectives.

 

Your interest in us will be diluted if we issue additional shares, which could reduce the overall value of your investment.

 

Potential investors in this offering do not have preemptive rights to any shares we issue in the future. Our LLC Agreement authorizes us to issue 400,000,000 shares. Pursuant to our LLC Agreement, a majority of our entire board of directors may amend our LLC Agreement from time to time to increase or decrease the aggregate number of authorized shares or the number of authorized shares of any class or series without member approval. After your purchase in this offering, we may elect to sell additional shares in this or future public offerings, issue equity interests in private offerings or issue share-based awards to our independent directors, GCM and/or employees of GCM. To the extent we issue additional equity interests after your purchase in this offering, your percentage ownership interest in us will be diluted. In addition, depending upon the terms and pricing of any additional offerings and the value of our investments, you may also experience dilution in the book value and fair value of your shares.

 

 47 

 

 

You will experience substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of your shares equal to the offering costs associated with your shares.

 

If you purchase our shares in this offering, you will incur immediate dilution, which will be substantial, equal to the costs of the offering associated with your shares. This means that the investors who purchase shares will pay a price per share that substantially exceeds the per share value of our assets after subtracting our liabilities. The costs of this offering, which include commissions, dealer manager fees, offering costs and organization cost, are currently estimated to be between 11.5% and 15.0 % of gross offering proceeds for Class A, C and I. There are no costs of this offering for Class P-I.

 

Anti-takeover provisions in our LLC Agreement could inhibit a change in control.

 

Provisions in our LLC Agreement may make it more difficult and expensive for a third party to acquire control of us, even if a change of control would be beneficial to our shares. Under our LLC Agreement, which will be in effect at the commencement of this offering, our shares have only limited voting rights on matters affecting our business and therefore have limited ability to influence management’s decisions regarding our business. In addition, our LLC Agreement contains several provisions that could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or may discourage a third party from acquiring control of our company. These provisions include:

 

  restrictions on our ability to enter into certain transactions with major holders of our shares modeled on the limitation contained in Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL;

 

  allowing only the company’s board of directors to fill vacancies, including newly created directorships;

 

  requiring that directors may be removed, with or without cause, only by a vote of a majority of the issued and outstanding shares;

 

  requiring notice in advance for nominations of candidates for election to our board of directors or for proposing matters that can be acted upon by holders of our shares at a meeting of members;

 

  our ability to issue additional securities, including securities that may have preferences or are otherwise senior in priority to our shares; and

 

  limitations on the ability of holders of our shares to call special meetings of holders of our shares.

 

Moreover, our LLC Agreement also prohibits any person from beneficially or constructively owning, as determined by applying certain attribution rules of the Internal Revenue Code, our shares that would result in GREC being a “closely held C corporation” under Section 465(a)(1)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code. The ownership limits imposed under the Internal Revenue Code are based upon direct or indirect ownership by individuals (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code to include certain entities), but only during the last half of a tax year. The ownership limits contained in our LLC Agreement are based on the ownership at any time by any person, which term includes entities. These ownership limitations in our LLC Agreement are intended to provide added assurance that GREC will not be classified as a closely held C corporation, and to minimize administrative burdens. However, the ownership limit on our shares might also delay or prevent a transaction or a change in our control that might involve a premium price over the then current net asset value of our shares or otherwise be in the best interest of our members.

 

Risks Related to Tax

 

Members may realize taxable income without cash distributions, and may have to use funds from other sources to fund tax liabilities.

 

Because we are taxed as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, members may realize taxable income in excess of cash distributions by us. There can be no assurance that we will pay distributions at a specific rate or at all. As a result, members may have to use funds from other sources to pay their tax liability.

 

 48 

 

 

In addition, the payment of the distribution fee over time with respect to the Class C shares will be deemed to be paid from cash distributions that would otherwise be distributable to the holders of Class C shares. Accordingly, the holders of Class C shares will receive a lower cash distribution to the extent of such Class C holder’s obligation to pay such fees. Because the payment of such fees is not a deductible expense for tax purposes, the taxable income of the company allocable to the holders of Class C shares may, therefore, exceed the amount of cash distributions made to the Class C holders.

 

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) could adjust or reallocate items of income, gain, deduction, loss and credit with respect to the shares if the IRS does not accept the assumptions or conventions utilized by us.

 

U.S. federal income tax rules applicable to partnerships are complex and their application is not always clear. Moreover, the rules generally were not written for, and in some respects, are difficult to apply to, publicly traded interests in partnerships. We apply certain assumptions and conventions intended to comply with the intent of the rules and to report income, gain, deduction, loss and credit to members in a manner that reflects members’ economic gains and losses, but these assumptions and conventions may not comply with all aspects of the applicable Treasury Regulations. It is possible therefore that the IRS will successfully assert that these assumptions or conventions do not satisfy the technical requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Internal Revenue Code”) and will require that items of income, gain, deduction, loss and credit be adjusted or reallocated in a manner that could be adverse to investors.

 

If we were to become taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we would be required to pay income tax at corporate rates on our net income and distributions by us to members would constitute dividend income taxable to such members, to the extent of our earnings and profits.

 

We have received the opinion of Alston & Bird LLP to the effect that, although the matter is not free from doubt due to the lack of clear guidance and direct authority, our proposed method of operation, as described herein and as represented by us to Alston & Bird LLP will permit us to not be classified for U.S. federal income tax purposes as an association or a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation. Members should be aware that opinions of counsel are not binding on the IRS, and no assurance can be given that the IRS will not challenge the conclusions set forth in such opinion. It must be emphasized that the opinion of Alston & Bird LLP is based on various assumptions relating to our organization, operation, assets and activities, and that all factual representations and statements set forth in all relevant documents, records and instruments are true and correct, all actions described herein are completed in a timely fashion and that we will at all times operate in accordance with the method of operation described in our LLC Agreement and herein, and is conditioned upon factual representations and covenants made by us, and our board of directors regarding our organization, operation, assets, activities, and conduct of our operations, and assumes that such representations and covenants are accurate and complete. Such representations include, as discussed further below, representations to the effect that we will meet the “qualifying income exception”.

 

While it is expected that we will operate so that we will qualify to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a partnership, and not as an association or a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation, given the highly complex nature of the rules governing partnerships, the ongoing importance of factual determinations, the lack of direct guidance with respect to the application of tax laws to the activities we are undertaking and the possibility of future changes in its circumstances, it is possible that we will not so qualify for any particular year. Alston & Bird LLP has no obligation to advise us or our members of any subsequent change in the matters stated, represented or assumed, or of any subsequent change in the applicable law. Our taxation as a partnership will depend on our ability to meet, on a continuing basis, through actual operating results, the “qualifying income exception.” We expect to satisfy this exception by ensuring that most of our investments that do not generate “qualifying income” are held through taxable corporate subsidiaries. However, we may not properly identify income as “qualifying,” and our compliance with the “qualifying income exception” will not be reviewed by Alston & Bird LLP on an on-going basis. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the actual results of our operations for any taxable year will satisfy this “qualifying income” exception.

 

If, for any reason we become taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, our items of income and deduction would not pass through to our members and our members would be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as stockholders in a corporation. We would be required to pay income tax at corporate rates on our net income. Distributions by us to members would constitute dividend income taxable to such members, to the extent of our earnings and profits, and the payment of these distributions would not be deductible by us. These consequences would have a material adverse effect on us, our members and the value of the shares.

 

 49 

 

 

It is expected that we will operate so that we will qualify to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a partnership and that a significant portion of our investments will not generate “qualifying income” as the LLC will conduct a significant portion of its operations through GREC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the LLC treated as a C corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes and subject to U.S. federal income tax on its net income. Conducting the company’s operations through GREC is expected to allow us to effectively utilize tax incentives generated from projects in which we hold controlling equity stakes to reduce the taxable income generated by our other investments through tax incentives that are better utilized by C-corporations than other forms of entities. However, because a significant portion of our investments will be held through GREC, the “pass through” tax benefit of our being a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes will be limited to the income generated by the investments that we directly hold.

 

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

 

None.

 

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

 

Our executive offices are located at 11 East 44th Street, Suite 1200, New York, NY 10017. We believe that our office facilities are suitable and adequate for our business as it is contemplated to be conducted.

 

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

 

None of us, GCM, or the Administrator, is currently subject to any material legal proceedings, nor, to our knowledge, is any material legal proceeding threatened against us, or against GCM or the Administrator.

 

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

 

Not applicable.

 

PART II

 

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

 

PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK

 

The company’s Class A, Class C, Class I, Class P-A (no longer offered or outstanding) or Class P-I shares are not listed or traded on any recognized securities exchange. Since the initial closing and through the date of this filing, the company sold shares on a continuous basis at the following prices:

 

Period  Class 
From  To  A   C   I   P-A   P-I 
25-Apr-14  4-Nov-15  $10.000   $9.576   $9.186    NA    NA 
5-Nov-15  4-Feb-16  $10.024   $9.599   $9.208    NA    NA 
5-Feb-16  5-May-16  $10.048   $9.621   $9.230    NA    NA 
6-May-16  3-Aug-16  $10.068   $9.640   $9.248   $9.589   $8.808 
4-Aug-16  6-Nov-16  $10.227   $9.791   $9.394   $9.739   $8.946 
7-Nov-16  7-Feb-17  $10.282   $9.581   $9.445   $9.782   $8.828 
8-Feb-17  4-May-17  $10.224   $9.526   $9.391   $9.704   $8.758 
5-May-17  17-May-17  $10.165   $9.479   $9.337   $9.704   $8.690 
18-May-17  03-Aug-17  $9.735   $9.067   $8.942   $9.704   $8.690 
04-Aug-17  02-Nov-17  $9.724   $9.078   $8.932    N/A   $8.730 
03-Nov-17  05-Feb-18  $9.735   $9.089   $8.943    N/A   $8.750 
06-Feb-18     $9.780   $9.089   $8.984    N/A   $8.810 

 

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HOLDERS

 

As of December 31, 2017, the company has issued 14,500,518 Class A shares (including 23,601 to GCM), 1,441,193 Class C shares, 4,617,919 Class I shares and 3,397,878 Class P-I shares.

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

 

The following table reflects the distributions declared during the year ended December 31, 2017.

 

Pay Date  Paid in Cash   Value of Shares
Issued under DRP
   Total 
February 1, 2017  $431,686   $349,842   $781,528 
March 1, 2017   413,270    332,761    746,031 
April 3, 2017   482,113    371,902    854,015 
May 1, 2017   486,864    370,463    857,327 
June 1, 2017   524,909    383,585    908,494 
July 3, 2017   534,165    382,339    916,504 
August 1, 2017   572,833    406,993    979,826 
September 1, 2017   600,962    415,864    1,016,826 
October 2, 2017   603,869    411,848    1,015,717 
November 1, 2017   637,604    436,753    1,074,357 
December 1, 2017   656,495    430,860    1,087,355 
January 2, 2018   711,306    454,324    1,165,630 
Total  $6,656,076   $4,747,534   $11,403,610 

 

The following table reflects the distributions declared during the year ended December 31, 2016.

 

Pay Date  Paid in Cash   Value of Shares
Issued under DRP
   Total 
February 1, 2016  $171,410   $185,680   $357,090 
March 1, 2016   182,825    195,193    378,018 
April 1, 2016   221,088    221,729    442,817 
May 2, 2016   234,799    241,934    476,733 
June 1, 2016   261,003    271,362    532,365 
July 1, 2016   270,112    277,033    547,145 
August 1, 2016   296,391    288,859    585,250 
September 1, 2016   323,445    299,790    623,235 
October 3, 2016   334,152    299,699    633,851 
November 1, 2016   356,589    321,863    678,452 
December 1, 2016   371,493    320,165    691,658 
January 3, 2017   403,983    367,279    771,262 
Total  $3,427,290   $3,290,586   $6,717,876 

 

The following table reflects the distributions declared during the year ended December 31, 2015.

 

Pay Date  Paid in Cash   Value of Shares
Issued under DRP
   Total 
February 2, 2015  $35,820   $30,024   $65,844 
March 2, 2015   35,691    30,341    66,032 
April 1, 2015   46,720    38,120    84,840 
May 1, 2015   53,139    46,808    99,947 
June 1, 2015   61,499    57,380    118,879 
July 1, 2015   69,501    65,739    135,240 
August 3, 2015   82,395    81,426    163,821 
September 1, 2015   95,124    95,081    190,205 
October 1, 2015   104,797    109,643    214,440 
November 2, 2015   120,894    128,288    249,182 
December 1, 2015   134,302    143,800    278,102 
January 4, 2016   156,985    166,624    323,609 
Total  $996,867   $993,274   $1,990,141 

 

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PERFORMANCE GRAPH

 

Not applicable.

 

SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES

 

During the year ended December 31, 2017, the company sold 3,092 Class P-A shares and 3,198,559 Class P-I shares under a private placement memorandum. During the year ended December 31, 2016, the company sold 47,774 Class P-A shares and 199,319 Class P-I shares under a private placement memorandum. During the year ended December 31, 2015, there were no unregistered sales of securities by the company. Class P-A shares were converted into Class P-I shares during the quarter ended June 30, 2017 and are no longer offered for sale.

 

ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

 

For the year ended December 31, 2017, the company repurchased 368,925 Class A shares, 6,041 Class C shares, 81,315 Class I shares and 10,309 Class P-I shares at a total purchase price of $3,280,566, $53,073, $724,059 and $90,000, respectively, pursuant to the company’s share repurchase program. For the year ended December 31, 2016, the company repurchased 261,620 Class A shares and 25,035 Class I shares at a total purchase price of $2,407,717 and $230,084, respectively, pursuant to the company’s share repurchase program. For the year ended December 31, 2015, the company repurchased 15,000 Class A shares at a total purchase price of $135,375, pursuant to the company’s share repurchase program. No Class C shares were repurchased during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016. No Class C or I shares were repurchased during the year ended December 31, 2015.

 

The table below provides information concerning the company’s repurchase of shares during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 pursuant to the company’s share repurchase program.

 

Period  Total Number of
Shares (Classes A, C, I and P-I)
purchased
   Average
Price Paid per
Share
   Total Number of
Shares Purchased as Part of
Publicly Announced Plans or
Programs
   Maximum Number of Shares
That May Yet Be Purchased
Under the
Plans or Programs(1)
 
January 1 to March 31, 2017   113,534   $9.227    113,534     
April 1 to June 30, 2017   107,155    8.786    107,155     
July 1 to September 30, 2017   135,561    8.761    135,561     
October 1 to December 31, 2017   110,340    8.786    110,340     
Total - 2017   466,590   $8.886    466,590     
                     
January 1 to March 31, 2016   9,021   $9.068    9,021     
April 1 to June 30, 2016   80,958    9.086    80,958     
July 1 to September 30, 2016   94,761    9.230    94,761     
October 1 to December 31, 2016   101,915    9.280    101,915     
Total - 2016   286,655   $9.202    286,655     
                     
January 1 to March 31, 2015      $         
April 1 to June 30, 2015                
July 1 to September 30, 2015                
October 1 to December 31, 2015   15,000    9.025    15,000     
Total - 2015   15,000   $9.025    15,000     

 

 
  (1) The company’s share repurchase program provides that we may make repurchase offers only if we have sufficient funds available for repurchase and to the extent the total number of shares for which repurchase is requested in any fiscal quarter does not exceed 5% of our weighted average number of outstanding shares in any 12-month period. In addition, we will limit repurchases in each fiscal quarter to 1.25% of the weighted average number of shares outstanding in the prior four fiscal quarters.

 

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ITEM 6. SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

 

The following selected financial data of the company as of December 31, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013 and for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 and for the period from Commencement of Operations (April 25, 2014) through December 31, 2014 are derived from our consolidated financial statements that have been audited by KPMG, our independent registered public accounting firm. This financial data should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto and Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included elsewhere in this report:

 

    As of
December 31, 2017
    As of
December 31, 2016
    As of
December 31, 2015
    As of
December 31, 2014
    As of
December 31, 2013
   
Statements of Assets and Liabilities data at period end:                                          
Investments, at fair value   $ 218,386,174     $ 115,123,101     $ 51,454,566     $ 2,737,501     $    
Swap contracts, at fair value     156,068       90,697                      
Cash and cash equivalents     10,144,014       13,055,090       5,889,030       7,567,061       202,000    
Other assets     4,823,789       6,766,392       944,879       517,575          
Total assets     233,510,045       135,035,280       58,288,475       10,822,137          
Payable for investments purchased     15,414,205                            
Term note payable, net of financing costs     12,910,364       3,270,399                      
Other liabilities     2,510,709       2,346,081       600,397       309,482          
Total liabilities     30,835,278       5,616,480       600,397       309,482          
Total net assets   $ 202,674,767     $ 129,418,800     $ 57,688,078     $ 10,512,655     $ 202,000    

  

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    For the year ended
December 31, 2017
    For the year ended
December 31, 2016
    For the year ended
December 31, 2015
    For the period
from Commencement of
Operations (April 25,
2014) through December
31, 2014
 
Statements of operations data:                                
Total investment income   $ 13,383,121     $ 8,236,025     $ 1,854,122     $ 38,291  
Management fee expense     3,351,250       2,018,434       571,271       64,282  
Incentive fees     139,692                    
All other expenses     2,433,137       1,921,793       1,054,509       617,072  
Waiver of management fees                       (21,228 )
Pre-operating expenses                       222,734  
Expense reimbursement to (from) advisor           636,926       11,794       (648,720 )
Net investment income (loss) before taxes     7,459,042       3,658,872       216,548       (195,849 )
Deferred tax (benefit) expense     2,619,076     (1,142,738 )      (522,985 )       
Franchise tax expense     (23,415 )     (121,940 )            
Net investment income (loss)     4,816,551       4,679,670       739,533       (195,849 )
Net realized loss on foreign currency transactions                       (136 )
Net realized gain on investments     693,882       4,578              
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments     5,929,033       (1,473,781 )     1,578,967       81,012  
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on foreign currency translation     97,763       40,703       (196,902 )     (31,647 )
Net change in unrealized appreciation on swap contracts     65,371       90,697                  
Change in benefit from deferred taxes on unrealized appreciation on investments     963,720       4,386,656       127,015        
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations   $ 12,566,320     $ 7,728,523     $ 2,248,613       (146,620 )
Per share data (basic and diluted): (1)                                
Net asset value (Class A)   $ 8.68     $ 8.69     $ 8.54       8.50  
Net asset value (Class C)   $ 8.42     $ 8.44     $ 8.54       8.50  
Net asset value (Class I)   $ 8.68     $ 8.69     $ 8.54       8.50  
Net asset value (Class P-I)   $ 8.81     $ 8.67     $        
Net investment income (loss)   $ 0.25     $ 0.43     $ 0.22       (0.38 )
Net realized gain on investments   $ 0.04                          
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments, net of incentive allocation to special unitholder   $ 0.31     $ (0.10 )   $ 0.39       0.14  
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on foreign currency translation   $ 0.01     $     $ (0.06 )     (0.06 )
Change in benefit from deferred taxes on unrealized appreciation on investments   $ 0.05     $ 0.40     $ 0.04        
Net increase (decrease) in net assets attributed to common stockholders   $ 0.66     $ 0.73     $ 0.59       (0.30 )
Distributions declared (Class A)   $ 0.60     $ 0.60     $ 0.60       0.28  
Distributions declared (Class C)   $ 0.59     $ 0.60     $ 0.60       0.28  
Distributions declared (Class I)   $ 0.60     $ 0.60     $ 0.60       0.28  
Distributions declared (Class P-I)   $ 0.58     $ 0.25     $        
Other data:                                
Weighted average common shares outstanding     18,922,343       11,043,156       3,335,719       513,052  
Total return, net of expense reimbursement to/from advisor, attributed to common shares based on net asset value (Class A)     6.90 %     8.79 %     7.44 %     (5.33 )%
Total return, net of expense reimbursement to/from advisor, attributed to common shares based on net asset value (Class C)     6.77 %     5.65 %     7.44 %     (5.33 )%
Total return, net of expense reimbursement to/from advisor, attributed to common shares based on net asset value (Class I)     6.90 %     8.79 %     7.44 %     (5.33 )%
Total return, net of expense reimbursement to/from advisor, attributed to common shares based on net asset value (Class P-I)     8.65 %     4.49 %     %     %
Number of portfolio company investments at period end     18       9       8       3  
Purchases of investments   $ 127,069,013     $ 91,786,650     $ 47,681,029       2,688,136  
Principal payments and sales of investments for the period   $ 30,496,206     $ 26,689,615     $ 359,432        

   

(1)The per share calculation for net asset value was based on shares outstanding. All other per share calculations were derived by using the weighted average shares outstanding.

 

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ITEM 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

Forward Looking Statements

 

Various statements in this annual report, including those that express a belief, expectation or intention, as well as those that are not statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements may include projections and estimates concerning the timing and success of specific projects, revenues, income and capital spending. We generally identify forward-looking statements with the words “believe,” “intend,” “expect,” “seek,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “anticipate,” “could,” “estimate,” “plan,” “predict,” “project” or their negatives, and other similar expressions. All statements we make relating to our estimated and projected earnings, margins, costs, expenditures, cash flows, growth rates and financial results or to our expectations regarding future industry trends are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may change at any time, and, therefore, our actual results may differ materially from those that we expected. The forward-looking statements contained in this report are largely based on our expectations, which reflect many estimates and assumptions made by our management. These estimates and assumptions reflect our best judgment based on currently known market conditions and other factors. Although we believe such estimates and assumptions are reasonable, we caution that it is very difficult to predict the impact of known factors and it is impossible for us to anticipate all factors that could affect our actual results. In addition, our advisor’s assumptions about future events may prove to be inaccurate. We caution all readers that the forward-looking statements contained in this report are not guarantees of future performance, and we cannot assure any reader that such statements will prove correct or the forward-looking events and circumstances will occur. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements due to the numerous risks and uncertainties as described under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this report. All forward-looking statements are based upon information available to us on the date of this report. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law. You are advised to consult any additional disclosures that we may make directly to you or through reports that we in the future may file with the SEC, including Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. These cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements attributable to us, or persons acting on our behalf. The risks, contingencies and uncertainties associated with our forward-looking statements relate to, among other matters, the following:

 

  changes in the economy;

 

  the ability to complete the renewable energy projects in which we invest;

 

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  our relationships with project developers, lawyers, investment and commercial banks, individual and institutional investors, consultants, diligence specialists, EPC companies, contractors, renewable energy technology manufacturers (such as panel manufacturers), solar insurance specialists, component manufacturers, software providers and other industry participants in the renewable energy, capital markets and project finance sectors;

 

  fluctuations in supply, demand, prices and other conditions for electricity, other commodities and RECs;

 

  public response to and changes in the local, state and federal regulatory framework affecting renewable energy projects, including the potential expiration or extension of the PTC, ITC and the related U.S. Treasury grants and potential reductions in RPS requirements;

 

  competition from other energy developers;

 

  the worldwide demand for electricity and the market for renewable energy;

 

  the ability or inability of conventional fossil fuel-based generation technologies to meet the worldwide demand for electricity;

 

  our competitive position and our expectation regarding key competitive factors;

 

  risks associated with our hedging strategies;

 

  potential environmental liabilities and the cost of compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations, which may be material;

 

  our electrical production projections (including assumptions of curtailment and facility availability) for our renewable energy projects;

 

  our ability to operate our business efficiently, manage costs (including general and administrative expenses) effectively and generate cash flow;

 

  availability of suitable renewable energy resources and other weather conditions that affect our electricity production;

 

  the effects of litigation, including administrative and other proceedings or investigations relating to our renewable energy projects;

 

  non-payment by customers and enforcement of certain contractual provisions;

 

  risks associated with possible disruption in our operations or the economy generally due to terrorism or natural disasters; and

 

  future changes in laws or regulations and conditions in our operating areas.

 

Overview

 

Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC, (the “LLC”) a Delaware limited liability company, is an externally managed energy company that acquires and manages income-generating renewable energy and energy efficiency projects and other energy-related businesses as well as finances the construction and/or operation of these and sustainable development projects and businesses. The LLC conducts substantially all its operations through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation (“GREC”). GREC is a Maryland corporation formed in November 2011 and the LLC currently holds all the outstanding shares of capital stock of GREC. The LLC and GREC (collectively “we”, “us”, “our”, and the “company”) are managed and advised by Greenbacker Capital Management LLC (the “advisor” or “GCM”), a renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainability and other energy related project acquisition, consulting and development company that is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (“Advisers Act”). The LLC’s fiscal year end is December 31.

 

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Our business objective is to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for our members, consisting of both current income and long-term capital appreciation, by acquiring, and financing the construction and/or operation of income-generating renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable development projects, primarily within but also outside of North America. We expect the size of our investments to generally range between approximately $1 million and $100 million. We will seek to maximize our risk-adjusted returns by: (1) capitalizing on market opportunities; (2) focusing on hard assets that produce dependable cash flows; (3) efficiently utilizing government incentives where available; (4) employing creative deal structuring to optimize capital and ownership structures; (5) partnering with experienced financial, legal, engineering and other professional firms; (6) employing sound due diligence and risk mitigation processes; and (7) monitoring and managing our portfolio of assets on an ongoing basis.

 

Our goal is to assemble a diversified portfolio of renewable energy, energy efficiency and other sustainability related projects and businesses. Renewable energy projects generally earn revenue through the sale of generated electricity as well as frequently through the sale of other commodities such as RECs and EECs, which are generated by the projects and the sale of by-products such as organic compost materials. We initially have focused on solar energy and wind energy projects as well as energy efficiency projects. We believe solar energy projects generally offer more predictable power generation characteristics, due to the relative predictability of sunlight over the course of time compared to other renewable energy classes and therefore we expect they will provide more stable income streams. However, technological advances in wind turbines and other energy generation technologies, as well as government incentives make wind energy and other types of projects attractive as well. Solar energy projects provide maximum energy production during the middle of the day and in the summer months when days are longer and nights shorter. Solar energy projects tend to have minimal environmental impact enabling such projects to be developed close to areas of dense population where electricity demand is highest. Solar technology is scalable and well-established and it will be a relatively straightforward process to integrate new acquisitions and projects into our portfolio. Over time, we expect to broaden our strategy to include other types of renewable energy projects and energy efficiency projects and businesses, which may include wind farms, hydropower assets, geothermal plants, biomass and biofuel assets, combined heat and power technology assets, fuel cell assets and other energy efficiency assets, among others, and to the extent we deem the opportunity attractive, other energy and sustainability related assets and businesses.

 

Our preferred investment strategy is to acquire controlling equity stakes in our target assets or to be named the managing member of a limited liability company to oversee and supervise their operations. We define controlling equity stakes as companies in which we own 25% or more of the voting securities of such company or have greater than 50% representation on such company’s board of directors. However, we will also provide financing to projects owned by others, including through the provision of secured loans which may or may not include some form of equity participation. We may also provide projects with senior unsecured debt, subordinated secured debt, subordinated unsecured debt, mezzanine debt, convertible debt, convertible preferred equity, and preferred equity, and make minority equity investments. We may also participate in projects by acquiring contractual payment rights or rights to receive a proportional interest in the operating cash flow or net income of a project. We may also make equity investments in or loans to parties financing the supply of renewable energy and energy efficiency to residential and commercial customers or the adoption of strategies to reduce the consumption of energy by those customers. Our strategy will be tailored to balance long-term cash flow certainty, which we can achieve through long-term agreements for our products, with shorter term arrangements that allow us to potentially generate higher risk- adjusted returns.

 

Our renewable energy projects generate revenue primarily by selling (1) generated electric power to local utilities and other high quality, utility, municipal, corporate and individual residential counterparties, and (2) in some cases, RECs, EECs, and other commodities associated with the generation or savings of power. We seek to acquire or finance projects that contain transmission infrastructures and access to power grids or networks that will enable the generated power to be sold. We generally expect our projects will have PPAs with one or more counterparties, including local utilities or other high credit quality counterparties, who agree to purchase the electricity generated from the project. We refer to these PPAs as “must-take contracts,” and we refer to these other counterparties as “off-takers.” These must-take contracts guarantee that all electricity generated by each project will be purchased. Although we intend to work primarily with high credit quality counterparties, if an off-taker cannot fulfill its contractual obligation to purchase the power, we generally can sell the power to the local utility or other suitable counterparty, which would potentially ensure revenue is generated for all solar electricity generation. We may also generate revenue from the receipt of interest, fees, capital gains and distributions from investments in our target assets.

 

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We employ a rigorous credit underwriting process for each of our contractual counterparties that involves (i) identification of high credit quality counterparties with appropriate bonding and insurance capacity; (ii) where available, the review of counterparty financial statements and/or publicly available credit rating reports (iii) worst-case analysis testing of assets; (iv) ongoing monitoring of acquired assets and counterparty creditworthiness, including monitoring the public credit ratings reports issued by Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s, and (v) in regard to residential solar where the homeowner is the counterparty, individual FICO scores.

 

The following table illustrates the allocation by percentage of the company’s contracted revenue by counterparty type and creditworthiness for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016.

 

   For the
year ended
December
31, 2017
   For the
year ended
December
31, 2016
 
Investment grade:          
Utility   61.9%   72.2%
Municipality   6.1    6.2 
Corporation   0.3    1.2 
Subtotal investment grade   68.3%   79.6%
           
Non-investment grade or no rating:          
Utility   0.4%   1.1%
Municipality   3.3    5.9 
Residential   25.7    10.0 
Corporation   2.3    3.4 
Subtotal non-investment grade or no rating   31.7%   20.4%
           
Total   100.0%   100.0%

 

Our PPAs, when structured with utilities and other large commercial users of electricity, are generally long-term in nature, tied to 100% of the output of the specific generating asset, and priced at a rate established pursuant to a formula set by the contract. The formula is often dependent upon the type of subsidies, if any, offered by the local and state governments for project development. Although we focus on projects with long-term contracts that ensure price certainty, we also look for projects with shorter term arrangements that will allow us to participate in market rate changes which may lead to higher current income.

 

Certain of the PPAs for our projects are structured as “behind the meter” agreements with residential, commercial or government entities. Under the agreements, all electricity generated by a project will be purchased by the off-taker at an agreed-upon rate that may be set at a slight discount to the retail electric tariff rate for the off-taker. These agreements also typically provide for annual rate increases over the term of the agreement although that is not a necessary requirement. The behind the meter agreement is generally long-term in nature and further typically provides that, should the off-taker fail to fulfill its contractual obligation, any electricity that is not purchased by the off-taker may be sold to the local utility, usually at an equivalent wholesale spot electric rate.

 

We have structured some of our investments in residential solar with a similar commercial arrangement to that of the PPA with utilities and other large commercial users of electricity for our energy projects, as described above. Recently, we acquired residential solar assets which have a PPA with the residential homeowner as counterparty as well as leasing the solar assets to a residential owner on a long-term basis where the residential owner directly receives the benefit of the electricity generated.

 

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We currently finance energy efficiency projects, which seek to enable residential customers, businesses and governmental organizations to consume less energy while at the same time providing the same or greater level of amenity. Financing for energy efficiency projects is generally used to pay for energy efficiency retrofits of buildings, homes, businesses, and replacement of other inefficient energy consuming assets with more modern technologies. These projects are structured to provide predictable long-term cash flows by receiving a portion of the energy savings and the potential sale of associated RECs and EECs generated by such installations. In each of our renewable energy and energy efficiency investments, we intend, where appropriate, to maximize the benefits of renewable portfolio standards or RPS as well as other U.S. federal, state and local government support and incentives for the renewable energy industry.

 

The table below sets forth the company’s investments in alternative energy generation portfolios as of December 31, 2017.

 

   Acquisition Date  Industry  Location(s)  Form of
Investment
****
  Cost **/
Principal
Amount*
   Assets  Generation
Capacity in
(MW)*
 
Sunny Mountain Portfolio  Third quarter 2014  Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  Colorado  100% equity ownership  $884,578   Commercial and residential ground and roof mounted solar photovoltaic systems   0.801 
East to West Solar Portfolio  First quarter 2015, Second quarter 2015, Fourth quarter 2015  Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana and North Carolina  100% equity ownership  $27,934,875   Commercial ground and roof mounted solar photovoltaic systems   19.46 
Green Maple Portfolio  Fourth quarter 2014, Fourth quarter 2015  Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  Vermont  100% equity ownership  $13,075,000   Commercial ground mounted solar photovoltaic systems   7.393 
Magnolia Sun Portfolio  Third quarter 2015, First quarter 2016  Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  California, Massachusetts and Tennessee  100% equity ownership  $10,775,000   Commercial ground and roof mounted solar photovoltaic systems   5.302 
Six States Solar Portfolio  Fourth quarter 2015, Third quarter 2017,  Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana and North Carolina  100% equity ownership  $4,770,306   Ground and roof mounted solar systems   12.973 
Greenbacker Residential Solar Portfolio  Third quarter 2016, First quarter 2017, Second quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Residential Solar  Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts,  New Jersey and  New York  100% equity ownership or managing member, majority equity owner  $28,100,000   Residential rooftop mounted solar photovoltaic systems   18.559 
Greenbacker Residential Solar Portfolio II  Second quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Residential Solar  Arizona, California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts,  Nevada, New Jersey and  New York  Managing member, majority equity owner  $6,400,000   Residential rooftop mounted solar photovoltaic systems   10.221 
Enfinity Colorado DHA Portfolio  First quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Residential Solar  Colorado  100% equity ownership  $1,400,000   Residential rooftop mounted solar photovoltaic systems   2.508 
Golden Horizons Solar Portfolio  Fourth quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Solar  California  100% equity ownership  $9,450,000   Commercial ground mounted solar photovoltaic systems   7.792 
Raleigh Portfolio  Third quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  North Carolina  Managing member, majority equity owner  $20,672,198   Commercial ground mounted solar photovoltaic systems   27.829 
Foresight Solar Portfolio  Fourth quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  California, Colorado  Managing member, majority equity owner  $13,200,071   Commercial ground mounted solar photovoltaic systems   10.0 

Midway III Portfolio

 

  Fourth quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  California  100% equity ownership  $10,093,861   Commercial ground mounted solar photovoltaic systems   *** 
Greenbacker Wind -California  Fourth quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Wind  California  100% equity ownership  $9,500,000   Operating wind power facilities   6.0 
Greenbacker Wind - Idaho  Second quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Wind  Idaho  100% equity ownership  $7,320,000   Operating wind power facilities   10.5 
Greenbacker Wind -Montana  Fourth quarter 2015, Fourth quarter 2016   Alternative Energy – Wind  Montana  Managing member, equity owner  $21,609,488   Operating wind power facilities   35.0 
Greenbacker Wind -Vermont  Fourth quarter 2017  Alternative Energy – Wind  Vermont  100% equity ownership  $24,417,193   Operating wind power facilities   10.0 
GREC Energy Efficiency Portfolio  Third quarter 2015  Energy Efficiency – Lighting Replacement  Puerto Rico  Capital lease  $482,450   Energy efficiency LED lighting    
Renew AEC One, LLC  Fourth quarter 2015  Energy Efficiency – Lighting Replacement  Pennsylvania  Secured loan  $672,871   Energy efficiency LED lighting    
Canadian Northern Lights Portfolio  Fourth quarter 2014, Fourth quarter 2015  Alternative Energy – Residential Solar  Ontario, Canada  100% equity ownership  $1,603,136   Residential rooftop mounted solar photovoltaic systems   .6 

 

 

* Approximate.

** Does not include assumed project level debt.

*** Currently under construction.

**** 100% Equity ownership, majority equity owner (> 50%), equity owner (< 50%), Managing Member of the Limited Liability Company, secured loan or a capital lease

 

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The investments described above have allowed us to execute on our strategy of constructing a portfolio of projects offering predictable power generation characteristics and generally stable income streams which includes generally seasonal solar generation income, wind generation income which is generally stronger in the winter months, and energy efficiency lights investments.

 

The LLC conducts a significant portion of its operations through GREC, of which the LLC is the sole shareholder, holding both shares of common stock and the special preferred stock. We intend to continue to operate our business in a manner permitting us to maintain our exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). We are not a blank check company within the meaning of Rule 419 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and have no specific intent to engage in a merger or acquisition in the next 12 months.

 

Pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-211571), we are offering on a continuous basis up to $1,000,000,000 in shares of our limited liability company interests, consisting of up to $800,000,000 of shares in the Primary Offering and up to $200,000,000 of shares pursuant to the Distribution Reinvestment Plan. SC Distributors, LLC is the dealer manager for the current offering. The company’s initial offering pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-178786-01) terminated on February 7, 2017.

 

 After the finalization of the December 31, 2017 net asset value, the current offering price of the Class A shares is $9.780 per share, the current offering price of the Class C shares is $9.089 per share, the current offering price of the Class I shares is $8.984 per share and the current offering price of the Class P-I shares is $8.810 per share.

 

As of December 31, 2017, through initial purchases of shares and participation in the distribution reinvestment program, our advisor owned 23,601 shares. As of December 31, 2016, our advisor and its affiliate owned 23,469 and 93,191 shares, respectively. The affiliate of our advisor redeemed all of its shares during the year ended December 31, 2017 and no longer owns shares as of December 31, 2017.

 

As of December 31, 2017, we had received subscriptions for and issued 24,008,372 of our shares (including shares issued under the DRP) for gross proceeds of $230,720,821 (before dealer-manager fees of $3,242,439 and selling commissions of $11,160,498 for net proceeds of $216,317,884). As of December 31, 2016, we had received subscriptions for and issued 15,223,577 of our shares (including shares issued under the DRP) for gross proceeds of $149,746,470 (before dealer-manager fees of $2,416,177 and selling commissions of $8,713,815 for net proceeds of $138,616,478).

 

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Current Competition in the Alternative Energy - Solar Marketplace

 

The solar financing market started as a cottage industry where developers would bring together high net worth investors to fund single solar and wind transactions. While successful in jump starting the industry, true capital formation is a relatively new phenomenon and is not as well developed as in other asset classes. Currently in the alternative energy – solar marketplace, there are several sources of capital:

  

  · Developer/Owner Operators. The major competition we face in the market for the assets we target comes from privately backed developer/owner operators. The capital from these organizations has generally been sourced from a combination of family offices/private equity funds and hedge funds. These organizations are generally set up as developers, with investment return expectations in the 20-30% range. However, to facilitate the most favorable exit for the sponsors, the developer/owner operators seek to accumulate a significant portfolio of operating assets to provide a base level of stable and predictable earnings for the enterprise. Through a combination of developer profits and leverage they are able to generate satisfactory ongoing returns with the bulk of the upside being generated for the sponsors through the exit. We are of the opinion this group of buyers will ultimately be capital constrained particularly in circumstances where equity markets experience a downturn.
     
  · Single Purpose Limited Partnerships. These entities are typically funded by high net worth individuals or family offices and are generally focused on a small number of deals as they have a limited amount of capital to invest.
     
  · Utilities. Institutional investors (including large life insurance companies), pension funds and infrastructure funds. This sector dominates investment in the larger projects (i.e. $100,000,000 or greater). Because scale is always an important consideration for larger institutions we tend not to encounter this group in the markets we target.

 

In management’s view, the company has been competitive in bidding for solar assets against all of these sources of capital and maintains a significant pipeline of deals which can be consummated as offering proceeds are raised.

 

Opportunities in Solar Power Today

 

We believe that the greatest opportunity exists within the Small Utility Scale segment of the market where the company can buy assets with similar commercial attributes to the Large Utility Scale projects (Investment Grade off-taker, same equipment and warrantees, same operations and maintenance service provider, etc.) but where returns are higher. In our view, there is a significant opportunity to aggregate portfolios of high quality Small Utility Scale projects working with experienced developers looking for a reliable and sustainable source of capital to increase the certainty of them closing transactions. As a result, we have been focusing on building relationships with respected developers with a view to acquiring pipelines of projects rather than one-off deals. By working closely with developers to efficiently close their transactions, we are seeking to create a sustainable competitive advantage which will lead to recurring and consistent deal flow. Recently, we have been working with developers of residential rooftop solar assets as we believe a significant opportunity exists to securitize residential solar assets once significant scale is achieved resulting in increased value and return. Importantly our strategy is differentiated from the developer/owner operators mentioned above because we do not ever seek to compete with the developers but rather to work in lock-step with them so that they can achieve sustainable development profits and we have access to pipelines of transactions, which align with our current investment strategy and focus.

 

Factors Impacting Our Operating Results

 

The results of our operations are affected by a number of factors and will primarily depend on, among other things, the supply of renewable energy assets in the marketplace, the revenues we receive from renewable energy and energy efficiency projects and businesses, the market price of electricity, the availability of government incentives, local, regional and national economies and general market conditions. Additionally, our operations are impacted by interest rates and the cost of financing provided by other financial market participants. Many of the factors that affect our operating results are beyond our control.

 

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Size of portfolio. The size of our portfolio of investments will be a key revenue driver. Generally, as the size of our portfolio grows, the amount of income we receive will increase. In addition, our portfolio of investments may grow at an uneven pace as opportunities to make investments in our target assets may be irregularly timed, and the timing and extent of GCM’s success in identifying such assets, and our success in acquiring such assets, cannot be predicted. Lastly, other than management fees, the majority of our expenses are of a fixed nature so expenses as a percentage of net assets are reduced as the net assets of the company increase.

 

Credit risk. We encounter credit risk relating to (1) counterparties to the electricity and environmental credit sales agreements (including PPAs) for our projects, (2) counterparties responsible for project construction and hedging arrangements, (3) companies in which we may invest and (4) any potential debt financing we or our projects may obtain. When we are able to do so, we seek to mitigate credit risk by entering into contracts with high quality counterparties. However, it is still possible that these counterparties may be unable to fulfill their contractual obligations to us. If counterparties to the electricity sales agreements for our projects or the companies in which we invest are unable to make payments to us when due, or at all, our financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely effected. While we seek to mitigate construction-related credit risk by entering into contracts with high quality EPC companies with appropriate bonding and insurance capacity, if EPCs to the construction agreements for our projects are unable to fulfill their contractual obligations to us, our financial condition and results of operation could be materially adversely effected. We seek to mitigate credit risk by deploying a comprehensive review and asset selection process, including worst case analysis, and careful ongoing monitoring of acquired assets as well as mitigation of negative credit effects through back up planning. Nevertheless, unanticipated credit losses may occur which could adversely impact our operating results.

 

Electricity prices. All of our projects benefit from take-or-pay contracts to sell 100% of the power we generate on the contracted terms. On average the contracts on our existing portfolio have approximately 16.0 years left prior to being exposed to market prices. The credit standing of the contract counterparty is a particular focus in situations where the contracts have a price escalator as such contracts create an incentive for the counterparty to not continue to perform if the contract pricing deviates materially from the market price. If the contract is with a public or investment grade entity, we have generally been confident that the contract terms will be honored. The only exception might apply in situations where rising electricity prices could create pressure around a political change in a particular state or locale.

 

Due to the take-or-pay nature of the contracts, management believes that the company is largely insulated from the day to day price volatility of the electricity markets. With that said, it would be imprudent of us not to keep an eye to what is happening across the electricity markets and to stay abreast of developments in the industry as they occur. Over recent years, we have seen a lot of volatility in gas prices and yet that volatility has been slow to translate into movements in the electricity prices. Electricity pricing is a function of a range of factors and the price of gas is just one component. Electricity prices also include a recovery of the cost of the generation plant, the labor to operate it, the cost to transport the fuel to the plant, the cost to wheel the power to the customer, the cost to administer the utility, etc., so gas price volatility is less impactful on the delivered price of electricity than one might expect.

 

The U.S. Energy Information Agency of the Department of Energy anticipates that electricity prices will rise annually by between 2.5% and 3.0% nationally for the next 20 years (on a nominal basis). Assuming the price at which we sell the power under our contracts is set at a discount to the current electricity price and the escalator (to the extent there is one) is less than 2.5% per annum, we expect the contracted price will remain close to, if not below, the market price of the electricity throughout the entire term of the contract.

 

Changes in market interest rates. With respect to our current business operations, to the extent that we use debt financing with unhedged floating interest rates or in the case of any refinancing, general increases in interest rates over time may cause the interest expense associated with our borrowings to increase, and the value of our debt investments to decline. Conversely, general decreases in interest rates over time may cause the interest expense associated with our borrowings to decrease, and the value of our debt investments to increase.

 

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Market conditions. We believe that demand for alternative forms of energy from traditional fossil-fuel energy will continue to grow as countries seek to reduce their dependence on outside sources of energy and as the political and social climate continues to demand social responsibility on environmental matters. Notwithstanding this growing demand, we believe that a significant shortage of capital currently exists in the market to satisfy the demands of the renewable energy sector in the United States and around the world, particularly with respect to small and mid-sized projects and businesses that are newly developed. Many of the traditional sources of equity capital for the renewable energy marketplace were attracted to renewable energy projects based on their ability to utilize ITCs and tax deductions. We believe that due to changes in their taxable income profiles that have made these tax incentives less valuable, these traditional sources of equity capital have withdrawn from the market. In addition, much of the capital that is available is focused on larger projects that have long-term off-take contracts in place, and does not allow project owners to take any “merchant” or investment risk with respect to RECs. We believe many project developers are not finding or are encountering delays in accessing capital for their projects. As a result, we believe a significant opportunity exists for us to provide new forms of capital to meet this demand.

 

Regulatory matters. Regulatory and tax policy at the federal and state levels tends to be forward looking rather than retrospective. As a result, we do not see many regulatory or tax issues impacting any assets we already own or buy during the operation of a particular regulatory or tax regime.

 

With that said, there may be changes in the future which could impact the returns on future transactions, all of which will be factored into our buying decisions at that time. In the past, we have seen government policy drive a lot of development activity. For example, when the government announces the phasing out of a tax incentive, developers race to get projects to a stage that ensures the project qualifies for the incentive. That kind of activity is generally short lived but can skew the investment supply and demand dynamic.

 

From the federal perspective, changes in tax and regulatory policy could negatively affect prospective returns. Federal tax incentives are comprised of MACRS depreciation and the ITC. MACRS results in accelerated depreciation of renewable assets over a 5.5-year period but given the wide application of MACRS to other asset classes we believe it is less susceptible to change than the ITC. The ITC is a tax incentive that allows an investor to take up to 30% of the installed cost of a solar system as a federal tax credit. This rule was extended at the end of 2015 with the credit amounts incrementally lowered over the next few years from 30% in 2016 to 10% in 2022 and beyond.

 

Other kinds of regulatory changes that could negatively impact returns include the introduction of some kind of value added tax either at the federal or state level, changes to property tax regimes, any kind of targeted tax on the income of renewable energy generation assets, etc. None of these possible changes appear likely any time soon but it is impossible to predict the future with any real certainty.

 

Generally speaking, the policy changes that have occurred over the past decade at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy have been very positive for renewables with stronger emission regulations and other mandates improving the case for renewable energy assets. In addition, the U.S. Energy Information Association forecasts that approximately 65,000 MW of older generating capacity will be retired and go offline by 2020 all of which will need to be replaced by new energy sources. Their current prediction is that at least 50% of that replacement will come from new renewable generating capacity (approximately 25% by wind and 25% by solar). While the current U.S. administration has indicated greater support for traditional sources of energy and the potential reduction in support for alternative energy production, management is of the opinion that any changes enacted by the current U.S. administration will not have a material impact on our operations. In addition, a recent preliminary ruling issued by the U.S. International Trade Commission could result in the placement of tariffs or minimum import prices on PV panels imported to the U.S. that could have an impact on overall U.S. demand.

 

The regulatory market for electric power is highly fragmented with each state having significant influence over the functioning of their respective electricity markets. The states are the primary regulator for the utilities and therefore you see widely divergent policies at the state level. Some states, for example, allow utilities to be vertically integrated producers of power as well as operators of the grid while others have separated those functions entirely. We believe that this diversity is a benefit for our program as the states have been highly adept at advancing programs designed to benefit renewable energy with or without federal government support. There are currently 29 states that have developed a renewable portfolio standard. As a result, we see state regulatory issues as a shifting mosaic of opportunities where some markets will present opportunities while others become less attractive on a prospective basis.

 

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Critical Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates

 

The following discussion addresses the accounting policies utilized based on our current operations. Our most critical accounting policies involve decisions and assessments that affect our reported assets and liabilities, as well as our reported revenues and expenses. We believe that all of the decisions and assessments upon which our consolidated financial statements are based are reasonable at the time made and based upon information available to us at that time. Our critical accounting policies and accounting estimates may be expanded over time as we continue to implement our business and operating strategy. The material accounting policies and estimates that are most critical to an investor’s understanding of our financial results and condition, as well as those that require complex judgment decisions by our management, are discussed below.

 

Basis of Presentation

 

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) which requires the use of estimates, assumptions and the exercise of subjective judgment as to future uncertainties.

 

Although we are organized and intend to conduct our business in a manner so that we are not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, our consolidated financial statements are prepared using the specialized accounting principles of Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services—Investment Companies (“ASC Topic 946”). Overall, we believe that the use of investment company accounting makes our consolidated financial statements more useful to investors and other financial statement users since it allows a more appropriate basis of comparison to other entities with similar investment objectives.

 

Investment Classification

 

We classify our investments by level of control. “Control Investments” are investments in companies in which we own 25% or more of the voting securities of such company, have greater than 50% representation on such company’s board of directors or that are limited liability companies for which we are the managing member. “Affiliate Investments” are investments in companies in which we own 5% or more and less than 25% of the voting securities of such company. “Non-Control/Non- Affiliate Investments” are investments that are neither Control Investments nor Affiliate Investments. Because our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with ASC Topic 946, we do not consolidate companies in which we have Control Investments nor do we apply the equity method of accounting to our Control Investments or Affiliate Investments.

 

Valuation of Investments

 

Our advisor, in conjunction with an independent valuation firm when necessary, subject to the review and approval of the board of directors, is ultimately responsible for the determination, in good faith, of the fair value of investments. In that regard, the advisor has established policies and procedures which have been reviewed and approved by our board of directors, to estimate the fair value of our investments which are detailed below. Any changes to these policies and procedures are required to be approved by our board of directors, including a majority of our independent directors.

 

Investments for which market quotations are readily available are valued at such market quotations.

 

For most of our investments, market quotations will not be available. With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available, our board of directors has approved a multi-step valuation process each fiscal quarter, as described below:

 

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  1. each investment will be valued by GCM. As part of the valuation process, GCM will prepare the valuations and associated supporting materials for review and approval by the board of directors;

 

  2. our board of directors has approved the selection of an independent valuation firm to assist with the review of the valuations prepared by GCM. At the direction of our board of directors, the independent valuation firm will review valuations prepared by GCM for the appropriate application of its valuation policies and the appropriateness of significant inputs used in the valuation models by performing certain limited procedures, which will include a review of GCM’s estimates of fair value for each investment and providing an opinion that GCM’s estimate of fair value for each investment is reasonable. The independent valuation firm may also provide direct assistance to GCM in preparing fair value estimates if the board of directors approves such assistance. In the event that the independent valuation firm is directly involved in preparing the fair value estimate, our board of directors has the authority to hire a separate valuation firm to review that opinion of value;

 

  3. the audit committee of our board of directors reviews and discusses the preliminary valuation prepared by GCM and the report of the independent valuation firm, if any; and

 

  4. our board of directors reviews the valuations and approves the fair value of each investment in our portfolio in good faith by GCM.

 

Loan investments are valued utilizing a market approach, an income approach, or both approaches, as appropriate. The market approach uses prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving identical or comparable assets or liabilities. The income approach uses valuation techniques to convert future amounts (for example, interest and amortization payments) to a single present value amount (discounted) calculated based on an appropriate discount rate. The measurement is based on the net present value using current market expectations about those future amounts. In following these approaches, the types of factors that we may take into account in determining the fair value of our loans include as applicable: debt covenants, call protection provisions, information rights, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the project’s ability to make payments, its earnings and discounted cash flows, the markets in which the project does business, comparisons of financial ratios of peer business entities that are public, mergers and acquisitions comparables, the principal market and enterprise values, among other factors.

 

Equity investments are also valued utilizing a market approach, an income approach, or both approaches, as appropriate. The market approach uses prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving identical or comparable assets or liabilities. The income approach uses valuation techniques to convert future amounts (for example net cash flows or earnings) to a single present value amount (discounted) calculated based on an appropriate discount rate. The measurement is based on the net present value using current market expectations about those future amounts. In following these approaches, the types of factors that we may take into account in determining the fair value of our equity investments include, as applicable: available current market data, including relevant and applicable market trading and transaction comparables, applicable market yields and multiples, security covenants, the project’s earnings and discounted cash flows, the markets in which the project does business, comparisons of financial ratios of peer business entities that are public, mergers and acquisitions comparables, the principal market and enterprise values, among other factors.

 

OTC derivatives including swap contracts are valued on a daily basis using observable inputs, such as quotations provided by an independent pricing service, the counterparty, broker-dealers, whenever available and considered reliable.

 

We have adopted ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC Topic 820”), which defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in accordance with GAAP and expands disclosures about fair value measurements.

 

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ASC Topic 820 clarifies that the fair value price is the price in an orderly transaction between market participants to sell an asset or transfer a liability in the market in which the reporting entity would transact for the asset or liability, that is, the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability. The transaction to sell the asset or transfer the liability is a hypothetical transaction at the measurement date, considered from the perspective of a market participant that holds the asset or owes the liability. ASC Topic 820 provides a consistent definition of fair value which focuses on exit price and prioritizes, within a measurement of fair value, the use of market-based inputs over entity-specific inputs. In addition, ASC Topic 820 provides a framework for measuring fair value and establishes a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date. The three levels of valuation hierarchy established by ASC Topic 820 are defined as follows:

 

  Level 1: Unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.

 

  Level 2: Other significant observable inputs that are sourced either directly or indirectly from publications or pricing services, including dealer or broker markets, for identical or comparable assets or liabilities. Generally, these inputs should be widely accepted and public, non-proprietary and sourced from an independent third party.

 

  Level 3: Inputs derived from a significant amount of unobservable market data and derived primarily through the use of internal valuation methodologies. GREC utilizes primarily proprietary discounted cash flow pricing models which include the use of significant assumptions, projections and professional judgement.

 

In all cases, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls will be determined based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Our assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment and considers factors specific to each investment.

 

Our board of directors has approved the selection of an independent valuation firm to review our advisor’s valuation methodology and to work with our advisor and officers to provide additional inputs for consideration by our audit committee and to work directly with our full board of directors, at the board of directors’ request, with respect to the fair value of investments. For example, our board of directors may determine to engage more than one independent valuation firm in circumstances in which specific expertise of a particular asset or asset class is needed in connection with the valuation of an investment. In addition, GCM will recommend to our board of directors that one quarter of our investments be valued by an independent valuation firm each quarter, on a rotating quarterly basis. Accordingly, each such investment would be reviewed by an independent valuation firm at least once per year.

 

Our board of directors will have the ability to review our advisor’s valuation methodologies each quarter in connection with GCM’s presentation of its valuation recommendations to the audit committee. If during the period between quarterly board meetings, GCM determines that significant changes have occurred since the prior meeting of the board of directors at which it presented its recommendations on the valuation methodology, then GCM will also prepare and present recommendations to the audit committee of the board of directors of its proposed changes to the current valuation methodology. Any such changes to our valuation methodologies will require the approval of our board of directors, including a majority of our independent directors. We will disclose any change in our valuation methodologies, or any change in our investment criteria or strategies, that would constitute a fundamental change in a registration statement amendment prior to its implementation.

 

Foreign Currency Translation

 

The accounting records of the company are maintained in U.S. Dollars. The fair value of investments and other assets and liabilities denominated in non-U.S. currencies are translated into U.S. Dollars using the exchange rate at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, at each quarter end. Amounts related to the purchases and sales of investments, investment income and expenses are translated at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions.

 

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Net unrealized currency gains and losses arising from valuing foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities at the current exchange rate are reflected separately as unrealized appreciation/depreciation on translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies.

 

Foreign security and currency translations may involve certain considerations and risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies and U.S. government securities. These risks include, but are not limited to, currency fluctuations and revaluations and future adverse political, social and economic developments, which could cause investments in foreign markets to be less liquid and prices more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies or U.S. government securities.

 

Calculation of Net Asset Value

 

We calculate our net asset value per share by subtracting all liabilities from the total carrying amount of our assets, which includes the fair value of our investments, and dividing the result by the total number of outstanding shares on the date of valuation. For purposes of calculating our net asset value, we expect to carry all liabilities at cost.

 

The determination of the fair value of our investments requires judgment, especially with respect to investments for which market quotations are not available. For most of our investments, market quotations will not be available. Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily available market value, the fair value of the investments may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a readily available market value existed for such investments, and the differences could be material. Because the calculation of our net asset value is based, in part, on the fair value of our investments as determined by our advisor, which is an affiliated entity of the company, our calculation of net asset value is to a degree subjective and could be adversely affected if the determinations regarding the fair value of our investments were materially higher than the values that we ultimately realize upon the disposal of such investments. Furthermore, the fair value of our investments, as reviewed and approved by our board of directors, may be materially different from the valuation as determined by an independent valuation firm.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

We record interest income on an accrual basis to the extent that we expect to collect such amounts. We do not accrue as a receivable interest on loans and debt securities for accounting purposes if we have reason to doubt our ability to collect such interest. Original issue discounts, market discounts or premiums are accreted or amortized using the effective interest method as interest income. We record prepayment premiums on loans and debt securities as interest income. Any application, origination or other fees earned by the company in arranging or issuing debt are amortized over the expected term of the loan.

 

We place loans on non-accrual status when principal and interest are past due 90 days or more or when there is a reasonable doubt that we will collect principal or interest. Accrued interest is generally reversed when a loan is placed on non- accrual. Interest payments received on non-accrual loans may be recognized as income or applied to principal depending upon management’s judgment. Non-accrual loans are generally restored to accrual status when past due and principal and interest is paid and, in our management’s judgment, is likely to remain current.

 

Dividend income is recorded (1) on the ex-dividend date for publicly issued securities and (2) when received from private investments.

 

Dividends received from the company’s private investments, which generally reflect net cash flow from operations, are declared and paid on a quarterly basis at a minimum.

 

Net Realized Gains or Losses and Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation on Investments

 

We measure realized gains or losses by the difference between the net proceeds from the sale, repayment, or disposal of an asset and the adjusted cost basis of the asset, without regard to unrealized appreciation or depreciation previously recognized. Net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation will reflect the change in investment values during the reporting period, including any reversal of previously recorded unrealized appreciation or depreciation, when gains or losses are realized.

 

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Organization Costs

 

Organization costs are expensed on the company’s consolidated statements of operations as incurred.

 

Offering Costs

 

Offering costs include all costs to be paid by the company in connection with the offering of its shares, including legal, accounting, printing, mailing and filing fees, charges of the company’s escrow holder, transfer agent fees, due diligence expense reimbursements to participating broker-dealers included in detailed and itemized invoices and costs in connection with administrative oversight of the offering and marketing process, and preparing supplemental sales materials, holding educational conferences, and attending retail seminars conducted by broker-dealers. When recognized by the company, offering costs will be recognized as a reduction of the proceeds from the offering.

 

Deferred Sales Commissions

 

The company defers certain costs, principally sales commissions and related compensation, which are paid to the dealer manager and may be reallowed to financial advisors and broker/dealers in the future in connection with the sale of Class C shares sold with a reduced front-end load sales charge. The costs expected to be incurred at the time of the sale of Class C shares are recorded as a liability on date of sale and are amortized on a straight-line basis over the period beginning on the time of sale and ending on the date which approximates an expected liquidity event for the company. As of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the company recorded a liability for deferred sales commissions in the amount of $249,858 and $203,357, respectively.

 

Financing Costs

 

Financing costs related to debt liabilities of the company, GREC or GREC Holdco are presented on the consolidated statements of assets and liabilities as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability.

 

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

 

On August 26, 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows, or ASU 2016-15. ASU 2016-15 is intended to reduce diversity in practice in how certain transactions are classified in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-15 addresses eight classification issues related to the statement of cash flows: 1) debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs; 2) settlement of zero-coupon bonds; 3) contingent consideration payments made after a business combination; 4) proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims; 5) proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies, including bank-owned life insurance policies; 6) distributions received from equity method investees; 7) beneficial interests in securitization transactions; and 8) separately identifiable cash flows and application of the predominance principle. ASU 2016-15 is effective for public business entities for annual and interim periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. Entities should apply this ASU using a retrospective transition method to each period presented. Management evaluated the impact of the adoption of the ASU, and it is not expected to have a material impact to the company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01 regarding “Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities”. The new guidance is intended to enhance the reporting model for financial instruments to provide users of financial statements with more decision-useful information and addresses certain aspects of the recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. The new standard affects all entities that hold financial assets or owe financial liabilities. The new guidance is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Management evaluated the impact of the adoption of the ASU, and it is not expected to have a material impact to the company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

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In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows, which will amend FASB ASC 230. The amendments in this Update require that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. Therefore, amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. The amendments in this Update apply to all entities that have restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents and are required to present a statement of cash flows under Topic 230. For public business entities, the amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period. Management evaluated the impact of the adoption of the ASU, and it is not expected to have a material impact to the company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

In December 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606 - Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASU 2014-09). The core principle of the revenue model is that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for the goods or services. The ASU will replace most of the existing revenue recognition guidance under US GAAP. The amendments in ASU 2014-09 are effective for public companies for interim and annual periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted for interim and annual periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. The company will adopt this standard on January 1, 2018 using either the retrospective or cumulative effective transition method. The company has evaluated the impact of ASU 2016-20, and amended amendments, on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures and does not expect the adoption to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”). ASU 2016-02 outlines a new model for accounting by lessees, whereby their rights and obligations under substantially all leases, existing and new, would be capitalized and recorded on the balance sheet. For lessors, however, the accounting remains largely unchanged from the current model, with the distinction between operating and financing leases retained, but updated to align with certain changes to the lessee model and the new revenue recognition standard. The new standard also replaces existing sale-leaseback guidance with a new model applicable to both lessees and lessors. Additionally, the new standard requires extensive quantitative and qualitative disclosures. ASU 2016-02, as amended by ASU 2017-13, effective for U.S. GAAP public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years; for all other entities, the final lease standard will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. Early application will be permitted for all entities. The new standard must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition of the new guidance and provides for certain practical expedients. Transition will require application of the new model at the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented.  At this time, management is evaluating the impact of ASU No. 2016-02 on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

 

JOBS Act

 

We qualify as an “emerging growth company” pursuant to the provisions of the JOBS Act, enacted on April 5, 2012. For as long as we are an “emerging growth company,” we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies,” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding advisory “say-on-pay” votes on executive compensation and shareholder advisory votes on golden parachute compensation.

 

Under the JOBS Act, we will remain an “emerging growth company” until the earliest of:

 

  the last day of the fiscal year during which we have total annual gross revenues of $1 billion or more;
     
  the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering;
     
  the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt; and
     
  the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). We will qualify as a large accelerated filer as of the first day of the first  fiscal year after we have (i) more than $700,000,000 in outstanding common equity held by our non-affiliates as of the last day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, (ii) been a public company for at least 12 months and (iii) filed at least one annual report with the SEC. The value of our outstanding common  equity will be measured each year on the last day of our second fiscal quarter.

 

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The JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can utilize the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. However, we are choosing to opt out of that extended transition period, and, as a result, we will comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for companies that are not “emerging growth companies.” Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that our decision to opt out of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards is irrevocable.

 

Portfolio and Investment Activity

 

As of December 31, 2017, the company invested in numerous solar, wind and energy efficiency projects included in 18 investment portfolios, as well as one energy efficiency secured loan, as follows:

 

East to West Solar Portfolio

 

The company owns 9.789 MWs of operating solar power facilities located on 13 sites in the states of Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana and North Carolina (the “East to West Solar Portfolio”). The East to West Solar Portfolio consists of ground and roof mounted solar systems (each, a “System”) located on municipal and commercial properties as follows:

 

  1. Denver International Airport - The Denver International Airport System has a generation capacity of 1,587.6 kW and is located in Denver, Colorado. The System sells power directly to the City and County of Denver Department of Aviation, under a 25-year variable rate PPA. The System also sells SRECs directly to the local utility, Xcel Energy, under a 20-year contract.
     
  2. Progress Energy I – The Progress Energy I System has a generation capacity of 2,479.0 Kw and is located in Laurinburg, North Carolina. The system sells power directly to the local utility Duke Energy (Progress Energy) under a 20-year fixed rate PPA.
     
  3. Progress Energy II – The Progress Energy II System has a generation capacity of 2,499.2 Kw and is located in Laurinburg, North Carolina. The system sells power directly to the local utility, Duke Energy/Progress Energy under a 15-year fixed rate PPA and also sells RECs to the same off-taker under a 15-year contract.
     
  4. SunSense I - The SunSense I System has a generation capacity of 500.0 Kw and is located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The system sells power directly to the local utility, Duke Energy /Progress Energy Carolinas, Inc., under a 20-year fixed rate PPA.
     
  5. SunSense II – The SunSense II System has a generation capacity of 497.0 Kw and is located in Clayton, North Carolina. The system sells power directly to the local utility, Duke Energy /Progress Energy Carolinas, Inc., under a 20-year fixed rate PPA.
     
  6. SunSense III – The SunSense III System has a generation capacity of 497.0 Kw and is located in Fletcher, North Carolina. The system sells power directly to the local utility, Duke Energy / Progress Energy Carolinas, Inc. under a 20-year fixed rate PPA.
     
  7. NIPSCO III – The NIPSCO “Turtle Top” System has a generation capacity of 375.2 Kw and is located in New Paris, Indiana. The system sells power directly to the local utility, Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), under a 15-year escalating fixed rate PPA.
     
  8. OUC I – The OUC I System has a generation capacity of 417.0 Kw and is located in Orlando, Florida. The system sells power directly to the local utility, Orlando Utilities Commission, under a 25-year fixed rate PPA.
     
  9. KIUC – The KIUC System has a generation capacity of 383.0 kW and is located in Koloa, Hawaii. The system sells power directly to the local utility, the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, under a 20-year fixed rate PPA.

 

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  10. TJ Maxx – The TJ Maxx System has a generation capacity of 249.9 kW and is located in Bloomfield, Connecticut. The system sells power directly to the H.G. Conn. Realty Corp under a 15-year escalating fixed rate PPA.
     
  11. Denver Public Schools (Green Valley) – The Green Valley System has a generation capacity of 101.2kW and is located in Denver, Colorado. The system sells power directly to the Denver Public Schools under a 20-year escalating fixed rate PPA. The System also sells SRECs directly to the local utility, Xcel Energy, under a 20-year fixed rate contract.
     
  12. Denver Public Schools (Rachel B. Noel) – The Rachel B. Noel System has a generation capacity of 101.2 kW and is located in Denver, Colorado. The system sells power directly to the Denver Public Schools under a 20-year escalating fixed rate PPA. The System also sells SRECs to the local utility, Xcel Energy, under a 20-year fixed rate contract

 

  13. Denver Public Schools (Greenwood) – The Greenwood System has a generation capacity of 101.2 kW and is located in Denver, Colorado. The system sells power directly to the Denver Public Schools under a 20-year escalating fixed rate PPA. The System also sells SRECs directly to the local utility, Xcel Energy, under a 20-year fixed rate contract.

 

Separately, the company owns two additional operating solar PV systems, each with approximately 1.0 MW in power generation and together comprising a total of 2.05 MW, located in Gainesville, Florida (the “Gainesville Solar” facilities). Details of Gainesville Solar, which are included in the East to West Solar Portfolio, are as follows:

 

  1. MLH2 - The MLH2 System has a generation capacity of 1,000 kW and is located in Gainesville, Florida, on land owned by the company. The system sells power directly to the local utility, Gainesville Regional Utility, under a 20-year fixed rate PPA.

   

  2. MLH3 – The MLH3 System has a generation capacity of 1,050 kW and is located in Gainesville, Florida. The system sells power directly to the local utility, Gainesville Regional Utility, under a 20-year fixed rate PPA.

 

Lastly, the company owns two operating solar PV systems comprising a total of 7.621 MW (the “NC Tar Heel” facilities) located in North Carolina through an equity investment of approximately $8,400,000 plus working capital.

 

Details of the NC Tar Heel facilities, which is included in the East to West Solar Portfolio, are as follows:

 

1. Person County Solar Park 2 (PCIP) – The PCIP System has a generation capacity of 1,250 kW and is located in Timberlake, North Carolina. The system sells power directly to the local utility, Duke Energy /Progress Energy under a 20-year escalating fixed rate PPA.

 

2. South Robeson – The South Robeson System has a generation capacity of 6,371kW and is located in Rowland, North Carolina. The system sells power directly to the local utility, Duke Energy / Progress Energy, under a 15-year fixed rate PPA. The System also sells RECs to the same off-taker under a 15-year fixed price contract.

 

Green Maple Portfolio

 

The company owns nine solar power facilities in various locations in the state of Vermont (the “Green Maple Portfolio”). In conjunction with constructing these facilities, the company entered into separate loan agreements for seven facilities with the Vermont Economic Development Authority (“VEDA”) of which approximately $4,491,040 in loans were outstanding as of December 31, 2017 but repaid in January 2018.

 

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A brief summary of each project is as follows:

 

  1. Charter Hill Solar – The Charter Hill System has a generation capacity of 1.044 MW and is located in Rutland, Vermont. The system sells power directly to the local utility, Green Mountain Power, under a 25-year fixed rate PPA.
     
  2. Williamstown Solar – The Williamstown System has a generation capacity of 732 kW and is located in Williamstown, Vermont. The system sells power to a commercial off-taker under a 20-year fixed rate PPA.
     
  3. GLC Chester Solar – The GLC Chester System has a generation capacity of 732 kW and is located in Chester Township, Vermont. The system sells power to various municipal off-takers under 20-year fixed rate PPAs.
     
  4. Pittsford Solar – The Pittsford system has a generation capacity of 686 kW and is located in Pittsford Township, Vermont. The system sells power to various commercial off-takers under 20-year fixed rate PPAs.

 

  5. Novus Royalton Solar – The Novus Royalton system has a generation capacity of 686 kW and is located in Royalton, Vermont. The system sells power to various municipal off-takers under 20-year fixed rate PPAs.,
     
  6. Proctor GLC Solar LLC – The Proctor GLC system has a generation capacity of 708.75 kW and is located in Proctor, Vermont. The system sells power to a municipal off-taker under a 20-year fixed rate PPA.
     
  7. Hartford Solarfield LLC – The Hartford Solarfield system has a generation capacity of 748.44 kW and is located in Hartford, Vermont. The system sells power to a municipal off-taker under a 20-year fixed rate PPA.
     
  8. 46 Precision Drive LLC – The 46 Precision Drive system has a generation capacity of 748.44 kW and is located in North Springfield, Vermont. The system sells power to a municipal off-taker under a 20-year fixed rate PPA.
     
  9. City Garden Solar LLC – The City Garden system has a generation capacity of 1.0 MW and is located in Rutland, Vermont. The system sells power directly to the local utility, Green Mountain Power, under a 25-year fixed rate PPA.

 

Magnolia Sun Portfolio

 

1.Powerhouse One - The company owns four solar facilities located in Tennessee, with a total generation capacity of 3.0 MW. The facilities consist of commercial grade, ground mounted solar systems located on leased property within a five-mile radius in Fayetteville, Tennessee. The systems sell power directly to two local utilities; Tennessee Valley Authority and Fayetteville Public Utilities under long term PPAs.

 

2.CaMa Solar – The company owns two solar facilities in California, and one in Massachusetts, with a total generation capacity of 721,828 kW. The California systems sell power to municipal off-takers; Santa Cruz City Schools, and Petaluma City Schools of Sonoma County, under long-term PPAs. The Massachusetts systems sells power to the WGBH Educational Foundation, located in Boston, MA, under a long-term PPA.

 

3.SolaVerde – The company owns eleven solar facilities in Tennessee with a total capacity of 1.75 MW Eight of the systems sell power directly to the local utility, Tennessee Valley Authority, under a long-term PPA. Three of the systems sell power to municipal off-takers.

 

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Canadian Northern Lights Portfolio

 

The company owns a portfolio of seventy-nine (79) rooftop solar photovoltaic systems located within a 60-mile radius of Toronto, Ontario, Canada with a combined generation capacity of approximately 581.4 kW. The Company sold one of the locations in June 2017. Standardized lease agreements are in place and the systems sell power directly to the local utility, Ontario Power Authority (“OPA”) under their microFIT solar program at a fixed rate.

 

There is a standardized lease that is signed with each of the home/building owners that allows the system to be generally operated and maintained during the term of each OPA contract. The lease has been designed to survive the sale of the home/building and there is a non-disturbance provision which will allow the owner of the system, the company, to operate the system for the entirety of the term. The home/building owner receives a modest annual rental payment for use of the rooftop.

 

Six States Solar Portfolio

 

The company currently leases 12.973 MW of operating solar power facilities located on 27 sites in the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, and North Carolina under a master lease agreement. During the remaining term of the lease, which is approximately 17 years, there is the potential for the company to purchase these assets directly upon agreement and consent of the parties. With over 82% of the contracted revenues from investment grade counterparties, the average remaining life of the PPA is approximately 13.6 years.

 

The Six States Solar Portfolio (the “SSS Portfolio”) consists of ground and roof mounted solar units located on municipal and commercial properties generally described as follows:

 

  1. The Town of Newington - Newington Public Schools - Newington Public Schools (“Newington”). This system has generation capacity of 180 kW and is located in the Town of Newington, CT. The system sells power to the Town of Newington, which encompasses seven schools that serve approximately 4,200 students from kindergarten through 12th grade, which are accredited by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges.
     
  2. Regional School Department - Northwestern Regional School District #7 - Northwestern Regional School District (“Northwestern”). This system has generation capacity of 445.51 kW and is located in Winsted, Connecticut. The system sells power to the Northwestern Regional School District which serves the total Regional Community with emphasis on middle school and high school students.
     
  3. City of Winters - The City of Winters (“Winters”). This system has generation capacity of 251 kW and is located in Winters, California. The system sells power to the City of Winters which is part of the Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Yuba City, California-Nevada region.
     
  4. Denver Public Schools - Denver Public Schools (“DPS”). This is comprised of 13 systems located in Denver, CO with a total generation capacity of 1.49 MW. The systems sell power to DPS, which encompasses 185 schools that serve 90,150 students. Additionally, RECs are sold to the local utility, Xcel Energy.
     
  5. Adams State College - Adams State College (“Adams”). This system has generation capacity of 299.52 kW and is located in Alamosa, CO. The system sells power to Adams State College, a state-supported liberal arts university established in 1921. Additionally, RECs are sold to the local utility, Xcel Energy.
     
  6. Sacramento County Water Agency - Sacramento County Water Agency (“SCWA”). This system has generation capacity of 921.2 kW and is located in Sacramento, California. The system sells power to the Sacramento County Waste Authority (“SCWA”) which was established in 1952 with the passage of the Sacramento County Water Agency Act and a commitment to providing safe and reliable drinking water to over 55,000 homes and businesses. Additionally, performance-based incentives are sold to the Sacramento Municipality Utility District (“SMUD”).

 

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  7. Tanque Verde School District - Tanque Verde School District (“TVSD”). This is comprised of four systems located in Tucson, AZ with a total generation capacity of 2 MW. The systems sell power to the Tanque Verde School District (“TVSD”), that encompasses four schools. Additionally, RECs are sold to the local utility, Tuscan Electric Power.

 

  8. Northern Indiana Public Service Company - Northern Indiana Public Service Company (“NIPSCO”). This is comprised of three systems located in Goshen, Milford, and Topeka, Indiana with a total generation capacity of 1.32 MW. The systems sell power to NIPSCO, Indiana’s largest natural gas distributor and second-largest distributor of electricity serving more than one million customers.
     
  9. South Adams County Water and Sanitation District - The South Adams County Water and Sanitation District (“South Adams”). This system has generation capacity of 165 kW and is located in Commerce City, CO. The system sells power under a long-term PPA to the South Adams County Water and Sanitation District, formed in 1953 under the State of Colorado Special District provisions to serve nearly 50,000 customers. Additionally, RECs are sold to the local utility, Xcel Energy.

 

  10. Floyd Road Solar Portfolio – This system has generation capacity of 6.75 MW and is located in Gaston, NC. The system sells power directly to the local utility, Dominion Energy, under a 15-year PPA. Additionally, RECs are sold to a third-party. The system achieved commercial operation in the second quarter of 2017. On July 14, 2017, the company sold Floyd Road for approximately $11,400,000 and leased the facility back for a period of 24 years. De Lage Landen Financial Services was the sale/leaseback entity

 

Sunny Mountain Portfolio

 

The Residential portion of the Sunny Mountain portfolio is comprised of twelve systems located across 8 towns in Colorado with a total generation capacity of 76.49 kW while the commercial portion of the portfolio is comprised of nine systems located in Boulder and Broomfield, CO with a total generation capacity of 736.6 kW. The systems sell power to various commercial and municipal off-takers under long-term PPAs.

 

Greenbacker Residential Solar Portfolio

 

As of December 31, 2017 this portfolio consists of an 18.307 MW portfolio of 2,355 residential rooftop solar systems located across 8 states including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. The energy generated by the systems has been sold under a mix of 20-year PPAs and operating leases to the various residential customers who on average have above average FICO Score Ratings. These systems were originally purchased from OneRoof Energy Inc. (“ORE”) and certain direct and indirect subsidiaries in 2016 and 2017.

 

Greenbacker Residential Solar II Portfolio

 

As of December 31, 2017, this portfolio consists of an 9.149 MW portfolio of 1,286 residential rooftop solar systems located across 8 states including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey and New York. The energy generated by the systems has been sold under 20-year PPAs. These systems were originally purchased from a subsidiary of Terraform Power Inc. (“TERP”) and certain direct and indirect subsidiaries in 2017

 

Enfinity Colorado DHA Portfolio

 

The Enfinity Colorado DHA Portfolio consists of a 2.5 MW portfolio of 666 residential rooftop solar systems located in and around Denver, CO. All energy generated by the systems is sold to the Denver Housing Authority under a 20-year PPA and RECs are sold to the local utility, Xcel Energy. These systems were originally purchased from a subsidiary of Terraform Power Inc. (“TERP”) and certain direct and indirect subsidiaries in 2017.

 

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Raleigh Portfolio

 

The Raleigh Portfolio consists of five operating solar PV systems located in eastern North Carolina with total generation capacity of 27.8 MW. The systems are generally described as follows:

 

1.Faison — This system has generation capacity of 2.3 MW and is located in Faison, North Carolina. The system sells power to Duke Energy Progress, Inc. under a fifteen (15) year power purchase agreement which commenced in 2015.

 

2.Four Oaks — This system has generation capacity of 6.5 MW and is located in Four Oaks, North Carolina. The system sells power to Duke Energy Progress, Inc. under a fifteen (15) year power purchase agreement which commenced in 2015.

 

3.Nitro — This system has generation capacity of 6.22 MW and is located in Smithfield, North Carolina. The system sells power to Duke Energy Progress, Inc. under a fifteen (15) year power purchase agreement which commenced in 2015.

 

4.Sarah — This system has generation capacity of 6.04 MW and is located in Louisburg, North Carolina. The system sells power to Duke Energy Progress, Inc. under a fifteen (15) year power purchase agreement which commenced in 2015.

 

5.Princeton — This system has generation capacity of 6.50 MW and is located in Princeton, North Carolina. The system sells power to Duke Energy Progress, Inc. under a fifteen (15) year power purchase agreement which commenced in 2015.

  

Midway III Portfolio

 

The Midway III portfolio, located in California, is currently under construction with an expected operation date in the third quarter of 2018. When completed, it will encompass an approximate generation capacity of 26 MW, with all power sold to large utility company in California.

 

 With the inclusion of owned and leased assets, the company operates approximately 113.4 MW of operating solar power facilities throughout the United States as of December 31, 2017.

 

Greenbacker Wind - Montana Portfolio

 

The Fairfield Wind Project is a 10.0 MW facility located in Teton County, MT. The project sells power to NorthWestern Energy under a 20-year fixed-rate PPA. Additionally, RECs are sold to NorthWestern Energy under an escalating capped fixed-rate contract. The facility originally commenced operations in the second quarter of 2014.

 

The Greenfield Wind Project is a 25 MW facility located in Teton County, MT. The project sells power to NorthWestern Energy under a 25-year fixed-rate PPA, which includes the sale of RECs. The facility originally commenced operation in the fourth quarter of 2016.

 

Greenbacker Wind – Idaho Portfolio

 

The Fossil Gulch Wind Park is a 10.5 MW Wind Farm located in Hagerman, Idaho. The project sells power directly to the local public utility, Idaho Power Company under a 20-year escalating PPA. Additionally, RECs are sold to a third party under a fixed-rate contract. The facility originally commenced operations in the third quarter of 2005 and it has been operated continuously since that date.

 

Greenbacker Wind – California Portfolio

 

Wagner Wind, purchased on December 26, 2017, is a 6 MW project located in Riverside, California that sells power directly to the City of Riverside California under a 15-year escalating fixed-rate PPA. The project consists of two 3.0 MW Vestas V90 turbines. The project was originally placed in service in the fourth quarter of 2012.

 

Greenbacker Wind – Vermont Portfolio

 

Georgia Mountain Community Wind, purchased on December 21, is a 10 MW project located in Mendon, Vermont that sells power directly to the City of Burlington Electric Department (“BED”) under a 25-year escalating fixed-rate PPA. The project consists of four 2.5 MW Goldwind turbines. The project was originally placed in service in the fourth quarter of 2012.

 

As of December 31, 2017, the company operates approximately 61.5 MW of operating wind power facilities throughout the United States.

 

GREC Energy Efficiency Portfolio

 

The company maintains three capital leases with AEC-LEDF, LLC related to the ownership of energy efficient lighting fixtures in three commercial locations in Puerto Rico, United States. The lease period under each of the master lease agreements correspond with underlying equipment service agreements between LED Funding LLC, the seller of the equipment to GREC Energy Efficiency Portfolio, and the owners of the commercial locations. The equipment service agreement terms range from seven to ten years. At the end of each of the lease terms, ownership of the fixtures is retained by the owners of the commercial locations. In response to hurricane damage sustained in Puerto Rico in September, 2017 the company received information that the retrofitted facilities sustained no damage. As a result, there was no impairment of the retrofitted facilities.

 

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Renew AEC One, LLC

 

In September 2015, the company entered into a secured loan agreement with Renew AEC One, LLC to fund the installation and purchase of energy efficiency lighting in a warehouse in Pennsylvania. The loan bears an interest rate of 10.25% per annum with principal amortization over a ten year period ending in February 2025.

 

LED Funding LLC and Renew AEC One LLC (the “AEC Companies”) are considered related parties as the members of these entities own an indirect, non-controlling ownership interest in the company’s advisor. The loans and capital leases outstanding between the AEC Companies and the company were negotiated at an arm’s length and contain standard terms and conditions that would be included in third party lending agreements including required security and collateral, interest rates based upon risk of the specific loan, and term of the loan. As of December 31, 2017, all loans and capital leases were considered current per their terms.

 

Investment Summary

 

The following table presents the purchases of new or existing investments for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015:

 

   For the year ended
December 31, 2017
   For the year ended
December 31, 2016
   For the year ended
December 31, 2015
 
Alternative Energy - Commercial Solar               
Sunny Mountain Portfolio  $-   $-   $- 
East to West Solar Portfolio   4,678,000    3,656,875    19,765,000 
Floyd Road Solar Farm   9,088,383    -    - 
Green Maple Portfolio   180,000    3,395,000    8,800,000 
Magnolia Sun Portfolio        3,225,000    7,550,000 
Six States Solar Portfolio   550,000    -    2,300,000 
Foresight Solar Portfolio   13,200,071    -    - 
Midway III Solar Portfolio   10,093,861    -    - 
Raleigh Portfolio   20,672,198    -    - 
Golden Horizons Solar Portfolio   9,450,000    -    - 
Alternative Energy - Residential Solar               
Canadian Northern Lights Portfolio        -    535,000 
Enfinity Colorado DHA Portfolio   1,400,000           
Greenbacker Residential Solar Portfolio   8,250,000    19,850,000    - 
Greenbacker Residential Solar Portfolio II   6,400,000    -      
Alternative Energy - Wind               
Greenbacker Wind Portfolio – California   9,500,000    -    - 
Greenbacker Wind Portfolio – Idaho   7,320,000    -    - 
Greenbacker Wind Portfolio – Montana   1,485,000    35,527,428    6,750,000 
Greenbacker Wind Portfolio – Vermont   24,800,000    -    - 
Energy Efficiency:               
GREC Energy Efficiency LLC Portfolio   1,500    -    797,734 
LED Funding – Universidad Project   -    -    97,787 
Renew AEC One, LLC   -    -    1,085,508 
Secured Loans - Other               
Greenfield Secured Turbine Loan (*)   -    26,335,478    - 
   $127,069,013   $91,989,781   $47,681,029 

 

(*) This loan was repaid as part of the purchase of Greenfield Wind LLC, an investment held in the Greenbacker Wind LLC portfolio. 

 

 

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The composition of the company’s investments as of December 31, 2017, at fair value, were as follows:

 

    Investments
at Cost
    Investments
at
Fair Value
    Fair Value
Percentage
of
Total
Portfolio
 
Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar:                        
East to West Solar Portfolio   $ 27,934,875     $ 27,200,000       12.4 %
Raleigh Portfolio     20,672,198       22,850,465       10.4  
Foresight Solar     13,200,071       13,200,071       6.0  
Green Maple Portfolio     13,075,000       11,956,821       5.5  
Golden Horizons Solar Portfolio     9,450,000       9,482,075       4.3  
Magnolia Sun Portfolio     10,775,000       9,635,508       4.4  
Midway III Solar Portfolio     10,093,861       10,093,861       4.6  
Six States Solar Portfolio     4,770,306       4,756,893       2.3  
Sunny Mountain Portfolio     884,578       1,205,439       0.6  
Subtotal   $ 110,855,889     $ 110,381,133       50.5 %
Alternative Energy – Residential Solar:                        
Canadian Northern Lights Portfolio   $ 1,603,136     $ 2,093,827       1.0 %
Enfinity Colorado DHA Portfolio     1,400,000       1,671,317       0.8  
Greenbacker Residential Solar Portfolio     28,100,000       28,373,526       13.0  
Greenbacker Residential Solar II     6,400,000       7,986,014       3.7  
Subtotal   $ 37,503,136     $ 40,124,684       18.5 %
Alternative Energy - Wind:                        
Greenbacker Wind Portfolio – California   $ 9,500,000     $ 9,506,752       4.3 %
Greenbacker Wind Portfolio – Idaho     7,320,000       6,799,153       3.0  
Greenbacker Wind Portfolio – Montana     21,609,488       23,228,136       10.6  
Greenbacker Wind Portfolio – Vermont     24,417,193       27,168,808       12.6  
Subtotal   $ 62,846,681     $ 66,702,849       30.5 %
Energy Efficiency:                        
GREC Energy Efficiency Portfolio   $ 482,450     $ 504,637       0.2 %
Renew AEC One, LLC     672,871       672,871       0.3  
Subtotal   $ 1,155,321     $ 1,177,508       0.5 %
Total   $ 212,361,027     $ 218,386,174       100.0 %

 

The composition of the company’s investments as of December 31, 2016, at fair value, were as follows:

 

   Investments
at Cost
   Investments
at
Fair Value
   Fair Value
Percentage
of
Total
Portfolio
 
Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar               
East to West Solar Portfolio  $23,256,875   $21,943,079    19.1%
Green Maple Portfolio   12,895,000    11,447,775    9.9 
Magnolia Sun Portfolio   10,775,000    10,445,788    9.1 
Six States Solar Portfolio   2,300,000    2,846,174    2.5 
Sunny Mountain Portfolio   884,578    1,175,952    1.0 
Subtotal  $50,111,453   $47,858,768    41.6%
Alternative Energy – Residential Solar               
Canadian Northern Lights Portfolio   1,603,136    1,815,169    1.5 
Greenbacker Residential Solar Portfolio   19,850,000    20,487,901    17.8 
Subtotal  $21,453,136   $22,303,070    19.3%
Alternative Energy - Wind               
Greenbacker Wind Portfolio – Montana   42,277,428    43,643,215    37.9 
Subtotal  $42,277,428   $43,643,215    37.9%
Energy Efficiency               
GREC Energy Efficiency Portfolio   511,362    546,677    0.5 
Renew AEC One, LLC   771,371    771,371    0.7 
Subtotal  $1,282,733   $1,318,048    1.2%
Total  $115,124,750   $115,123,101    100.0%

  

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Results of Operations

 

A discussion of the results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 are as follows:

 

Revenues. As the majority of our assets consist of equity investments in renewable energy projects, the majority of our revenue is generated in the form of dividend income. Dividend income from our privately held, equity investments are recognized when received. The other major component of our revenue is interest income earned on our debt investments, including loans to developers and loans made directly or indirectly to renewable energy projects. Dividend income for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 totaled $13,125,642, $6,267,442 and $1,845,000 respectively, while interest income earned on our cash, cash equivalents, and secured loans (including the amortization of origination and other fees) amounted to $257,479, $1,968,583 and $9,122, respectively.

 

The increase in dividend income from the year ended December 31, 2016 to the year ended December 31, 2017 was primarily attributed to the acquisition of renewable energy projects throughout the past year as the value of our investments increased from $115 million as of December 31, 2016 to $218 million as of December 31, 2017, or an 90% increase. As new projects were purchased by the company, the volume of overall electricity generated by our project investments increased which increased net income available for distribution to the company. The increase in dividend income from the year ended December 31, 2015 to the year ended December 31, 2016 was primarily attributable to the acquisition of renewable energy projects throughout 2016 along with the inclusion of a full year of dividends from investments made in 2015. As new projects were purchased by the company, the volume of overall electricity generated by our project investments increased which increased net income available for distribution to the company. As new projects were purchased by the Company, the volume of overall electricity generated by our project investments increased, which increased net income available for distribution to the Company.

 

The significant decrease in interest income for the year ended December 31, 2017 versus 2016 was primarily attributed to the repayment of the turbine supply loan in the fourth quarter of 2016. The increase in interest income from the prior year ended December 31, 2015 was primarily attributable to the Turbine Supply Loan acquired in the second quarter of 2016 and repaid in conjunction with the acquisition of the Greenfield Wind Portfolio in the fourth quarter of 2016. In addition, significantly greater amounts of cash and cash equivalents held by the company throughout the year contributed to the increase from the prior year.

 

Expenses. For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, the company incurred $5,924,079, $3,940,227 and $1,625,780 in operating expenses, respectively, including the management fees earned by the advisor. The company and the advisor entered into an expense reimbursement agreement on January 30, 2014, ending on December 31, 2016, whereby the advisor agreed to reimburse the company for certain operating expenses above rate limits to maintain the company's operating expenses at a specified level (as defined within the agreement). Once the company's expenses are determined to be below that limit, the company is obligated to repay the advisor for all previous expenses reimbursed by the advisor, until the advisor is fully reimbursed. From January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2016, the advisor elected to limit the company’s operating expenses to no higher than 5% annually of the company’s average net assets for the period. Since average annual expenses (as defined in the expense reimbursement agreement) were less than 5% for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the company recorded $636,926 and $11,794, respectively, as reimbursement to the advisor for repayment of assumed past operating expenses. With the reimbursements occurring during the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the advisor had been reimbursed for all previously assumed operating expenses. Total expenses, net of expense waiver and reimbursement, for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 were $4,577,153 and $1,637,574, respectively.

 

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For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, the advisor earned $3,351,250, $2,018,434 and $571,271, respectively, in management fees. While there was an incentive fee of $139,692 earned in 2017 by the advisor, the consolidated financial statements reflect a $1,235,657 increase in incentive allocation for the year ended December 31, 2017 based primarily upon unrealized appreciation on investments, a $285,673 decrease in incentive allocation for the year ended December 31, 2016 based primarily upon unrealized depreciation on investments and a $276,412 increase in incentive allocation for the year ended December 31, 2015, based primarily upon unrealized appreciation on investments.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, Greenbacker Administration, LLC invoiced the company $115,849 and $203,381, for expenses, at cost, for services related to asset management and accounting services related to the company’s investments. For the year ended December 31, 2015, Greenbacker Administration, LLC did not invoice the Company for any expenses. Effective on April 1, 2017, these expenses were invoiced directly to the company’s investments.

 

Lastly, for the year ended December 31, 2017, the company incurred a decrease in deferred tax benefit from operations in the amount of $(2,619,076) as well as franchise tax expense on various solar facilities of $23,415, while incurring an increase in the deferred tax benefit in the amounts of $1,142,738 and $522,985 for the years ending December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, offset by franchise tax expense of $121,940 for the year ending December 31, 2016. The deferred tax benefit is mainly derived from net operating losses incurred and investment tax credit carryforwards related to the company’s investments which, unlike financial statement purposes under GAAP, are consolidated for tax purposes offset by unrealized tax basis gains on the company’s investments. The reduction in the deferred tax benefit was driven mainly by the reduced value of the company’s net operating loss carryforward due to the reduction in the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% starting in 2018 offset by the presumed tax on the unrealized gain on investments for tax purposes. Thus, for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, the net investment income was $4,816,551, $4,679,670 and $739,533, respectively, or $0.25, $0.43 and $0.22, respectively, per share.

 

Going forward, we expect our primary expenses to be the payment of asset management fees under our advisory agreement with the advisor. We will bear other expenses, which are expected to include, among other things:

 

·the cost of calculating our net asset value, including the related fees and cost of retaining third-party valuation services;

 

  · the cost of effecting sales and repurchases of units;

 

  · fees payable to third parties relating to, or associated with our financial and legal affairs, making investments, and valuing investments, including fees and expenses associated with performing due diligence reviews of prospective investments and sub-advisors;

 

  · fees payable to our advisor;

 

  · interest payable on debt incurred to finance our investments;

 

  · transfer agent and custodial fees;

 

  · fees and expenses associated with marketing efforts;

 

  · federal and state registration fees;

 

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  · costs of board meetings, unitholders’ reports and notices and any proxy statements;

 

  · directors and officers errors and omissions liability insurance and other types of insurance;

 

  · direct costs, including those relating to printing of unitholder reports and advertising or sales materials, mailing, telephone and staff;

 

  · fees and expenses associated with independent audits and outside legal costs, including compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and applicable federal and state securities laws; and

 

  · all other expenses incurred by us or the advisor or sub-advisors in connection with administering our investment portfolio, including expenses incurred by our advisor in performing certain of its obligations under the advisory agreement.

 

Net Realized Gains or Losses and Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation on Investments and Translation of Assets and Liabilities Denominated in Foreign Currencies. Net realized and unrealized gains and losses from our investments and net realized and unrealized foreign currency gains and losses on translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are reported separately on the consolidated statements of operations. We measure realized gains or losses as the difference between the net proceeds from the sale, repayment, or disposal of an asset and the adjusted cost basis of the asset, without regard to unrealized appreciation or depreciation previously recognized. Net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation will reflect the change in investment values during the reporting period, including any reversal of previously recorded unrealized appreciation or depreciation, when gains or losses are realized.

 

We recognized $693,882, $4,578 and nil realized gain, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015. The gain in 2017 related to the sale/leaseback transaction for the Floyd Road project in Q3 (included in Six States portfolio). The gain in 2016 related to the sale of a small solar asset in the quarter ended September 30, 2016. A net change of $6,092,167, $(1,342,381) and $1,382,065 of unrealized appreciation (depreciation), respectively, was recorded for years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, of which $5,929,033, $(1,473,781) and $1,578,967 of unrealized appreciation (depreciation) related to the change in value of investments, $97,763, 40,703 and $(196,902) of unrealized appreciation (depreciation), respectively, related to change in value based upon changes in foreign currency exchange rates and $65,371, $90,697, and nil of unrealized appreciation, respectively, related to the change in value of swap contracts. While the net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments is primarily attributable to the acquisition of investments where the fair value of the investment was in excess of the cost to acquire the investment purchased for the year end December 31, 2015, the net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) for the year end December 31, 2016 was primarily related to a decrease in the value of investments due to the average remaining life of the investments reduced by one year and a refinement of electricity rates assumed after the expiration of current PPAs.

 

Changes in Net Assets from Operations. For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, we recorded a net increase in net assets resulting from operations of $12,566,320, $7,728,523 and $2,248,613, respectively.

 

Changes in Net Assets, Net Asset Value and Offering Prices. For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 we recorded a net increase in net assets of $12,566,320, $7,728,523 and $2,248,613, respectively. The increase in net assets primarily relates to our net investment income earned during the year and unrealized appreciation related to the change in value of investments.

 

Based on the net asset value for each quarter ended since Commencement of Operations, the offering price of our shares was adjusted to ensure that the net proceeds per share are no more or less than the then current net asset value per share. The offering prices since inception, and the dates they were effective, are as follows:

 

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Period  Class 
From  To  A   C   I   P-A   P-I 
25-Apr-14  4-Nov-15  $10.000   $9.576   $9.186    NA    NA 
5-Nov-15  4-Feb-16  $10.024   $9.599   $9.208    NA    NA 
5-Feb-16  5-May-16  $10.048   $9.621   $9.230    NA    NA 
6-May-16  3-Aug-16  $10.068   $9.640   $9.248   $9.589   $8.808 
4-Aug-16  6-Nov-16  $10.227   $9.791   $9.394   $9.739   $8.946 
7-Nov-16  7-Feb-17  $10.282   $9.581   $9.445   $9.782   $8.828 
8-Feb-17  4-May-17  $10.224   $9.526   $9.391   $9.704   $8.758 
5-May-17  17-May-17  $10.165   $9.479   $9.337   $9.704   $8.690 
18-May-17  03-Aug-17  $9.735   $9.067   $8.942   $9.704   $8.690 
04-Aug-17  02-Nov-17  $9.724   $9.078   $8.932    N/A   $8.730 
03-Nov-17  05-Feb-18  $9.735   $9.089   $8.943    N/A   $8.750 
03-Feb-18     $9.780   $9.089   $8.984    N/A   $8.810 

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the company had $10,144,014 and $13,055,090 in cash and cash equivalents, respectively. We use our cash to fund the acquisition, construction and operation of renewable energy and energy efficiency and sustainable development projects, make investments in renewable energy businesses, repay principal and interest on our borrowings, make distributions to our members and fund our operations. Our primary sources of cash generally consist of:

 

  the net proceeds of this offering;

 

  dividends, fees, and interest earned from our portfolio of investments, as a result of, among other things, cash flows from a project’s power sales;

 

  proceeds from sales of assets and capital repayments from investments;

 

  financing fees, retainers and structuring fees;

 

  incentives and payments from federal, state and/or municipal governments; and

 

  borrowing capacity under current and future financing sources.

 

Operating entities of the company, which are accounted for as investments using fair value in the company’s consolidated financial statements under ASC 820, had approximately $47,284,162 and $19,069,494 in outstanding notes payable collateralized by certain solar assets, wind assets and membership interests in limited liability companies included in the East to West Solar, Enfinity Colorado DHA, Greenbacker Wind and Green Maple Portfolios as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The company and GREC provided an unsecured guarantee on the repayment of the East to West Solar LLC, Greenbacker Wind LLC and Green Maple LLC loans.

 

As of December 31, 2017, Williamstown Old Town Road LLC, Novus Royalton LLC, GLC Chester Community Solar LLC Charter Hill Solar LLC., Pittsford GLC Solar LLC, Hartford Solarfield, LLC and Proctor GLC Solar LLC, all indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries included in the Green Maple Portfolio, had individually entered into loan agreements with the VEDA. As of December 31, 2017, the outstanding balance of the VEDA loans amounted to $4,491,040. The terms of all these loans include 1) a term of one hundred and forty-seven (147) months with principal repayments commencing in the fourth month; and 2) interest thereon at a variable rate, tied to VEDAs prime rate, which was 3.75% as of December 31, 2017. While the individual subsidiaries of Green Maple LLC have pledged all their assets as collateral, Green Maple LLC, GREC and the company have individually provided an unsecured guaranty on these loans. These loans were repaid in January 2018.

 

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As part of the acquisition of the Enfinity Colorado DHA Portfolio (“DHA Portfolio”), a mortgage note dated April 20, 2012 (the “Note”), funded with bond proceeds from the Colorado Housing Finance Authority of Denver, Colorado in the amount of $6,775,000 (Taxable Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds) pursuant to a trust indenture, was assumed. The Note, whose remaining balance as of December 31, 2017 is $5,525,000 bears gross interest at an effective annual rate of 5%, and requires semiannual interest payments, payable on April 1 and October 1 of each year. The note has a final maturity date of April 1, 2032. Pursuant to the Series 2012 bonds, the DHA Portfolio receives interest subsidy payments from the United States Treasury semiannually on April 1 and October 1 of each year. The semiannual interest subsidy receivable is 3.255% of the outstanding bond principal. The Note is secured by the personal property, land improvements, and income of the DHA Portfolio. Lastly, pursuant to the Note agreement, the DHA portfolio has agreed that it will not take any action which jeopardizes the tax-exempt status of the mortgage.

 

As part of the acquisition of Fairfield Wind Manager LLC (“FWM LLC”) by Greenbacker Wind LLC, an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of the company, the company is indirectly responsible for notes payable collateralized by wind assets held by Fairfield Wind Owner, LLC (“FWO LLC”), an entity which FWM LLC owns 50.01%. The loan earns interest at a variable base rate plus the applicable margin (3.0% as of December 31, 2017), as such terms are defined in the financing agreement. As of December 31, 2017, the outstanding notes payable balance was $11,370,438.

 

On December 26, 2017, Greenfield Wind Manager LLC “(GWM LLC”) entered into a Financing Agreement for a term loan not to exceed $23,562,443. The loan bears interest at 2.125% in excess of one-month LIBOR plus 1.0% through the end of the fourth anniversary of the loan and 2.375% thereafter. The company is indirectly responsible for outstanding notes payable collateralized by wind assets held by GWM LLC.

 

Since the company maintains operating control over all entities with project level debt outstanding, we have included the total amount of the debt outstanding in the below table summarizing notes payable associated with the company’s operating subsidiaries as well as GREC and the Company.

 

On July 11, 2016, the company, through a wholly owned subsidiary, GREC HoldCo (the “Borrower”), entered into a Credit Agreement by and among the Borrower, the lenders party thereto and Fifth Third Bank, as administrative agent, as well as swap counterparty. The credit facility consisted of an initial term loan of $4,300,000 (the “Facility 1 Term Loan”) as well as a revolving credit facility in the aggregate principal amount of up to $33,250,000 (the “Revolver”). The amount outstanding on the Revolver, based upon the modified conversion date of September 9, 2017, in the amount of $10,000,000, was converted to an additional term loan facility (the “Facility 2 Term Loan”) (collectively, the “Credit Facility”). There was a maximum draw down of $10,000,000 on the Revolver during the year ended December 31, 2017. Both the Facility 1 Term Loan and the Facility 2 Term Loan mature in July 2021.

 

The company used the net proceeds of borrowings under the Facility 1 Term Loan to repay amounts outstanding under a previously existing project loan. Loans made under the Credit Facility bear interest at 3.5% in excess of one-month LIBOR. Commitment fees on the average daily unused portion of the Revolver were payable at a rate per annum of 0.25%.

 

Interest on the Credit Facility is payable on the last day of each month starting as of August 31, 2016. Principal on the Facility 1 Term Loan is payable at a fixed amount of $23,889 on the last day of each month based upon a fifteen-year amortization. The Revolver was interest only until it converted to the Facility 2 Term Loan. Principal on the Facility 2 Term Loan is payable at a fixed amount of $59,524 on the last day of each month based upon a fourteen-year amortization. Borrowings under the credit facility are secured by the assets, cash, agreements and equity interests in the Borrower and its subsidiaries. The company and its wholly owned subsidiary, Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation, are guarantors of the Borrower’s obligations under the Credit Facility.

 

If an event of default shall occur and be continuing under the Credit Facility, the commitments under the Credit Facility may be terminated and the principal amount outstanding under the Credit Facility, together with all accrued unpaid interest and other amounts owing in respect thereof, may be declared immediately due and payable.

 

The weighted average interest rate on all notes payable outstanding at the company’s operating entities was 4.35% as of December 31, 2017.

 

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The following table summarizes the notes payable balances of the company’s operating entities as of December 31, 2017:

 

   Interest Rates       
   Range  Weighted
Average
   Maturity Dates  December 31,
2017
 
Fixed rate notes payable  1.775%–6.250%   3.03%   03/31/2021-04/01/2032  $7,674,578 
Floating rate notes payable   3.750%–6.110%   4.57%  12/31/2024- 07/21/2032   53,079,714 
              $60,754,292 

 

The following table summarizes the notes payable balances of the company’s operating entities as of December 31, 2016, in addition to committed but undrawn funds on notes payable:

 

 

   Interest Rates       
   Range  Weighted
Average
   Maturity Dates  December 31, 2016 
Fixed rate notes payable  6.25%   6.25%  02/10/2018 - 03/31/2021  $6,627,000 
Floating rate notes payable  2.25% - 5.86%   4.77%  06/02/2021- 03/29/2028   20,955,000 
              $27,582,000 

 

The principal payments due on the notes payable for each of the next five years ending December 31 and thereafter, including amounts expected to be drawn down on existing commitments, are as follows:

 

Year ending December 31:  Principal
Payments
 
2018   3,034,094 
2019   3,107,395 
2020   3,175,956 
2021   13,975,516 
2022   2,345,976 
Thereafter     35,115,354 
Total  $60,754,291 

 

In the future, we expect that our ongoing sources of financing will be through corporate-level credit facilities or other secured and unsecured borrowings. In addition, we expect to use other financing methods at the project level as necessary, including joint venture structures, construction loans, property mortgages, letters of credit, sale and leaseback transactions, other lease transactions and other arrangements, any of which may be unsecured or may be secured by mortgages or other interests in our assets. In addition, other sources of capital may include tax equity financings, whereby an investor receives an allocation of tax benefits as well as cash distribution and governmental grants. Tax equity investors are passive investors, usually large tax-paying financial entities such as banks, insurance companies and utility affiliates that use these investments to reduce future tax liabilities. Depending on the arrangement, until the tax equity investors achieve their agreed upon rate of return, they may be entitled to substantially all of the applicable project’s operating cash flow, as well as substantially all of the project’s ITCs, accelerated depreciation and taxable income or loss. Typically, tax equity financing transactions are structured so that the tax equity investors reach their target return between 5 and 10 years after the applicable project achieves commercial operation. As a result, a tax equity financing may substantially reduce the cash distributions from the applicable project available for debt service and the period during which the tax equity investors receive most of the cash distributions may last longer than expected if the portfolio company’s energy projects perform below our expectations. While the terms of a tax equity financing may cause cash to be diverted away from the company to the tax equity investor for certain periods specified in the financing arrangement (often five to ten years, measured from commencement of the tax equity financing), then we expect to couple investments where cash is so restrained with other cash flowing investments so as to provide cash for distributions to investors. Our investment strategy will involve a combination of different types of investments, so as to maintain a mix of cash flowing and non-cash flowing investments.

 

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Hedging Activities

 

We may seek to stabilize our financing costs as well as any potential decline in our investments by entering into swap or other financial transactions to hedge our interest rate risk. In connection with the FWO LLC note payable, FWO LLC entered into two interest rate swap transactions in notional amounts of $9,175,561 and $11,370,437, respectively, to swap a floating interest rate to a fixed interest rate. The swap transactions have an effective interest rate of 5.07%, and 2.86%, respectively, and a notional amount that matches the principal amount of the loan. The value of the swap agreements as of December 31, 2017 was a total liability in the amount $1,625,667. FWO LLC does not designate the swap transaction as a hedge for accounting purposes and, accordingly, accounts for the interest rate swap at fair value, with adjustments to fair value recorded as interest expense concurrent with the recording of interest expense associated with the underlying loan payments.

 

In regard to the Credit Facility, we have entered into two interest rate swap transactions. The first swap, effective July 29, 2016, has a total notional amount of $4,300,000 to swap a floating rate interest on the Facility 1 Term Loan to a fixed payment. The fixed swap rate is 1.11% with an all-in rate of 4.61% on the Facility 1 Term Loan. The second swap, with a trade date of June 15, 2017 and an effective date of June 18, 2018 and an initial notional amount of $20,920,650, to swap a floating interest rate on the Facility 2 Term Loan to a fixed rate. The fixed swap rate is 2.261%.

 

In connection with the GWM LLC note payable, GWM LLC entered into two interest rate swap transactions in notional amounts of $20,284,441 and $921,758, respectively, to swap a floating interest rate to a fixed interest rate. The swap transactions have an effective interest rate of 2.1725%, and 2.454%, respectively, and a notional amount that matches the principal amount of the loan. The value of the swap agreements as of December 31, 2017 was a total liability in the amount $88,762. GWM LLC does not designate the swap transaction as a hedge for accounting purposes and, accordingly, accounts for the interest rate swap at fair value, with adjustments to fair value recorded as interest expense concurrent with the recording of interest expense associated with the underlying loan payments.

 

  In regard to our investment in the Canadian Northern Lights Portfolio, with 79 solar assets located in and around Toronto, Ontario, Canada, we have foreign currency risk related to our revenue and operating expenses which are denominated in the Canadian Dollars as opposed to the U.S. Dollars. While we are currently of the opinion that the currency fluctuation between the Canadian and U.S. Dollar will not have a material impact on our operating results, we may in the future hedge this risk through the use of currency swap transactions or other financial instruments if the impact on our results of operations becomes material.

 

Contractual Obligations

 

While the company does not include a contractual obligations table herein as all obligations of the company are short-term, we have included the following information related to commitments of the company to further assist investors in understanding our outstanding commitments.

 

Advisory Agreement - GCM, a private firm that is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act serves as our advisor. Under the direction of our board of directors, GCM manages our day-to-day operations and provides advisory and management services to us. The advisory agreement was previously approved by our board of directors and became effective on April 25, 2014. Unless earlier terminated, the advisory agreement will remain in effect for successive one-year periods if approved annually by a majority of our independent directors. The advisory agreement was most recently re-approved in February 2018, for the one-year period commencing April 24, 2018.

 

Pursuant to the advisory agreement, GCM is authorized to retain one or more sub-advisors with expertise in our target assets to assist GCM in fulfilling its responsibilities under the advisory agreement. However, GCM will be required to monitor any sub-advisor to ensure that material information discussed by management of any sub-advisor is communicated to our board of directors, as appropriate. If GCM retains any sub-advisor, our advisor will pay such sub-advisor a portion of the fees that it receives from us. We will not pay any additional fees to a sub-advisor. While our advisor will oversee the performance of any sub-advisor, our advisor will remain primarily liable to us to perform all of its duties under the advisory agreement, including those delegated to any sub-advisor. As of December 31, 2017, no sub-advisors have been retained by GCM.

 

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We pay GCM a base management fee for advisory and management services. The base management fee is calculated at a monthly rate of 0.167% (2.00% annually) of our gross assets (including amounts borrowed). The Special Unitholder, an entity affiliated with our advisor, will hold the special unit in our company entitling it to an incentive allocation and distribution. Pursuant to our LLC Agreement, the incentive allocation and distribution, or incentive distribution, will have three parts as follows: the Income Incentive Distribution, Capital Gains Incentive Distribution and the Liquidation Incentive Distribution.

 

Administration Agreement - Greenbacker Administration LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and an affiliate of our advisor, serves as our Administrator. Since commencement of operations, Greenbacker Administration LLC delegated certain of its administrative functions to U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC. Greenbacker Administration LLC may enter into similar arrangements with other third-party administrators, including with respect to fund accounting and administrative services. Greenbacker Administration LLC performs certain asset management, compliance and oversight services, as well as asset accounting and administrative services, for many of the company’s investments. The fee for these services, which is billed at cost to the Company’s individual investments, is invoiced monthly in arrears.

 

Pledge of Collateral and Unsecured Guarantee of Loans to Subsidiaries: Pursuant to various loan agreements between operating subsidiaries of the East to West Solar portfolio and various financial institutions, East to West Solar LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of GREC, has pledged all of its solar operating assets as well as the membership interests in various operating subsidiaries as collateral for the term loans which expire on dates through 2021. In addition, East to West Solar LLC, GREC and the company have provided an unsecured guaranty on approximately $2,150,000 of term loans as of December 31, 2017. This loan was repaid in January 2018.

 

Pursuant to various loan agreements between operating subsidiaries of the Green Maple portfolio and VEDA, Green Maple LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of GREC, has pledged all solar operating assets as well as the membership interests in various operating subsidiaries as collateral for the term loans which expire on dates through 2028. In addition, Green Maple LLC, GREC and the company have provided an unsecured guaranty on the outstanding principal of term loans, which is approximately $4,500,000 as of December 31, 2017. This loan was repaid in January 2018.

 

Borrowings under the Credit Facility are secured by the assets, cash, agreements and equity interests in the GREC Holdco and its subsidiaries. The company is a guarantor of GREC Holdco’s obligations under the Credit Facility. The amount of the unsecured guaranty on the outstanding principal of the Credit Facility is approximately $13,700,000 as of December 31, 2017.

 

Per the loan and security agreements between and among Key Bank N.A., Greenbacker Wind LLC, Fairfield Wind Manager LLC and Greenfield Wind LLC, operating subsidiaries of the company, GREC and the company have provided an unsecured guaranty on the outstanding principal of loans, which is approximately $35,000,000 as of December 31, 2017.

 

Renewable Energy Credits: For certain solar power systems in the Green Maple Portfolio, Greenbacker Residential Solar Portfolio and the Greenbacker Residential Solar II Portfolio (the “Portfolios”), the company has received incentives in the form of RECs. In certain cases, the Portfolios have entered into fixed price, fixed volume forward sale transactions to monetize these RECs for specific entities. If we are unable to satisfy the transaction requirements due to lack of production, we may have to purchase RECs on the spot market and/or pay specified replacement cost damages. Based upon current production projection, we do not expect a requirement to purchase RECs to fulfill our current REC sales contracts. If RECs earned by the Portfolios are not sold on a forward basis, they are sold on the “spot” market and revenue is recorded in the accounts of the underlying investment when received.

 

Recording of a sale of RECs under GAAP is accounted for under Accounting Standards Codification Topic 605, Revenue Recognition. There are no differences in the process and related revenue recognition between REC sales to utilities and non-utility customers. Revenue is recorded in our wholly owned, single member LLCs when all revenue recognition criteria are met, including that: there is persuasive evidence that an arrangement exists (typically through a contract), services rendered through the production of electricity, pricing is fixed and determinable under the contract and collectability is reasonably assured. The accounting policy adopted by our wholly owned, single member LLC related to RECs is that the revenue recognition criteria are met when the energy is produced and a REC is created and transferred to a third party.

 

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If any of our REC counterparties fail to satisfy their contractual obligations, our costs may increase under replacement agreements that may be required. We would also likely incur expenses in locating alternative parties to provide the services we expect to receive under our advisory agreement. For the majority of the forward REC contracts currently effective as of December 31, 2017, GREC and/or the company has provided an unsecured guarantee related to the delivery obligations under these contracts. The amount of the unsecured guaranty on REC contracts is approximately $174,800 as of December 31, 2017.

 

We currently have no off-balance sheet arrangements, including any risk management of commodity pricing or other hedging practices.

 

Distributions

 

Subject to the board of directors’ review and approval and applicable legal restrictions, we intend to authorize and declare distributions on a quarterly basis and pay distributions on a monthly basis. We will calculate each member’s specific distribution amount for the period using record and declaration dates, and each member’s distributions will begin to accrue on the date we accept each member’s subscription for shares. From time to time, we may also pay interim special distributions in the form of cash or shares, with the approval of our board of directors.

 

Distributions will be made on all classes of our shares at the same time. The cash distributions with respect to the Class C shares are lower than the cash distributions with respect to Class A, I and P-I shares because of the distribution fee relating to Class C shares, which will be allocated as a Class C-specific charge. Amounts distributed to each class will be allocated among the holders of our shares in such class in proportion to their shares.

 

The company is building its asset base by purchasing individual operating assets or portfolios of operating assets as gross offering proceeds are raised and cash becomes available. Cash distributions paid during the periods presented were funded from the following sources noted below:

 

   For the year
ended
December 31,
2017
   For the year ended
December 31, 2016
   For the year ended
December 31, 2015
 
Cash from operations  $6,656,075   $3,180,297   $216,548 
Offering proceeds           654,246 
Total cash distributions  $6,656,075   $3,180,297   $870,794 

 

The company expects to continue to fund distributions from a combination of cash from operations as well as offering proceeds until a minimum of $250 million in net assets is reached as well as being fully invested in operating assets. We expect distributions to continue at the current level once we achieve this minimum and we do not anticipate significant changes in the level of distributions in future periods.

 

Inflation

 

We do not anticipate that inflation will have a significant effect on our results of operations. However, in the event of a significant increase in inflation, interest rates could rise and our projects and investments may be materially adversely affected.

 

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Seasonality

 

Certain types of renewable power generation may exhibit seasonal behavior. For example, wind power generation is generally stronger in winter than in summer as wind speed tends to be higher when the weather is colder. In contrast, solar power generation is typically stronger in the summer than in the winter. This is primarily due to the brighter sunshine, longer days and shorter nights of the summer months, which generally result in the highest power output of the year for solar power. Because these seasonal variations are relatively predictable for these types of assets, we factor in the effects of seasonality when analyzing a potential investment in these target assets. Therefore, the impact that seasonality may have on our business, including the cash flows from our investments in our target assets, will depend on the diversity of our investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency and other sustainability related projects in our overall portfolio at such time as we have fully invested the proceeds from this offering. However, in the early stages of our operations, or to the extent our initial investments are concentrated in either solar or wind power, we expect our business to be seasonal based on the type of investment, as discussed above.

 

ITEM 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

 

The following qualitative disclosures regarding our market risk exposures — except for (i) those disclosures that are statements of historical fact and (ii) the descriptions of how we, along with our advisor, manage our primary market risk exposures, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Our primary market risk exposures as well as the strategies used and to be used by the advisor managing such exposures are subject to numerous uncertainties, contingencies and risks, any one of which could cause the actual results of our risk controls to differ materially from the objectives of such strategies. Government interventions, defaults and expropriations, illiquid markets, the emergence of dominant fundamental factors, political upheavals, changes in historical price relationships, an influx of new market participants, increased regulation and many other factors could result in material losses as well as in material changes to our risk exposures and risk management strategies. There can be no assurance that our current market exposure and/or risk management strategies will not change materially or that any such strategies will be effective in either the short or long term. Investors must be prepared to lose all or substantially all their investment in the shares.

 

We anticipate that our primary market risks will be related to commodity prices, the credit quality of our counterparties and project companies and market interest rates. We will seek to manage these risks while, at the same time, seeking to provide an opportunity for members to realize attractive returns through ownership of our shares.

 

Commodity price risk. Investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects and businesses expose us to volatility in the market prices of electricity. To stabilize our revenue, we generally expect our projects will have PPAs with local utilities and off-takers that ensure that all or most of electricity generated by each project will be purchased at the contracted price. In the event any electricity is not purchased by the off-taker or the energy produced exceeds the off-taker’s capacity, we generally will sell that excess energy to the local utility or another suitable counterparty, which would ensure revenue is generated for all electricity produced. We may be exposed to the risk that the off-taker will fail to perform under the PPA, with the result that we will have to sell our electricity at the market price, which could be disadvantageous.

 

In regard to the market price of oil, our investments are little effected by the volatility in this market as most oil consumed in the U.S. today is used for transportation infrastructure and not for the generation of electricity.

 

Credit risk. Through our investments in our target assets, we expect to be indirectly exposed to credit risk relating to counterparties to the electricity sales agreements (including PPAs) for our projects as well as the businesses in which we invest. If counterparties to the electricity sales agreements for our projects or the businesses in which we invest are unable to make payments to us when due, or at all, our financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely effected. GCM will seek to mitigate this risk by deploying a comprehensive review and asset selection process and careful ongoing monitoring of acquired assets. In addition, we expect our projects will seek contracts with high credit quality counterparties. Nevertheless, unanticipated credit losses could occur which could adversely impact our operating results.

 

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Changes in market interest rates. With respect to our proposed business operations, general increases in interest rates over time may cause the interest expense associated with our borrowings to increase, and the value of our debt investments to decline. Conversely, general decreases in interest rates over time may cause the interest expense associated with our borrowings to decrease, and the value of our debt investments to increase.

 

Changes in government incentives. Retrospective changes in the levels of government incentives may have a negative impact on current investments. Prospective changes in the levels of government incentives, including renewable energy credits and investment tax credits, may impact the relative attractiveness of future investments in various renewable energy projects, which could make it difficult for GCM to find suitable investments in the sector.

 

ITEM 8. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

 

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

  Page
   
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 89
   
Audited Consolidated Financial Statements:  
   
Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 90
   
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 91
   
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Net Assets for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016,  2015 92
   
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 93
   
Consolidated Schedules of Investments as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 94
   
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 96

 

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  KPMG LLP
  345 Park Avenue
  New York, NY 10154-0102

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Shareholders and Board of Directors

Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC:

 

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of assets and liabilities of Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC and Subsidiary (the “Company”), including the consolidated schedules of investments, as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2017, and the related notes (collectively, the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2017, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

 

Basis for Opinion

 

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated 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 consolidated 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 consolidated 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 consolidated 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 consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

 

 

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2012.

 

New York, New York

March 8, 2018

 

  KPMG LLP is a Delaware limited liability partnership and the U.S. member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity.  

 

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GREENBACKER RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANY LLC AND SUBSIDIARY

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

 

    December 31, 2017     December 31, 2016  
             
ASSETS                
Investments, at fair value (cost of $212,361,027 and $115,124,750, respectively)   $ 218,386,174     $ 115,123,101  
Swap contracts, at fair value     156,068       90,697  
Cash and cash equivalents     10,144,014       13,055,090  
Shareholder receivable     225,509       521,954  
Deferred tax assets, net of allowance     4,524,038       6,179,394  
Other assets     74,242       65,044  
Total assets   $ 233,510,045     $ 135,035,280  
                 
LIABILITIES                
Payable for investments purchased   $ 15,414,205     $ -  
Term note payable, net of financing costs     12,910,364       3,270,399  
Management fee payable     57,291       232,856  
Accounts payable and accrued expenses     400,144       423,639  
Shareholder distributions payable     711,306       403,983  
Interest payable     112,245       -  
Due to advisor     10,417       99,782  
Due to dealer manager     -       36,694  
Payable for repurchases of common stock     969,448       945,770  
Deferred sales commission payable     249,858       203,357  
Total liabilities   $ 30,835,278     $ 5,616,480  
                 
Commitments and contingencies (See Note 2, Note 5 and Note 9)                
                 
MEMBERS’ EQUITY (NET ASSETS)                
Preferred stock, par value, $.001 per share, 50,000,000 authorized; none issued and outstanding   $ -     $ -  
Common stock, par value, $.001 per share, 350,000,000 authorized; 23,189,229 and 14,921,922 shares issued and outstanding, respectively     23,189       14,922  
Paid-in capital in excess of par value     200,510,790       128,425,800  
Accumulated deficit     (10,216,279 )     (3,629,220 )
Accumulated net realized gain on investments     698,460       4,578  
Accumulated unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:                
Investments, net of deferred taxes     10,356,379       4,699,283  
Foreign currency translation     (90,083 )     (187,846 )
Swap contracts     156,068       90,697  
Total common stockholders’ equity     201,438,524       129,418,214  
Special unitholder’s equity     1,236,243       586  
Total members’ equity (net assets)     202,674,767       129,418,800  
Total liabilities and equity (net assets)   $ 233,510,045     $ 135,035,280  
                 
Net assets, Class A (shares outstanding of 13,857,830 and 10,878,502, respectively)   $ 120,344,517     $ 94,541,760  
Net assets, Class C (shares outstanding of 1,431,999 and 1,041,836, respectively)     12,053,349       8,796,002  
Net assets, Class I (shares outstanding of 4,511,832 and 2,754,491, respectively)     39,181,769       23,938,449  
Net assets, Class P-A (shares outstanding of nil and 47,774, respectively)*     -       414,145  
Net assets, Class P-I (shares outstanding of 3,387,568 and 199,319, respectively)     29,858,889       1,727,858  
Total common stockholders’ equity   $ 201,438,524     $ 129,418,214  

 

*All Class P-A shares were converted into Class P-I shares and are no longer offered for sale.

 

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

 

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GREENBACKER RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANY LLC AND SUBSIDIARY

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 

   For the year ended
December 31, 2017
   For the year ended
December 31, 2016
   For the year ended
December 31, 2015
 
Investment income:               
Dividend income  $13,125,642   $6,267,442   $1,845,000 
Interest income   257,479    1,968,583    9,122 
Total investment income  $13,383,121   $8,236,025   $1,854,122 
                
Operating expenses:               
Management fee expense   3,351,250    2,018,434    571,271 
Audit and tax expense   685,570    546,564    235,147 
Interest and financing expenses   847,948    385,693    - 
General and administration expenses   421,673    417,247    210,539 
Legal expenses   183,545    271,820    130,395 
Directors fees and expenses   100,210    99,317    94,750 
Insurance expense   64,411    73,717    78,628 
Organizational expenses   -    35,188    238,542 
Incentive fees   139,692    -    - 
Other expenses   129,780    92,247    66,508 
Operating expenses before expense waiver and reimbursement   5,924,079    3,940,227    1,625,780 
Pre-operating expenses   -    -    - 
Waiver of management fees   -    -    - 
Expense reimbursement to (from) advisor   -    636,926    11,794 
Total expenses, net of expense waiver and reimbursement   5,924,079    4,577,153    1,637,574 
Net investment income (loss) before taxes   7,459,042    3,658,872    216,548 
Deferred tax (benefit) expense   2,619,076   (1,142,738)   (522,985)
Franchise tax expense   (23,415)   (121,940)   - 
Net investment income (loss)   4,816,551    4,679,670    739,533 
                
Net change in realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments, foreign currency translation and deferred tax assets:               
Net realized loss on foreign currency transactions   -    -    - 
Net realized gain on investments   693,882    4,578    - 
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:               
Investments   5,929,033    (1,473,781)   1,578,967 
Foreign currency translation   97,763    40,703    (196,902)
Swap contracts   65,371    90,697    - 
Change in benefit from deferred taxes on unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments   963,720    4,386,656    127,015 
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations   12,566,320    7,728,523    2,248,613 
Net increase (decrease) in net assets attributed to special unitholder   (1,235,657)   285,673    (276,412)
Net increase in net assets attributed to common stockholders  $11,330,663   $8,014,196   $1,972,201 
                
Common stock per share information —basic and diluted:               
Net investment income  $0.25   $0.43   $0.22 
Net increase in net assets attributed to common stockholders  $0.60   $0.73   $0.59 
Weighted average common shares outstanding   18,922,343    11,043,156    3,335,719 

 

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

 

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GREENBACKER RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANY LLC AND SUBSIDIARY

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS

For the Years Ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015

 

   Common Stockholders         
   Shares   Par Value   Paid-in
capital in
excess
of par value
   Accumulated
deficit
   Accumulated
net
realized
gain on
investments
   Accumulated
unrealized
appreciation
(depreciation) on
investments,
net of deferred
taxes
   Accumulated
unrealized
appreciation
(depreciation) on
foreign
currency
translation
   Accumulated
unrealized
appreciation
(depreciation)
on swap
contracts
   Common
stockholders'
equity
   Special
unitholder
   Total
members'
equity
(net
assets)
 
Balances at December 31, 2014   1,236,345   $1,236   $10,802,460   $(340,406)  $-   $71,166   $(31,647)  $-   $10,502,809   $9,846   $10,512,655 
                                                        
Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net   5,390,648    5,391    48,671,850    -    -    -    -    -    48,677,241    -    48,677,241 
                                                        
Issuance of common stock under distribution reinvestment plan   109,974    110    993,164    -    -    -    -    -    993,274    -    993,274 
                                                        
Repurchases of common stock   (15,000)   (15)   (135,360)   -    -    -    -    -    (135,375)   -    (135,375)
                                                        
Offering costs   -    -    (2,618,189)   -    -    -    -    -    (2,618,189)   -    (2,618,189)
                                                        
Shareholder distributions   -    -    -    (1,990,141)   -    -    -    -    (1,990,141)   -    (1,990,141)
                                                        
Net investment income   -    -    -    739,533    -    -    -    -    739,533    -    739,533 
                                                        
Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments   -    -    -    -    -    1,302,554    -    -    1,302,554    276,413    1,578,967 
                                                        
Net change in unrealized depreciation on foreign currency translation   -    -    -    -    -    -    (196,902)   -    (196,902)   -    (196,902)
                                                        
Change in benefit from deferred taxes on unrealized appreciation on investments   -    -    -    -    -    127,015    -    -    127,015    -    127,015 
                                                        
Balances at December 31, 2015   6,721,967   $6,722   $57,713,925   $(1,591,014)  $-   $1,500,735   $(228,549)  $-   $57,401,819   $286,259   $57,688,078 
                                                        
Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net   8,127,146    8,127    73,883,345    -    -    -    -    -    73,891,472    -    73,891,472 
                                                        
Issuance of common stock under distribution reinvestment plan   359,464    359    3,290,227    -    -    -    -    -    3,290,586    -    3,290,586 
                                                        
Repurchases of common stock   (286,655)   (286)   (2,637,515)   -    -    -    -    -    (2,637,801)   -    (2,637,801)
                                                        
Offering costs   -    -    (3,824,182)   -    -    -    -    -    (3,824,182)   -    (3,824,182)
                                                        
Shareholder distributions   -    -    -    (6,717,876)   -    -    -    -    (6,717,876)   -    (6,717,876)
                                                        
Net investment income   -    -    -    4,679,670    -    -    -    -    4,679,670    -    4,679,670 
                                                        
Net realized gain on investments   -    -    -    -    4,578    -    -    -    4,578    -    4,578 
                                                        
Net change in unrealized depreciation on investments   -    -    -    -    -    (1,188,108)   -    -    (1,188,108)   (285,673)   (1,473,781)
                                                        
Net change in unrealized appreciation on foreign currency translation   -    -    -    -    -    -    40,703    -    40,703    -    40,703 
                                                        
Net change in unrealized appreciation on swaps   -    -    -    -    -    -    -    90,697    90,697    -    90,697 
                                                        
Change in benefit from deferred taxes on unrealized appreciation on investments   -    -    -    -    -    4,386,656    -    -    4,386,656    -    4,386,656 
                                                        
Balances at December 31, 2016   14,921,922   $14,922   $128,425,800   $(3,629,220)  $4,578   $4,699,283   $(187,846)  $90,697   $129,418,214   $586   $129,418,800 
                                                        
Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net   8,251,118    8,251    72,411,556    -    -    -    -    -    72,419,807    -    72,419,807 
                                                        
Issuance of common stock under distribution reinvestment plan   533,645    534    4,747,000    -    -    -    -    -    4,747,534    -    4,747,534 
                                                        
Repurchases of common stock   (517,456)   (518)   (4,147,180)   -    -    -    -    -    (4,147,698)   -    (4,147,698)
                                                        
Offering costs   -    -    (926,386)   -    -    -    -    -    (926,386)   -    (926,386)
                                                        
Shareholder distributions   -    -    -    (11,403,610)   -    -    -    -    (11,403,610)   -    (11,403,610)
                                                        
Net investment income   -    -    -    4,816,551    -    -    -    -    4,816,551    -    4,816,551 
                                                        
Net realized gain on investments   -    -    -    -    693,882    -    -    -    693,882    -    693,882 
                                                        
Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments   -    -    -    -    -    4,693,376    -    -    4,693,376    1,235,657    5,929,033 
                                                        
Net change in unrealized appreciation on foreign currency translation   -    -    -    -    -    -    97,763    -    97,763    -    97,763 
                                                        
Net change in unrealized appreciation on swap contracts   -    -    -    -    -    -    -    65,371    65,371    -    65,371 
                                                        
Change in benefit from deferred taxes on unrealized appreciation on investments   -    -    -    -    -    963,720    -    -    963,720    -    963,720 
                                                        
Balances at December 31, 2017   23,189,229   $23,189   $200,510,790   $(10,216,279)  $698,460   $10,356,379   $(90,083)  $156,068   $201,438,524   $1,236,243   $202,674,767 

 

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GREENBACKER RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANY LLC AND SUBSIDIARY

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

  

   For the year ended
December 31, 2017
   For the year ended
December 31, 2016
   For the year ended
December 31, 2015
 
             
Operating activities:               
Net increase (decrease) in net assets from operations  $12,566,320   $7,728,523   $2,248,613 
Adjustments to reconcile net increase in net assets from operations to net cash used in operating activities:               
Paid-in-kind interest income   -    -    (13,403)
Amortization of deferred financing costs   164,725    95,339    - 
Purchase of investments   (117,538,601)   (65,451,172)   (47,321,597)
Proceeds from principal payments and sales of investments   20,996,206    354,137    - 
Net realized gain on investments   (693,882)   (4,578)   - 
Net change in unrealized (appreciation) depreciation on investments   (5,929,033)   1,473,781    (1,578,967)
Net change in unrealized (appreciation) depreciation on foreign currency translation   (97,763)   (40,703)   196,902 
Net change in unrealized (appreciation) on swap contracts   (65,371)   (90,697)     
(Increase) decrease in other assets:               
Due from advisor, net   -    26,636    (56,755)
Deferred tax assets, net of allowance   1,655,356    (5,529,394)   (650,000)
Other assets   (9,198)   12,474    (76,332)
Increase (decrease) in other liabilities:               
Payable for investments purchased   15,414,205    -    - 
Due to advisor, net   (89,365)   -    - 
Management fee payable   (175,565)   140,993    76,749 
Accounts payable and accrued expenses   (23,495)   95,840    114,001 
Interest payable   112,245    -    - 
Directors fees payable   -    (23,750)   - 
Net cash used in operating activities   (73,713,216)   (61,212,571)   (47,060,789)
                
Financing activities:               
Borrowings on Credit facility and term note   15,800,000    14,300,000    - 
Paydowns on Credit facility and term note   (6,324,760)   (10,119,442)   - 
Payments of financing costs   -    (1,005,494)   - 
Proceeds from issuance of shares of common stock, net   72,672,757    73,763,600    48,927,708 
Distributions paid   (6,348,757)   (3,180,297)   (870,794)
Offering costs   (926,386)   (3,824,182)   (2,618,189)
Repurchases of common stock   (4,034,020)   (1,692,030)   (135,375)
Due to advisor re: Offering costs   -    99,782    79,408 
Due to dealer manager re: Offering costs   (36,694)   36,694    - 
Net cash provided by financing activities   70,802,140    68,378,631    45,382,758 
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents   (2,911,076)   7,166,060    (1,678,031)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period   13,055,090    5,889,030    7,567,061 
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period  $10,144,014   $13,055,090   $5,889,030 
                
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:               
Shareholder distributions payable  $711,306   $403,983   $156,985 
Shareholder distributions reinvested in common stock  $4,747,534   $3,290,586   $993,274 
Payable for repurchases of common stock  $969,448   $945,770   $- 
Cash interest paid during the period  $490,139   $288,758   $- 
Shareholder receivable from sale of common stock  $225,509   $521,954   $190,725 
                
Non cash operating activities               
Purchase of investments  $15,414,205   $26,335,478   $359,432 
Repayments of investments  $-   $26,335,478   $359,432 
Investments disposed of/received through in-kind transactions  $11,420,306   $-   $- 

 

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

 

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GREENBACKER RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANY LLC AND SUBSIDIARY

CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS

December 31, 2017

 

Investments  Industry  Interest   Maturity   Shares or
Principal Amount
   Cost   Fair Value   Percentage of
Net Assets (a)
 
United States:                                 
Limited Liability Company Member Interests - Not readily marketable                                 
Sunny Mountain Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Solar            100% Ownership   $884,578   $1,205,439    0.6%
                                  
East to West Solar Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Solar            100% Ownership    27,934,875    27,200,000    13.4%
                                  
Green Maple Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Solar            100% Ownership    13,075,000    11,956,821    5.9%
                                  
Magnolia Sun Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Solar            100% Ownership    10,775,000    9,635,508    4.8%
                                  
Six States Solar Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Solar            100% Ownership    4,770,306    4,756,893    2.3%
                                  
Greenbacker Residential Solar Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Solar            100% Ownership or Managing Member, Majority Equity Owner    28,100,000    28,373,526    14.0%
                                  
Greenbacker Residential Solar Portfolio II  Alternative Energy - Solar            Managing Member, Majority Equity Owner    6,400,000    7,986,014    3.9%
                                  
Enfinity Colorado DHA Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Solar            100% Ownership    1,400,000    1,671,317    0.8%
                                  
Golden Horizons Solar Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Solar            100% Ownership    9,450,000    9,482,075    4.7%
                                  
Raleigh Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Solar            Managing Member, Majority Equity Owner    20,672,198    22,850,465    11.3%
                                  
Foresight Solar Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Solar            Managing Member, Majority Equity Owner    13,200,071    13,200,071    6.5%
                                  
Midway III Solar Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Solar            100% Ownership    10,093,861    10,093,861    5.0%
                                  
Greenbacker Wind Portfolio - California  Alternative Energy - Wind            100% Ownership    9,500,000    9,506,752    4.7%
                                  
Greenbacker Wind Portfolio - Idaho  Alternative Energy - Wind            100% Ownership    7,320,000    6,799,153    3.4%
                                  
Greenbacker Wind Portfolio - Montana  Alternative Energy - Wind            100% Ownership or Managing Member, Equity Owner    21,609,488    23,228,136    11.5%
                                  
Greenbacker Wind Portfolio - Vermont  Alternative Energy - Wind            100% Ownership    24,417,193    27,168,808    13.4%
                                  
GREC Energy Efficiency Portfolio  Energy Efficiency - Lighting Replacement            100% Ownership    482,450    504,637    0.2%
                                  
Total Limited Liability Company Member Interests - Not readily marketable: 105.3%                    $210,085,020   $215,619,476    106.4%
                                  
Energy Efficiency Secured Loans - Not readily marketable                                 
Renew AEC One, LLC  Energy Efficiency - Lighting Replacement   10.25%(b)   2/24/2025   $672,871   $672,871   $672,871    0.3%
                                  
Total Energy Efficiency Secured Loans - Not readily marketable: 0.3%                    $672,871   $672,871    0.3%
                                  
Total United States Investments: 105.6%                    $210,757,891   $216,292,347    106.7%
                                  
Canada:                                 
Capital Stock - Not readily marketable                                 
Canadian Northern Lights Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Solar            100% Ownership   $1,603,136   $2,093,827    1.1%
Total Canadian Investments: 1.1%                    $1,603,136   $2,093,827    1.1%
                                  
INVESTMENTS: 106.7%                    $212,361,027   $218,386,174    107.8%
                                  
LIABILITIES IN EXCESS OF OTHER ASSETS: (6.7)%                          (15,711,407)   (7.8)%
                                  
TOTAL NET ASSETS: 100.0%                         $202,674,767    100.0%

 

(a)Percentages are based on net assets of $202,674,767 as of December 31, 2017.
(b)Per the loan agreement, interest commenced on January 24, 2016.

 

Interest Rate Swaps

 

Counterparty  Pay / Receive Floating
Rate
  Floating Rate
Index
  Fixed Pay
Rate
   Payment
Frequency
  Maturity Date  Notional Amount   Value   Upfront
Premiums Paid
(Received)
 
                             
Fifth Third Financial Risk Solutions  Receive  1-MO-USD-LIBOR   1.110%  Monthly  7/9/2021   3,893,889   $108,518    - 
Fifth Third Financial Risk Solutions  Receive  1-MO-USD-LIBOR   2.261%  Monthly  2/29/2032   20,900,650    47,550    - 
                         $156,068   $- 

 

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

 

 94 

 

 

GREENBACKER RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANY LLC AND SUBSIDIARY

CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS

December 31, 2016

 

Investments  Industry  Interest   Maturity   Maximum
Commitment
   Shares or
Principal
Amount
   Cost   Fair Value   Percentage
of
Net Assets (a)
 
United States:                                      
Limited Liability Company Member Interests - Not readily marketable                                      
                                       
Sunny Mountain Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Solar                 100% Ownership   $884,578   $1,175,952    0.9%
                                       
East to West Solar Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Solar                 100% Ownership    23,256,875    21,943,079    17.0%
                                       
Green Maple Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Solar                 100% Ownership    12,895,000    11,447,775    8.8%
                                       
Magnolia Sun Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Solar                 100% Ownership    10,775,000    10,445,788    8.2%
                                       
Six States Solar Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Solar                 100% Ownership    2,300,000    2,846,174    2.2%
                                       
Greenbacker Residential Solar Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Solar                 100% Ownership or Managing Member, Majority Equity Owner    19,850,000    20,487,901    15.8%
                                       
Greenbacker Wind Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Wind                 100% Ownership or Managing Member, Equity Owner    42,277,428    43,643,215    33.7%
                                       
GREC Energy Efficiency Portfolio  Energy Efficiency - Lighting Replacement                 100% Ownership    511,362    546,677    0.4%
                                       
Total Limited Liability Company Member Interests - Not readily marketable: 87.0%                         $112,750,243   $112,536,561    87.0%
                                       
Energy Efficiency Secured Loans - Not readily marketable                                      
Renew AEC One, LLC  Energy Efficiency - Lighting Replacement   10.25%(b)   2/24/2025   $1,100,000   $771,371    771,371    771,371    0.6%
                                       
Total Energy Efficiency Secured Loans - Not readily marketable: 0.6%                         $771,371   $771,371    0.6%
                                       
Total United States Investments: 87.6%                         $113,521,614   $113,307,932    87.6%
                                       
Canada:                                      
Capital Stock - Not readily marketable                                      
                                       
Canadian Northern Lights Portfolio  Alternative Energy - Solar                 100% Ownership   $1,603,136   $1,815,169    1.4%
Total Canadian Investments: 1.4%                         $1,603,136   $1,815,169    1.4%
                                       
INVESTMENTS: 89.0%                         $115,124,750   $115,123,101    89.0%
                                       
OTHER ASSETS IN EXCESS OF LIABILITIES: 11.0%                               14,295,699    11.0%
                                       
TOTAL NET ASSETS: 100.0%                              $129,418,800    100.0%

 

(a)Percentages are based on net assets of $129,418,800 as of December 31, 2016.
(b)Per the loan agreement, interest commenced on January 24, 2016.

 

Counterparty  Pay /
Receive
Floating
Rate
  Floating
Rate
Index
  Fixed
Pay
Rate
   Payment
Frequency
  Maturity
Date
  Notional
Amount
   Fair
Value
   Upfront
Premiums
Paid
(Received)
 
                             
Fifth Third Financial Risk Solutions  Receive  1-MO-USD-LIBOR   1.110%  Monthly  7/9/2021   4,180,556   $90,697   $ 
                         $90,697   $ 

 

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

 

 95 

 

 

GREENBACKER RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANY LLC AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

December 31, 2017

 

Note 1. Organization and Operations of the Company

 

Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC (the “LLC”), a Delaware limited liability company, is an externally managed energy company that acquires and manages income-generating renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, and other energy-related businesses, as well as finances the construction and/or operation of these and sustainable development projects and businesses. The LLC conducts substantially all of its operations through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation (“GREC”). GREC is a Maryland corporation formed in November 2011 and the LLC currently holds all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of GREC. GREC Entity Holdco LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of GREC, was formed in Delaware, in June 2016 (“GREC Holdco”). The LLC, GREC and GREC Holdco (collectively “we”, “us”, “our”, and the “company”) are externally managed and advised by Greenbacker Capital Management LLC (the “advisor” or “GCM”), a renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainability related project acquisition, consulting and development company. The LLC’s fiscal year end is December 31.

 

Pursuant to an initial Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-178786-01), the company offered up to $1,500,000,000 in shares of limited liability company interests, or the shares, including up to $250,000,000 pursuant to a distribution reinvestment plan (“DRP”), through SC Distributors, LLC, the dealer manager. The offering pursuant to that initial Registration Statement terminated on February 7, 2017. Pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-211571), the company is offering on a continuous basis up to $1,000,000,000 in shares of limited liability company interests, or the shares, including up to $200,000,000 of shares pursuant to the DRP, on a “best efforts” basis through the dealer manager, meaning it is not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of shares. The company is publicly offering three classes of shares: Class A, C and I shares in any combination with a dollar value up to the maximum offering amount. In addition, the company is privately offering Class P-I shares. The share classes have different selling commissions, dealer manager fees and there is an ongoing distribution fee with respect to Class C shares. The company has adopted a DRP pursuant to which a shareholder owning publicly offered share classes may elect to have the full amount of cash distributions reinvested in additional shares. The company reserves the right to reallocate the offered shares within each offering between each and any share class and between its public offering and the DRP. Reference the LLC’s Prospectus Supplement No. 5 dated September 25, 2017 for additional information. 

 

Each quarter, our advisor, utilizing the services of an independent valuation firm when necessary, reviews and approves the net asset value for each class of shares, subject to the oversight of the company’s board of directors. The company expects such determination will ordinarily be made within 30 days after each such completed fiscal quarter. To the extent that the net asset value per share on the most recent valuation date increases above or decreases below the net proceeds per share, the company will adjust the offering prices of all classes of shares. The adjustments to the per share offering prices, which will become effective five business days after such determination is published, will ensure that after the effective date of the new offering prices, the offering prices per share, after deduction of selling commissions, dealer manager fees and organization and offering expenses, are not above or below net asset value per share as of the most recent valuation date. The purchase price per share to be paid by each investor will be equal to the price that is in effect on the date such investor submits his or her completed subscription agreement. The company’s shares are offered in the primary offering at a price based on the most recent valuation, plus related selling commissions, dealer manager fees and organization and offering expenses. Five days after the completion of each quarter end valuation, shares will be offered pursuant to the DRP at a price equal to the current offering price per each class of shares, less the sales selling commissions and dealer manager fees associated with that class of shares in the primary offering.

 

 96 

 

 

As of December 31, 2017, the company has made solar, wind and energy efficiency investments in 18 portfolios, 17 domiciled in the United States and one in Canada, as well as one energy efficiency secured loan in the United States (See Note 3). As of December 31, 2016, the company had made solar, wind and energy efficiency investments in nine portfolios, eight domiciled in the United States and one in Canada, as well as one energy efficiency secured loan in the United States.

 

Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The company’s consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), which requires the use of estimates, assumptions and the exercise of subjective judgment as to future uncertainties. Actual results could differ from those estimates, assumptions, and judgments. Significant items subject to such estimates will include determining the fair value of investments, revenue recognition, income tax uncertainties, and other contingencies. The consolidated financial statements of the company include the accounts of the LLC and its consolidated subsidiaries, GREC and GREC Holdco. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. 

 

The company’s consolidated financial statements are prepared using the specialized accounting principles of Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services—Investment Companies (“ASC Topic 946”). In accordance with this specialized accounting guidance, the company recognizes and carries all of its investments at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in earnings. Additionally, the company will not apply the consolidation or equity method of accounting to its investments. The company carries its liabilities at amounts payable, net of unamortized premiums or discounts. The company does not currently plan to elect to carry its non-investment liabilities at fair value. Net assets are calculated as the carrying amounts of assets, including the fair value of investments, less the carrying amounts of its liabilities. 

 

 97 

 

 

The financial information associated with the December 31, 2017 consolidated financial statements has been prepared by management and, in the opinion of management, contains all adjustments and eliminations, consisting of only normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation in accordance with GAAP. 

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

Cash consists of demand deposits at a financial institution. Such deposits may be in excess of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance limits. The company has not experienced any losses in any such accounts.

 

The company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Short-term investments that are cash equivalents, which are considered level 1 investments, are stated at cost, which approximates fair value. There are no restrictions on the use of the company’s cash as of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016.

 

Foreign Currency Translation

 

The accounting records of the company are maintained in U.S. Dollars. The fair value of investments and other assets and liabilities denominated in non-U.S. currencies are translated into U.S. Dollars using the exchange rate at the end of each reporting period. Amounts related to the purchases and sales of investments, investment income and expenses are translated at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions. 

 

Net unrealized currency gains and losses arising from valuing foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities at the current exchange rate are reflected as part of net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies in the consolidated statements of operations. 

 

Foreign security and currency translations may involve certain considerations and risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies and U.S. government securities. These risks include, but are not limited to, currency fluctuations and revaluations and future adverse political, social and economic developments, which could cause investments in foreign markets to be less liquid and prices more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies or U.S. government securities. 

 

Valuation of Investments at Fair Value

 

Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC Topic 820”) defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in accordance with GAAP and expands disclosures about fair value. The company recognizes and accounts for its investments at fair value. The fair value of the investments does not reflect transaction costs that may be incurred upon disposition of the investments.

 

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. Fair value is an exchange price notion under which fair value is the price in an orderly transaction between market participants to sell an asset or transfer a liability in the market in which the reporting entity would transact for the asset or liability.

   

The advisor has established procedures to estimate the fair value of its investments which the company’s board of directors has reviewed and approved. The company will use observable market data to estimate the fair value of investments to the extent that market data is available. In the absence of quoted market prices in active markets, or quoted market prices for similar assets in markets that are not active, the company will use the valuation methodologies described below with unobservable data based on the best available information in the circumstances, which incorporates the company’s assumptions about the factors that a market participant would use to value the asset.

 

For investments for which quoted market prices are not available, which will comprise most of our investment portfolio, fair value will be estimated by using the income or market approach. The income approach is based on the assumption that value is created by the expectation of future benefits discounted to a current value and the fair value estimate is the amount an investor would be willing to pay to receive those future benefits. The market approach compares recent comparable transactions to the investment. Adjustments are made for any dissimilarity between the comparable transactions and the investments. These valuation methodologies involve a significant degree of judgment on the part of our advisor.

 

 98 

 

 

In determining the appropriate fair value of an investment using these approaches, the most significant information and assumptions may include, as applicable: available current market data, including relevant and applicable comparable market transactions, applicable market yields and multiples, security covenants, call protection provisions, information rights, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the investment’s ability to make payments, its earnings and discounted cash flows, the markets in which the project does business, comparisons of financial ratios of peer companies that are public, comparable merger and acquisition, the principal market and enterprise values, environmental factors, among other factors.

 

The estimated fair values will not necessarily represent the amounts that may be ultimately realized due to the occurrence or nonoccurrence of future circumstances that cannot be reasonably determined. Because of the inherent uncertainty of the valuation of the investments, the estimate of fair values may differ significantly from the value that would have been used had a broader market for the investments existed.

 

The authoritative accounting guidance prioritizes the use of market-based inputs over entity-specific inputs and establishes a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation. The three levels of valuation hierarchy are defined as follows:

 

  Level 1: Unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.

 

  Level 2: Other significant observable inputs that are sourced either directly or indirectly from publications or pricing services, including dealer or broker markets, for identical or comparable assets or liabilities. Generally, these inputs should be widely accepted and public, non-proprietary and sourced from an independent third party.

 

  Level 3: Inputs derived from a significant amount of unobservable market data and derived primarily through the use of internal valuation methodologies. GREC utilizes primarily proprietary discounted cash flow pricing models which include the use of significant assumptions, projections and professional judgement.

 

In all cases, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls will be determined based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Our assessment of the significance of an input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment and considers factors specific to each investment.

 

Calculation of Net Asset Value

 

Net asset value by share class is calculated by subtracting total liabilities for each class from the total carrying amount of all assets for that class, which includes the fair value of investments. Net asset value per share is calculated by dividing net asset value for each class by the total number of outstanding common shares for that class on the reporting date.

 

Earnings (Loss) per Share

 

In accordance with the provisions of ASC Topic 260 — Earnings per Share (“ASC Topic 260”), basic earnings per share is computed by dividing earnings available to common shareholders by the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period. Other potentially dilutive common shares, and the related impact to earnings, are considered when calculating earnings per share on a diluted basis.

 

 99 

 

 

The following information sets forth the computation of the weighted average basic and diluted net increase in net assets attributed to common stockholders per share for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015.

   

   For the year
ended
December
31, 2017
   For the year ended
December 31, 2016
   For the year ended
December 31, 2015
 
Basic and diluted               
Net increase in net assets attributed to common stockholders  $11,330,663   $8,014,196   $1,972,201 
Weighted average common shares outstanding   18,922,343    11,043,156    3,335,719 
Net increase in net assets attributed to common stockholders per share  $0.60   $0.73   $0.59 

 

Revenue Recognition

 

Interest income is recorded on an accrual basis to the extent the company expects to collect such amounts. Interest receivable on loans and debt securities is not accrued for accounting purposes if there is reason to doubt an ability to collect such interest. Original issue discounts, market discounts or market premiums are accreted or amortized using the effective interest method as interest income. Prepayment premiums on loans and debt securities are recorded as interest income when received. Any application, origination or other fees earned by the company in arranging or issuing debt are amortized over the expected term of the loan.

 

Loans are placed on non-accrual status when principal and interest are past due 90 days or more or when there is a reasonable doubt that principal or interest will be collected. Accrued interest is generally reversed when a loan is placed on non-accrual. Interest payments received on non-accrual loans may be recognized as income or applied to principal depending upon management’s judgment. Non-accrual loans are generally restored to accrual status when past due and principal and interest is paid and, in management’s judgment, is likely to remain current. 

 

Dividend income is recorded (1) on the ex-dividend date for publicly issued securities and (2) when received from private investments. Dividends received from the company’s private investments, which generally reflect net cash flow from operations, are declared and paid on a quarterly basis at a minimum. 

 

Net Realized Gains or Losses and Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation on Investments

 

Realized gains or losses will be measured as the difference between the net proceeds from the sale, repayment, or disposal of an asset and the adjusted cost basis of the asset, without regard to unrealized appreciation or depreciation previously recognized. Net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation will reflect the change in investment values during the reporting period, including any reversal of previously recorded unrealized appreciation or depreciation, when gains or losses are realized. 

 

Payment-in-Kind Interest

 

For loans and debt securities with contractual payment-in-kind interest, any interest will be added to the principal balance of such investments and be recorded as income, if the valuation indicates that such interest is collectible. 

 

Distribution Policy

 

Distributions to members, if any, will be authorized and declared by our board of directors quarterly in advance and paid monthly. From time to time, we may also pay interim special distributions in the form of cash or shares, with the approval of our board of directors. Distributions will be made on all classes of shares at the same time. The cash distributions with respect to the Class C shares will be lower than the cash distributions with respect to the company’s other publicly offered share classes because of the distribution fee associated with the Class C shares, which is allocated specifically to Class C net assets. Amounts distributed to each class are allocated amongst the holders of the shares in such class in proportion to their shares. Distributions declared by our board of directors are recognized as distribution liabilities on the ex-dividend date. 

 

 100 

 

 

Organization and Offering Costs

 

Organization and offering costs (“O&O costs”), other than sales commissions and the dealer manager fee, are initially being paid by our advisor and/or dealer manager on behalf of the company. These O&O costs include all costs previously paid or to be paid by the company in connection with its formation and the offering of its shares pursuant to now terminated Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-178786-01), the current Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-211571) and a private placement memorandum, including legal, accounting, printing, mailing and filing fees, charges of the company’s escrow holder, transfer agent fees, due diligence expense reimbursements to participating broker-dealers included in detailed and itemized invoices and costs in connection with administrative oversight of the offering and marketing process, and preparing supplemental sales materials, holding educational conferences, and attending retail seminars conducted by broker-dealers. While the total O&O costs for each public offering shall be reasonable and shall in no event exceed an amount equal to 15% of the gross proceeds of such offering and the DRP, the company is targeting no more than 4.0% of the gross proceeds for O&O costs other than sales commissions and dealer manager fees in the current Registration Statement. The company is obligated to reimburse our advisor for O&O costs that it incurs on behalf of the company, in accordance with the advisory agreement, but only to the extent that the reimbursement would not cause the selling commissions, the dealer manager fee and the other organization and offering expenses borne by the company to exceed 15% of gross offering proceeds as of the date of reimbursement. Total O&O costs related to the terminated Registration Statement amounted to approximately $7,556,000 or 4.8% of gross offering proceeds raised pursuant to such Registration Statement. 

 

The costs incurred by our advisor and/or dealer manager are recognized as a liability of the company to the extent that the company is obligated to reimburse our advisor and/or dealer manager, subject to the 15% of gross offering proceeds limitation described above. When recognized by the company, organizational costs are expensed and offering costs, excluding selling commissions and dealer manager fees, are recognized as a reduction of the proceeds from the offering. 

 

The following table provides information in regard to the status of O&O costs (in 000’s) as of December 31, 2017 and 2016:

 

   December 31, 2017   December 31, 2016 
Total O&O Costs Incurred by the Advisor and Dealer Manager  $8,671   $7,498 
Amounts previously reimbursed to the Advisor/Dealer Manager by the company   8,381    7,362 
Amounts payable to Advisor/Dealer Manager by the company   10    136 
Amounts of the contingent liability subject to payment by the company only upon adequate gross offering proceeds being raised   280     

 

Financing Costs

 

Financing costs related to debt liabilities incurred by the company, GREC or any wholly-owned holding company formed specifically to be a credit agreement counterparty are presented on the consolidated statements of assets and liabilities as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability. Financing costs are deferred and amortized using the straight-line method over the life of the debt liability.

 

 101 

 

 

Capital Gains Incentive Allocation and Distribution

 

Pursuant to the terms of the LLC’s amended and restated limited liability company agreement, a capital gains incentive fee will be earned by an affiliate of our advisor on realized gains (net of realized and unrealized losses) since inception from the sale of investments from the company’s portfolio during operations prior to a liquidation of the company. While the terms of the advisory agreement neither include nor contemplate the inclusion of unrealized gains in the calculation of the capital gains incentive fee, the company will include unrealized gains in the calculation of the capital gains incentive distribution pursuant to an interpretation of an American Institute for Certified Public Accountants Technical Practice Aid for investment companies. This amount reflects the incentive distribution that would be payable if the company’s entire portfolio was liquidated at its fair value as of the consolidated statements of assets and liabilities date even though the advisor is not entitled to an incentive distribution with respect to unrealized gains unless and until such gains are realized. Thus, on each date that net asset value is calculated, the company calculates for the capital gains incentive distribution by calculating such distribution as if it were due and payable as of the end of such period and reflected as an allocation of equity between common stockholders and Special unitholder. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, a capital gains incentive distribution allocation in the amounts of $1,236,243 and $586, respectively, was recorded in the consolidated statements of assets and liabilities as Special unitholder’s equity.

  

Deferred Sales Commissions

 

The company defers certain costs, principally sales commissions and related compensation, which are paid to the dealer manager and may be reallowed to financial advisors and broker/dealers in the future in connection with the sale of Class C shares sold with a reduced front-end load sales charge. The costs expected to be incurred at the time of the sale of Class C shares are recorded as a liability on the date of sale and are amortized on a straight-line basis over the period beginning at the time of sale and ending on the date which approximates an expected liquidity event for the company. As of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the company recorded a liability for deferred sales commissions in the amount of $249,858 and $203,357, respectively.

 

Reclassifications

 

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform with current year presentation.

 

Derivative Instruments

 

The company may utilize interest rate swaps to modify interest rate characteristics of certain liabilities to manage its exposure to interest rate fluctuations. Changes in the fair value of the interest rate swaps during the period are recognized in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations where the company, GREC or any wholly-owned holding company formed specifically to be a credit agreement counterparty is the counterparty and in the change in fair value of investments if a subsidiary of the company is the counterparty.

 

The fair value of interest rate swap contracts open as of December 31, 2017 is included on the schedule of investments by contract. For the year ended December 31, 2017, the company’s average monthly notional exposure to interest rate swap contracts was $16,219,314.

 

Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities - Values of Derivatives at December 31, 2017  

 

   Asset Derivatives      Liability
Derivatives
    
Risk Exposure  Consolidated
Statement of
Assets and
Liabilities Location
  Fair Value   Consolidated
Statement of Assets
and Liabilities
Location
  Fair Value 
Swaps              
Interest Rate Risk  Swap contracts, at fair value  $156,068   Swap contracts, at fair value  $ 
      $156,068      $ 

 

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The effect of derivative instruments on the Consolidated Statements of Operations

 

Risk Exposure  Change in
net
unrealized
appreciation
on
derivative
transactions
for the year
ended
December
31, 2017
 
Swaps     
Interest Rate Risk  $65,371 
   $65,371 

 

By using derivative instruments, the company is exposed to the counterparty’s credit risk – the risk that derivative counterparties may not perform in accordance with the contractual provisions offset by the value of any collateral received. The company’s exposure to credit risk associated with counterparty non-performance is limited to collateral posted and the unrealized gains inherent in such transactions that are recognized in the consolidated statement of assets and liabilities. The company minimizes counterparty credit risk through credit monitoring procedures and managing margin and collateral requirements, as appropriate.

 

In regard to our investment in the Canadian Northern Lights Portfolio, with 79 solar assets located in and around Toronto, Ontario, Canada, we have foreign currency risk related to our revenue and operating expenses which are denominated in the Canadian Dollars as opposed to the U.S. Dollars. While we are currently of the opinion that the currency fluctuation between the Canadian and U.S. Dollar will not have a material impact on our operating results, we may in the future hedge this risk through the use of currency swap transactions or other financial instruments if the impact on our results of operations becomes material.

 

Income Taxes

 

The LLC intends to operate so that it will qualify to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes under the Internal Revenue Code. As such, it will not be subject to any U.S. federal and state income taxes. In any year, it is possible that the LLC will not meet the qualifying income exception and will not qualify to be treated as a partnership. If the LLC does not meet the qualifying income exception, the members would then be treated as stockholders in a corporation and the company would become taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes under the Internal Revenue Code. The LLC would be required to pay income tax at corporate rates on its net taxable income. Distributions to members from the LLC would constitute dividend income taxable to such members, to the extent of the company’s earnings and profits and the payment of the distributions would not be deductible by the LLC. 

 

The LLC plans to conduct substantially all its operations through its wholly-owned subsidiary, GREC, which is a corporation that is subject to U.S. federal, state and local income taxes. Accordingly, most of its operations will be subject to U.S. federal, state and local income taxes. 

 

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Income taxes are accounted for under the assets and liabilities method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between items that are recognized in the consolidated financial statements and tax returns in different years. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. For income tax benefits to be recognized including uncertain tax benefits, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. The amount recognized is measured as the largest amount of the benefit that is more likely than not to be realized upon ultimate settlement. A valuation allowance is established against net deferred tax assets if, based on the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not that some or all of the net deferred tax assets will not be realized. Changes in recognition or measurement are reflected in the period in which the change in judgment occurs. Interest and penalties associated with income taxes, if any, will be recognized in general and administrative expense. 

 

The company does not consolidate its investments for financial statements, rather it accounts for its investments at fair value under the specialized accounting of ASC Topic 946. The tax attributes of the individual investments will be considered and incorporated in the company’s fair value estimates for those investments. The amounts recognized in the consolidated financial statements for unrealized appreciation and depreciation will result in a difference between the consolidated financial statements and the cost basis of the assets for tax purposes. These differences will be recognized as deferred tax assets and liabilities. Generally, the entities that hold the company’s investments will be included in the consolidated tax return of GREC and the differences between the amounts recognized for financial statement purposes and the tax return will be recognized as additional deferred tax assets and liabilities.

 

The company follows the authoritative guidance on accounting for uncertainty in income taxes and concluded it has no material uncertain tax positions to be recognized at this time.

  

The company assessed its tax positions for all open tax years as of December 31, 2017 for all U.S. federal and state tax jurisdictions for the years 2013 through 2017. The results of this assessment are included in the company’s tax provision and deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2017.

 

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

 

On August 26, 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows, or ASU 2016-15. ASU 2016-15 is intended to reduce diversity in practice in how certain transactions are classified in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-15 addresses eight classification issues related to the statement of cash flows: 1) debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs; 2) settlement of zero-coupon bonds; 3) contingent consideration payments made after a business combination; 4) proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims; 5) proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies, including bank-owned life insurance policies; 6) distributions received from equity method investees; 7) beneficial interests in securitization transactions; and 8) separately identifiable cash flows and application of the predominance principle. ASU 2016-15 is effective for public business entities for annual and interim periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. Entities should apply this ASU using a retrospective transition method to each period presented. Management evaluated the impact of the adoption of the ASU, and it is not expected to have a material impact to the company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01 regarding “Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities”. The new guidance is intended to enhance the reporting model for financial instruments to provide users of financial statements with more decision-useful information and addresses certain aspects of the recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. The new standard affects all entities that hold financial assets or owe financial liabilities. The new guidance is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Management evaluated the impact of the adoption of the ASU, and it is not expected to have a material impact to the company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows, which will amend FASB ASC 230. The amendments in this Update require that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. Therefore, amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. The amendments in this Update apply to all entities that have restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents and are required to present a statement of cash flows under Topic 230. For public business entities, the amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period. Management evaluated the impact of the adoption of the ASU, and it is not expected to have a material impact to the company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

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In December 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606 - Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASU 2014-09). The core principle of the revenue model is that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for the goods or services. The ASU will replace most of the existing revenue recognition guidance under US GAAP. The amendments in ASU 2014-09 are effective for public companies for interim and annual periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted for interim and annual periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. The company will adopt this standard on January 1, 2018 using either the retrospective or cumulative effective transition method. The company has evaluated the impact of ASU 2016-20, and amended amendments on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures and does not expect the adoption to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”). ASU 2016-02 outlines a new model for accounting by lessees, whereby their rights and obligations under substantially all leases, existing and new, would be capitalized and recorded on the balance sheet. For lessors, however, the accounting remains largely unchanged from the current model, with the distinction between operating and financing leases retained, but updated to align with certain changes to the lessee model and the new revenue recognition standard. The new standard also replaces existing sale-leaseback guidance with a new model applicable to both lessees and lessors. Additionally, the new standard requires extensive quantitative and qualitative disclosures. ASU 2016-02, as amended by ASU 2017-13, is effective for U.S. GAAP public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years; for all other entities, the final lease standard will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. Early application will be permitted for all entities. The new standard must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition of the new guidance and provides for certain practical expedients. Transition will require application of the new model at the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented.  At this time, management is evaluating the impact of ASU No. 2016-02 on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures. 

 

In December 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-19, Technical Corrections and Improvements. As part of this guidance, ASU 2016-19 amends FASB ASC 820 to clarify the difference between a valuation approach and a valuation technique. The amendment also requires an entity to disclose when there has been a change in either or both a valuation approach and/or a valuation technique. ASU 2016-19 is effective on a prospective basis for financial statements issued for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2016 on a prospective basis. The company has evaluated the impact of ASU 2016-19 on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures and determined that the adoption of ASU 2016-19 has not had a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

 

Updated Footnote Disclosure

 

Certain footnote disclosures have been updated to enhance information presented pertaining to the value of shares sold and shares issued through the reinvestment of distributions. The impact of these additional disclosures is not material to the previously issued consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015.

 

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Note 3. Investments

 

The composition of the company’s investments as of December 31, 2017, at fair value, were as follows:

 

    Investments
at Cost
    Investments
at
Fair Value
    Fair Value
Percentage
of
Total
Portfolio
 
Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar:                        
East to West Solar Portfolio   $ 27,934,875     $ 27,200,000       12.4 %
Raleigh Portfolio     20,672,198       22,850,465       10.4  
Foresight Solar     13,200,071       13,200,071       6.0  
Green Maple Portfolio     13,075,000       11,956,821       5.5  
Golden Horizons Solar Portfolio     9,450,000       9,482,075       4.3  
Magnolia Sun Portfolio     10,775,000       9,635,508       4.4  
Midway III Solar Portfolio     10,093,861       10,093,861       4.6  
Six States Solar Portfolio     4,770,306       4,756,893       2.3  
Sunny Mountain Portfolio     884,578       1,205,439       0.6  
Subtotal   $ 110,855,889     $ 110,381,133       50.5 %
Alternative Energy – Residential Solar:                        
Canadian Northern Lights Portfolio   $ 1,603,136     $ 2,093,827       1.0 %
Enfinity Colorado DHA Portfolio     1,400,000       1,671,317       0.8  
Greenbacker Residential Solar Portfolio     28,100,000       28,373,526       13.0  
Greenbacker Residential Solar II     6,400,000       7,986,014       3.7  
Subtotal   $ 37,503,136     $ 40,124,684       18.5 %
Alternative Energy - Wind:                        
Greenbacker Wind Portfolio – California   $ 9,500,000     $ 9,506,752       4.3 %
Greenbacker Wind Portfolio – Idaho     7,320,000       6,799,153       3.0  
Greenbacker Wind Portfolio – Montana     21,609,488       23,228,136       10.6  
Greenbacker Wind Portfolio – Vermont     24,417,193       27,168,808       12.6  
Subtotal   $ 62,846,681     $ 66,702,849       30.5 %
Energy Efficiency:                        
GREC Energy Efficiency Portfolio   $ 482,450     $ 504,637       0.2 %
Renew AEC One, LLC     672,871       672,871       0.3  
Subtotal   $ 1,155,321     $ 1,177,508       0.5 %
Total   $ 212,361,027     $ 218,386,174       100.0 %

  

The composition of the company’s investments as of December 31, 2016, at fair value, were as follows:

 

   Investments
at Cost
   Investments
at
Fair Value
   Fair Value
Percentage
of
Total
Portfolio
 
Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar               
East to West Solar Portfolio  $23,256,875   $21,943,079    19.1%
Green Maple Portfolio   12,895,000    11,447,775    9.9 
Magnolia Sun Portfolio   10,775,000    10,445,788    9.1 
Six States Solar Portfolio   2,300,000    2,846,174    2.5 
Sunny Mountain Portfolio   884,578    1,175,952    1.0 
Subtotal  $50,111,453   $47,858,768    41.6%
Alternative Energy – Residential Solar               
Canadian Northern Lights Portfolio   1,603,136    1,815,169    1.5 
Greenbacker Residential Solar Portfolio   19,850,000    20,487,901    17.8 
Subtotal  $21,453,136   $22,303,070    19.3%
Alternative Energy – Wind               
Greenbacker Wind - Montana Portfolio   42,277,428    43,643,215    37.9 
Subtotal  $42,277,428   $43,643,215    37.9%
Energy Efficiency               
GREC Energy Efficiency Portfolio   511,362    546,677    0.5 
Renew AEC One, LLC   771,371    771,371    0.7 
Subtotal  $1,282,733   $1,318,048    1.2%
Total  $115,124,750   $115,123,101    100.0%

 

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The counterparty to all the energy efficiency investments held by the company as of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 is a related party (See Note 5).

 

The composition of the company’s investments as of December 31, 2017 by geographic region, at fair value, were as follows:

 

   Investments at
Cost
   Investments at
Fair Value
   Fair Value
Percentage
of Total Portfolio
 
United States:               
East Region  $59,828,924    61,876,000    28.3%
Mid-West Region   1,022,813    1,010,292    0.5 
Mountain Region   40,588,577    42,220,262    19.3 
South Region   57,033,202    57,716,376    26.4 
West Region   52,284,375    53,469,417    24.5 
Total United States  $210,757,891    216,292,347    99.0%
Canada:   1,603,136    2,093,827    1.0 
Total  $212,361,027    218,386,174    100.0%

 

The composition of the company’s investments as of December 31, 2016 by geographic region, at fair value, were as follows:

 

   Investments at
Cost
   Investments at
Fair Value
   Fair Value
Percentage
of Total Portfolio
 
United States:               
East Region  $31,340,575   $30,469,589    26.5%
Mid-West Region   935,103    1,025,354    0.9 
Mountain Region   46,145,555    47,846,814    41.5 
South Region   29,929,892    28,553,024    24.8 
West Region   5,170,489    5,413,151    4.7 
Total United States  $113,521,614   $113,307,932    98.4%
Canada:   1,603,136    1,815,169    1.6 
Total  $115,124,750   $115,123,101    100.0%

 

The composition of the company’s investments as of December 31, 2017 by industry, at fair value, were as follows:

 

   Investments
at Cost
   Investments
at
Fair Value
   Fair Value
Percentage
of
Total
Portfolio
 
Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  $110,855,889    110,381,133    50.5%
Alternative Energy – Residential Solar   37,503,136    40,124,684    18.5 
Alternative Energy - Wind   62,846,681    66,702,849    30.5 
Energy Efficiency - Lighting Replacement   1,155,321    1,177,508    0.5 
Total  $212,361,027    218,386,174    100.0%

 

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The composition of the company’s investments as of December 31, 2016 by industry, at fair value, were as follows: 

 

   Investments at Cost   Investments at Fair
Value
   Fair Value
Percentage
of Total Portfolio
 
Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  $50,111,453   $47,858,768    41.6%
Alternative Energy – Residential Solar   21,453,136    22,303,070    19.3 
Alternative Energy – Wind   42,277,428    43,643,215    37.9 
Energy Efficiency – Lighting Replacement   1,282,733    1,318,048    1.2 
Total  $115,124,750   $115,123,101    100.0%

 

Investments held as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 are considered Control Investments, which are defined as investments in companies in which the company owns 25% or more of the voting securities of such company, have greater than 50% representation on such company’s board of directors, or investments in limited liability companies for which the company serves managing member.

 

Note 4. Fair Value Measurements - Investments

 

The following table presents fair value measurements of investments, by major class, as of December 31, 2017 according to the fair value hierarchy:

 

   Valuation Inputs 
   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Fair Value 
Limited Liability Company Member Interests  $   $   $215,619,476   $215,619,476 
Capital Stock           2,093,827    2,093,827 
Energy Efficiency Secured Loans           672,871    672,871 
Total  $   $   $218,386,174   $218,386,174 
Other Financial Instruments*                    
Unrealized appreciation on open interest rate swap contracts  $   $156,068   $   $156,068 
Total  $   $156,068   $   $156,068 

 

*Other financial instruments are derivatives, such as futures, forward currency contracts and swaps.  These instruments are reflected at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

The following table presents fair value measurements of investments, by major class, as of December 31, 2016, according to the fair value hierarchy:

 

   Valuation Inputs 
   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Fair Value 
Limited Liability Company Member Interests  $   $   $112,536,561   $112,536,561 
Capital Stock           1,815,169    1,815,169 
Energy Efficiency Secured Loans           771,371    771,371 
Total  $   $   $115,123,101   $115,123,101 
                 
Other Financial Instruments*                
Unrealized appreciation on open interest rate swap contracts  $   $90,697   $   $90,697 
Total  $   $90,697   $   $90,697 

 

*Other financial instruments are derivatives, such as futures, forward currency contracts and swaps.  These instruments are reflected at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.  

 

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The following table provides a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances for investments that use Level 3 inputs for the year ended December 31, 2017:

 

   Balance as of
December
31,
2016
   Net change in
unrealized appreciation
on
investments
   Realized
gain
   Translation of assets
and liabilities
denominated in
foreign currencies
   Purchases and other
adjustments to cost (1)
   Sales and
Repayments of
investments (2)
   Balance as of
December 31,
2017
 
Limited Liability Company Member Interests  $112,536,561   $5,748,138   $693,882   $-   $127,038,601    (30,397,706)   215,619,476 
Capital Stock   1,815,169    180,895    -    97,763    -    -    2,093,827 
Energy Efficiency - Secured Loans   771,371    -    -    -    -    (98,500)   672,871 
Total  $115,123,101   $5,929,033    693,882    97,763    127,038,601    (30,496,206)   218,386,174 

 

(1) Includes purchases of new investments, capitalized deal costs, effects of purchase price adjustments, paid-in-kind interest, return of capital and additional investments in existing investments, if any.
(2) Includes principal repayments on loans.

 

The total change in unrealized appreciation included in the consolidated statements of operations within net change in unrealized appreciation on investments for the year ended December 31, 2017 attributable to Level 3 investments still held at December 31, 2017 was $5,929,033. Reclassifications impacting Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy are reported as transfers in or out of the Level 3 as of the beginning of the period which the reclassifications occur. There were no reclassifications attributable to Level 3 investments during the year ended December 31, 2017.

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments at fair value for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $5,929,033, included within net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments in the consolidated statements of operations. Net realized gains on investments for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $693,882. For the year ended December 31, 2017, net unrealized currency gains arising from valuing foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities at the current exchange rate were $97,763 and included within net change in unrealized appreciation on foreign currency translation in the consolidated statements of operations. 

  

The following table provides a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances for investments that use Level 3 inputs for the year ended December 31, 2016:

 

   Balance as
of
December
31,
2015
   Net change in
unrealized
appreciation
(depreciation) on
investments
   Realized
gain
   Translation of assets
and liabilities
denominated in
foreign currencies
   Purchases and
other
adjustments to
cost (1)
   Sales and
Repayments
of
investments (2)
   Transfers
in
   Transfers
out
   Balance as
of
December
31,
2016
 
Limited Liability Company Member Interests  $48,708,304   $(1,685,280)  $4,578   $-   $39,115,694   $(40,000)  $26,433,265   $-   $112,536,561 
Capital Stock   1,562,967    211,499    -    40,703    -    -    -    -    1,815,169 
Energy Efficiency - Secured Loans   1,183,295    -    -    -    -    (314,137)   -    (97,787)   771,371 
Secured Loans - Other   -    -    -    -    26,335,478    -    -    (26,335,478)   - 
Total  $51,454,566   $(1,473,781)  $4,578   $40,703   $65,451,172   $(354,137)  $26,433,265   $(26,433,265)  $115,123,101 

 

(1) Includes purchases of new investments, capitalized deal costs, effects of purchase price adjustments, paid-in-kind interest, return of capital and additional investments in existing investments, if any.
(2) Includes principal repayments on loans.

 

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The total change in unrealized depreciation included in the consolidated statements of operations within net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments for the year ended December 31, 2016 attributable to Level 3 investments still held at December 31, 2016 was $(1,473,781). Reclassifications impacting Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy are reported as transfers in or out of the Level 3 as of the beginning of the period which the reclassifications occur.

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments at fair value for the year ended December 31, 2016 was $(1,473,781), included within net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments in the consolidated statements of operations. Net realized gains on investments at fair value for the year ended December 31, 2016 was $4,578. For the year ended December 31, 2016, net unrealized currency gains arising from valuing foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities at the current exchange rate were $40,703 and included within net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies in the consolidated statements of operations.

 

The following table provides a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances for investments that use Level 3 inputs for the year ended December 31, 2015:

 

   Balance as of
December 31,
2014
   Net change in
unrealized
appreciation
on investments
   Translation of
assets and
liabilities
denominated in
foreign
currencies
   Purchases and
other
adjustments
to cost (1)
   Repayments of
investments
   Balance as of
December 31,
2015
 
Limited Liability Company Member Interests  $1,688,792   $1,402,807   $   $45,976,137   $(359,432)  $48,708,304 
Capital Stock   1,048,709    176,160    (196,902)   535,000        1,562,967 
Energy Efficiency Secured Loans               1,183,295        1,183,295 
Total  $2,737,501   $1,578,967   $(196,902)  $47,694,432   $(359,432)  $51,454,566 

 

(1)Includes purchases of new investments, capitalized deal costs, paid-in-kind interest, effects of purchase price adjustments and additional investments in existing investment, if any.

 

The total change in unrealized appreciation included in the consolidated statements of operations within net change in unrealized appreciation on investments for the year ended December 31, 2015 attributable to Level 3 investments still held at December 31, 2015 was $1,578,967. Reclassifications impacting Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy are reported as transfers in or out of Level 3 as of the beginning of the period which the reclassifications occur. There were no transfers among Levels 1, 2 and 3 during the year ended December 31, 2015.

 

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Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments at fair value for the year ended December 31, 2015 was $1,578,967, included within net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments in the consolidated statements of operations. There were no net realized gains or losses on investments at fair value for the year ended December 31, 2015. For the year ended December 31, 2015, net unrealized currency losses arising from valuing foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities at the current exchange rate were $196,902 and included within net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies in the consolidated statements of operations.

 

As of December 31, 2017, all of the company’s portfolio investments utilized Level 3 inputs. The following table presents the quantitative information about Level 3 fair value measurements of the company’s investments as of December 31, 2017:

 

   Fair Value   Valuation
Techniques
  Unobservable
Inputs
  Rates/Assumptions
Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  $87,087,201   Income approach  Discount rate, future kWh Production, potential leverage and estimated remaining useful life  7.25% - 9.25%, 0.50% annual degradation in production, 13.5 – 34.3 years
Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  $23,293,932   Transaction cost  N/A  N/A
Alternative Energy – Residential Solar  $40,124,684   Income approach  Discount rate, future kWh Production, potential leverage and estimated remaining useful life  7.25% - 9.25%, 0.50% annual degradation in production, 13.5 – 34.3 years
Alternative Energy – Wind  $66,702,849   Income approach  Discount rate, future kWh Production, potential leverage and estimated remaining useful life  8.50%, no annual degradation in production, 27.9 – 29.0 years
Energy Efficiency- Secured Loans and Leases– Lighting Replacement  $1,177,508   Income and collateral based approach  Market yields and value of collateral  10.25% - 20.40%

 

As of December 31, 2016, all of the company’s portfolio investments utilized Level 3 inputs. The following table presents the quantitative information about Level 3 fair value measurements of the company’s investments as of December 31, 2016:

 

   Fair Value   Valuation
Techniques
  Unobservable
Inputs
  Rates/Assumptions
Alternative Energy – Commercial Solar  $47,858,768   Income approach  Discount rate, future kWh Production, potential leverage and estimated remaining useful life  7.0% - 9.25%, 0.50% annual degradation in production, 31.7 years
Alternative Energy – Residential Solar  $22,303,070   Income approach  Discount rate, future kWh Production, potential leverage and estimated remaining useful life  7.0% - 9.25%, 0.50% annual degradation in production, 31.7 years
Alternative Energy – Wind  $43,643,215   Income approach  Discount rate, future kWh Production, potential leverage and estimated remaining useful life  7.75%, no annual degradation in production,  33.3 years
Energy Efficiency- Secured Loans and Leases – Lighting Replacement  $1,318,048   Income and collateral based approach  Market yields and value of collateral  10.25% - 21.31%

 

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The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the company’s limited liability company member interests are discount rates and estimates related to the future production of electricity. Significant increases in the discount rate used or actual kWh production meaningfully less than projected production would result in a significantly lower fair value measurement.

 

Note 5. Related Party Agreements And Transactions Agreements

 

The company has executed advisory and administration agreements with the advisor and Greenbacker Administration, LLC, our administrator, respectively, as well as a dealer manager agreement with the dealer manager, which entitles the advisor, certain affiliates of the advisor, and the dealer manager to specified fees upon the provision of certain services with regard to the offering of the company’s shares and the ongoing management of the company as well as reimbursement of O&O costs incurred by the advisor and the dealer manager on behalf of the company (as discussed in Note 2) and certain other operating costs incurred by the advisor on behalf of the company. The term “Special Unitholder” refers to GREC Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, which is a subsidiary of our advisor and “special unit”, refers to the special unit of limited liability company interest in GREC entitling the Special Unitholder to an incentive allocation and distribution. In addition, the company and the advisor entered into an expense reimbursement agreement whereby the advisor agreed to reimburse the company for certain expenses above certain limits and be repaid when the company’s expenses are reduced below that threshold. The expense reimbursement agreement expired and was not renewed as of December 31, 2016. The fees and reimbursement obligations are as follows:

  

Type of Compensation and Recipient   Determination of Amount
Selling Commissions — Dealer Manager   Up to 7% of gross offering proceeds from the sale of Class A shares and up to 3% of gross offering proceeds from the sale of Class C shares. No selling commission will be paid with respect to Class I and Class P-I shares or for sales pursuant to the dividend reinvestment plan. All of its selling commissions are expected to be re-allowed to participating broker- dealers.
     
Dealer Manager Fee — Dealer Manager   Up to 2.75% of gross offering proceeds from the sale of Class A and C shares, and up to 1.75% of gross offering proceeds from the sale of Class I shares. No dealer manager fee will be paid for sales pursuant to the dividend reinvestment plan. The dealer manager may re-allow a portion of its dealer manager fee to selected broker- dealers.
     
Distribution Fee — Dealer Manager   With respect to Class C shares only, the company will pay the dealer manager a distribution fee that accrues daily in an amount equal to 1/365th of 0.80% of the amount of the net asset value for the Class C shares for such day on a continuous basis from year to year. The company will stop paying distribution fees at the earlier of a listing of the Class C shares on a national securities exchange, following the completion of this offering, total underwriting compensation in this offering equals 10% of the gross proceeds from the primary offering or Class C shares are no longer outstanding. The dealer manager may re-allow all or a portion of the distribution fee to participating broker-dealers and servicing broker dealers Commencing as of June 30, 2016, the company estimates the amount of distribution fees expected to be paid and records that liability at the time of sale.

 

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O&O costs — Advisor   The company reimburses the advisor for the O&O costs (other than selling commissions and dealer manager fees) it has incurred on the company’s behalf only to the extent that the reimbursement would not cause the selling commissions, dealer manager fee and the other O&O costs borne by the company to exceed 15.0% of the gross offering proceeds as the amount of proceeds increases. While the company has targeted an offering expense ratio of 4.0% for O&O costs over the term of the current offering, 4.8% was charged on the offering that terminated as of February 7, 2017.

 

Base Management Fees — Advisor   The base management fee payable to GCM will be calculated at a monthly rate of 0.167% (2.00% annually) of our gross assets (including amounts borrowed). For services rendered under the advisory agreement, the base management fee will be payable monthly in arrears. The base management fee will be calculated based on the average of the values of our gross assets for each day of the prior month. Base management fees for any partial period will be appropriately pro-rated. The base management fee may be deferred or waived, in whole or part, at the election of the advisor. All or any part of the deferred base management fee not taken as to any period shall be deferred without interest and may be taken in any period prior to the occurrence of a liquidity event as the advisor shall determine in its sole discretion.

   

Incentive Allocation and Distribution — Special Unitholder   The incentive distribution to which the Special Unitholder is be entitled to will be calculated and payable quarterly in arrears based on the pre-incentive distribution net investment income for the immediately preceding fiscal quarter. For this purpose, pre-incentive distribution net investment income means interest income, dividend and distribution income from equity investments (excluding that portion of distributions that are treated as return of capital) and any other income (including any other fees, such as commitment, origination, structuring, diligence and consulting fees or other fees that we receive, but excluding any fees for providing managerial assistance) accrued during the fiscal quarter, minus the operating expenses for the fiscal quarter (including the base management fee, expenses payable under the administration agreement with the company’s Administrator, and any interest expense and distributions paid on any issued and outstanding indebtedness and preferred units of limited liability company interest, but excluding the incentive distribution). Pre-incentive distribution net investment income does not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses, unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation or any accrued income taxes and other taxes including, but not limited to, franchise, property, and sales taxes.

 

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    Pre-incentive distribution net investment income, expressed as a rate of return on the value of the company’s average adjusted capital at the end of the immediately preceding fiscal quarter, will be compared to a “hurdle rate” of 1.75% per fiscal quarter (7.00% annualized). Adjusted capital shall mean: cumulative gross proceeds before sales and commission and dealer fees, generated from sales of the company’s shares and preferred units of limited liability company interests (including the DRP) reduced for distributions to members of proceeds from non-liquidation dispositions of asset and amount paid for share repurchases pursuant to the Share Repurchase Program. Average adjusted capital shall mean: the average value of the adjusted capital for the two most recently completed fiscal quarters. The Special Unitholder shall receive an incentive distribution with respect to the pre-incentive distribution net investment income in each fiscal quarter as follows:
     
    ·      no incentive distribution in any fiscal quarter in which the pre-incentive distribution net investment income does not exceed the “hurdle rate” of 1.75%;
     
    ·      100% of the pre-incentive distribution net investment income with respect to that portion of such pre-incentive distribution net investment income, if any, that exceeds the hurdle but is less than 2.1875% in any fiscal quarter (8.75% annualized with a 7% annualized hurdle rate). The company refers to this portion of the pre-incentive distribution net investment income (which exceeds the hurdle but is less than 2.1875%) as the “catch-up.” The “catch-up” is meant to provide the advisor with 20% of the pre-incentive distribution net investment income as if a hurdle did not apply if the net investment income exceeds 2.1875% in any fiscal quarter; and
     
    ·      20% of the amount of the pre-incentive distribution net investment income, if any, that exceeds 2.1875% in any fiscal quarter (8.75% annualized with a 7% annualized hurdle rate) is payable to the Special Unitholder (once the hurdle is reached and the catch-up is achieved, 20% of all pre-incentive distribution investment income thereafter is allocated to the Special Unitholder).

 

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Capital Gains Incentive Distribution — Special Unitholder   The capital gains incentive distribution will be determined and payable to the Special Unitholder in arrears as of the end of each fiscal quarter (or upon termination of the advisory agreement, as of the termination date) to the Special Unitholder, and will equal 20.0% of the company’s realized capital gains, if any, on a cumulative basis from inception through the end of each fiscal quarter, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any capital gain incentive distributions.

    

Liquidation Incentive Distribution — Special Unitholder   The liquidation incentive distribution payable to the Special Unitholder will equal 20.0% of the net proceeds from a liquidation of the company (other than in connection with a listing, as described below) in excess of adjusted capital, as measured immediately prior to liquidation. Adjusted capital shall mean: cumulative gross proceeds generated from sales of shares (including the DRP) reduced for distributions to members of proceeds from non-liquidation dispositions of our assets and amounts paid for share repurchases pursuant to the Share Repurchase Program. In the event of any liquidity event that involves a listing of the company’s shares, or a transaction in which the company’s members receive shares of a company that is listed, on a national securities exchange, the liquidation incentive distribution will equal 20% of the amount, if any, by which the company’s listing value following such liquidity event exceeds the adjusted capital, as calculated immediately prior to such listing (the “listing premium”). Any such listing premium and related liquidation incentive distribution will be determined and payable in arrears 30 days after the commencement of trading following such liquidity event.
     
Operating Expense and Expense Assumption and Reimbursement Agreement   The company will reimburse the advisor’s cost of providing administrative services, legal, accounting and printing. The company will not reimburse the advisor for the salaries and benefits to be paid to the named executive officers. For the year ended December 31, 2015, the advisor assumed operating expenses for the company in an amount sufficient to keep total annual operating expenses (exclusive of interest, taxes dividend expense, borrowing costs, organizational and extraordinary expenses) of the company (“Expenses”) at percentages of average net assets of such class for any calculation period no higher than 5.0% (the “Maximum Rates”). During the year ended December 31, 2016, Expenses as a percentage of net assets were less than the Maximum Rates allowing the advisor to be fully reimbursed for past assumed operating expenses. The expense reimbursement agreement expired and was not renewed as of December 31, 2016 as Expenses are expected to continue in an amount less than the Maximum Rates.

 

For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, the company incurred $5,924,079, $3,940,227 and $1,625,780, respectively, in operating expenses, including the management fees earned by the advisor. Since January 1, 2015, the advisor has elected to limit the company’s operating expenses to no higher than 5% annually of the company’s average net assets. While the advisor assumed responsibility for $830,884 of the company’s operating expenses under the expense reimbursement agreement since inception, as of December 31, 2016, the company had fully reimbursed the advisor for previously assumed operating expenses. The expense reimbursement agreement expired December 31, 2016. For the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the company recorded a charge of $636,926 and $11,794, respectively, in the statement of operations as reimbursement for assumption of past operating expenses. For the year ended December 31, 2015, the advisor assumed responsibility for $223,286 of the company’s operating expenses under the expense reimbursement agreement.

 

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For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, the advisor earned $3,351,250, $2,018,434 and $571,271, respectively, in management fees. While there was an capital gains incentive distribution fee of $139,692 earned in 2017 by the advisor and reflected as an incentive fee expense on the Consolidated Statements of Operations, the consolidated financial statements also reflect a $1,235,657 increase in incentive allocation for the year ended December 31, 2017 shown as a net decrease in net assets attributed to special unitholder. For the year ended December 31, 2016, a $285,673 increase in net assets attributed to special unitholder was recorded based primarily upon unrealized depreciation on investments while a $276,412 decrease was recorded for the year ended December 31, 2015.

 

As of December 31, 2017, due to advisor on the consolidated statements of assets and liabilities in the amount of $10,417 is solely comprised of a payable to the advisor for reimbursable Organization and Offering Costs. As of December 31, 2016, due to advisor/dealer manager on the consolidated statements of assets and liabilities in the amount of $136,476 is solely comprised of a payable to the advisor/dealer manager for reimbursable Organization and Offering Costs.

 

For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, the company paid $827,709, $1,332,908 and $875,051, respectively, in dealer manager fees and $2,444,282, $4,613,001 and $3,406,655, respectively, in selling commissions to the company’s dealer manager, SC Distributors. These fees and commissions were paid in connection with the sales of the company’s shares to investors and, as such, were recorded against the proceeds from the issuance of shares, prior the receipt by the company, and thus are not reflected in the company’s consolidated statements of operations.

  

For the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, Greenbacker Administration, LLC invoiced the company $115,849 and $203,381, respectively, for expenses, at cost, for services related to asset management, compliance and accounting services related to the company’s investments. For the year ended December 31, 2015 Greenbacker Administration, LLC did not invoice the company for expenses. Effective on April 1, 2017, these expenses were invoiced directly to the company’s investments.

 

As of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively, the advisor owned 23,601 and 23,469 Class A shares. An affiliate of the advisor owned 93,191 Class A shares as of December 31, 2016. The affiliate of our advisor redeemed all of its shares during the year ended December 31, 2017 and no longer owns shares as of December 31, 2017.

 

The company entered into secured loans to finance the purchase and installation of energy efficient lighting with LED Funding LLC and Renew AEC One LLC (“AEC Companies”). All of the loans with LED Funding LLC, an AEC Company, converted to an operating lease on the day the energy efficiency upgrades became operational. AEC Companies are considered related parties as the members of these entities own an indirect, non-controlling ownership interest in the company’s advisor. The loans outstanding between the AEC Companies and the company, and the subsequent operating leases, were negotiated at an arm’s length and contain standard terms and conditions that would be included in third party lending agreements including required security and collateral, interest rates based upon risk of the specific loan, and term of the loan. As of December 31, 2017, all loans and operating losses are considered current per their terms. 

 

Note 6. Borrowings

 

On July 11, 2016, the company, through a wholly owned subsidiary, GREC HoldCo (the “Borrower”), entered into a Credit Agreement by and among the Borrower, the lenders party thereto and Fifth Third Bank, as administrative agent, as well as swap counterparty. The credit facility consisted of an initial term loan of $4,300,000 (the “Facility 1 Term Loan”) as well as a revolving credit facility in the aggregate principal amount of up to $33,250,000 (the “Revolver”). The amount outstanding on the Revolver, based upon the modified conversion date of September 9, 2017, was converted to an additional term loan facility in the amount of $10,000,000 (the “Facility 2 Term Loan”) (collectively, the “Credit Facility”). Both the Facility 1 Term Loan and the Facility 2 Term Loan mature in July 2021. Financing costs of $1,005,494 related to the credit facility have been capitalized and are being amortized over the term of the Facility 1 Term Loan.

 

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The company used the net proceeds of borrowings under the Facility 1 Term Loan to repay amounts outstanding under a previously existing project loan. Loans made under the Credit Facility bear interest at 3.5% in excess of one-month LIBOR. Commitment fees on the average daily unused portion of the Revolver were payable at a rate per annum of 0.25%.

 

Interest on the Credit Facility is payable on the last day of each month commencing August 31, 2016. Principal on the Facility 1 Term Loan is payable at a fixed amount of $23,889 on the last day of each month based upon a fifteen-year amortization. The Revolver was interest only until it converted to the Facility 2 Term Loan. Principal on the Facility 2 Term Loan is payable at a fixed amount of $59,524 on the last day of each month based upon a fourteen-year amortization. Borrowings under the credit facility are secured by the assets, cash, agreements and equity interests in the Borrower and its subsidiaries. The company is a guarantor of the Borrower’s obligations under the Credit Facility.

 

In regard to the Credit Facility, we have entered into two interest rate swap agreements. The first swap, effective July 29, 2016, has an initial notional amount of $4,300,000 to swap the floating rate interest payments on the Facility 1 Term Loan for a corresponding fixed payment. The fixed swap rate is 1.11% with an all-in rate of 4.61% on the Facility 1 Term Loan. The second swap, with a trade date of June 15, 2017 and an effective date of June 18, 2018 and an initial notional amount of $20,920,650, will be used to swap the floating rate interest payments on the Facility 2 Term Loan, and future term debt, for a corresponding fixed payment. The fixed swap rate is 2.261% with an all-in rate of 5.76% on the Facility 2 Term Loan.

 

If an event of default shall occur and be continuing under the Credit Facility, the commitments under the Credit Facility may be terminated and the principal amount outstanding under the Credit Facility, together with all accrued unpaid interest and other amounts owing in respect thereof, may be declared immediately due and payable.

 

The company’s outstanding debt as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 was as follows:

 

   December 31, 2017   December 31, 2016 
   Aggregate
Principal
Amount
Available
   Principal
Amount
Outstanding
   Carrying
Value
   Deferred
Financing
Costs
   Term Note
Payable, Net
of Financing
Costs
   Aggregate
Principal
Amount
Available
   Principal
Amount
Outstanding
   Carrying
Value
   Deferred
Financing
Costs
   Term Note
Payable,
Net of
Financing
Costs
 
Revolver   N/A    N/A    N/A    N/A    N/A   $33,250,000   $   $   $   $ 
Facility 1 Term Loan       3,893,889    3,893,889    745,430    3,148,459        4,180,554    4,180,554    910,155    3,270,399 
Facility 2 Term Loan       9,761,905    9,761,905        9,761,905    N/A    N/A    N/A    N/A    N/A 
Total  $   $13,655,794   $13,655,794   $745,430   $12,910,364   $33,250,000   $4,180,554   $4,180,554   $910,155   $3,270,399 

 

The following table shows the components of interest expense, commitment fees related to the Revolving Facility, amortized deferred financing costs, weighted average stated interest rate and weighted average outstanding debt balance for the credit facility for the year ended December 31, 2017:

 

   For the year
Ended
December 31,
2017
 
Revolver interest  $444,303 
Revolver commitment fee   81,109 
Credit Facility Loan interest   157,811 
Amortization of deferred financing costs   164,725 
Total   847,948 
Weighted average interest rate on credit facility   4.87%
Weighted average outstanding balance of credit facility  $       8,481,848 

 

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The following table shows the components of interest expense, commitment fees related to the Revolving Facility, amortized deferred financing costs, weighted average stated interest rate and weighted average outstanding debt balance for the credit facility for the period July 11, 2016 through December 31, 2016:

 

   For the period July 11,
2016 through December
31, 2016
 
Revolver interest  $164,179 
Revolver commitment fee   29,927 
Facility 1 Term Loan interest   96,248 
Amortization of deferred financing costs   95,339 
Unrealized gain on interest rate swap  $(90,697)
Total   294,996 
Weighted average interest rate on credit facility   4.37%
Weighted average outstanding balance of credit facility  $10,991,000 

 

The principal payments due on borrowings for each of the next five years ending December 31 and thereafter, are as follows:

 

Year ending December 31:  Principal Payments 
2018  $1,000,954 
2019   1,000,954 
2020   1,000,954 
2021   10,652,932 
Total  $13,655,794 

 

Note 7. Members’ Equity

 

General

 

Pursuant to the terms of the LLC Agreement, the LLC may issue up to 400,000,000 shares, of which 350,000,000 shares are designated as Class A, C, I, P-A and P-I shares (collectively, common shares), and 50,000,000 are designated as preferred shares and one special unit. Each class of common shares will have the same voting rights.

 

The following are the current commissions and fees for each common share class in connection with the company’s continuous public offering pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-211571) as well as the private offering of certain share classes.

 

Class A: Each Class A share is subject to a selling commission of up to 7.00% per share and a dealer manager fee of up to 2.75% per share. No selling commissions or dealer manager fees are paid for sales pursuant to the dividend reinvestment plan.

 

Class C: Each Class C share issued in the primary offering is subject to a selling commission of up to 3.00% per share and a dealer manager fee of up to 2.75% per share. In addition, with respect to Class C shares, the company pays the dealer manager a monthly distribution fee, or “distribution fee”, that accrues daily equal to 1/365th of 0.80% of the amount of the daily net asset value for the Class C shares on a continuous basis from year to year. No selling commissions or dealer manager fees are paid for sales pursuant to the DRP.

 

Class I and Class P-I: No selling commission or distribution fee will be paid for sales of any Class I and Class P-I shares. Each Class I share is subject to a dealer manager fee of up to 1.75% per share.

 

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Class P-A shares were converted into Class P-I shares during the quarter ended June 30, 2017 and are no longer offered for sale.

 

The following table is a summary of the shares issued and repurchased during the period and outstanding as of December 31, 2017:

 

   Shares Outstanding
as of December 31, 2016
   Shares Issued
During the
Period
   Shares
Converted
During the
Period
   Shares Repurchased
During the Period
   Shares Outstanding as
of December 31, 2017
 
Class A shares   10,878,502    3,348,253        (368,925)   13,857,830 
Class C shares   1,041,836    396,204        (6,041)   1,431,999 
Class I shares   2,754,491    1,838,656        (81,315)   4,511,832 
Class P-A shares   47,774    3,092    (50,866)        
Class P-I Shares   199,319    3,147,692    50,866    (10,309)   3,387,568 
Total   14,921,922    8,733,897        (466,590)   23,189,229 

 

The following table is a summary of the shares issued during the period and outstanding as of December 31, 2016:

 

   Shares Outstanding as
of December 31, 2015
   Shares Issued
 During the Period
   Shares Repurchased
During the Period
   Shares Outstanding as
of December 31, 2016
 
Class A shares   5,420,728    5,719,394    (261,620)   10,878,502 
Class C shares   248,456    793,380        1,041,836 
Class I shares   1,052,783    1,726,743    (25,035)   2,754,491 
Class P-A shares       47,774        47,774 
Class P-I Shares       199,319        199,319 
Total   6,721,967    8,486,610    (286,655)   14,921,922 

 

The proceeds from shares sold and the value of shares issued through the reinvestment of distributions for each class of shares for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, 2015 were as follows:

  

   Class A Shares   Class C Shares   Class I Shares   Class P-A
Shares
   Class P-I
Shares
   Total 
For the year ended December 31, 2017:                              
Proceeds from Shares Sold  $26,852,433   $3,102,082   $15,071,499   $27,075   $27,366,718   $72,419,807 
Proceeds from Shares Issued through Reinvestment of Distributions  $3,127,873   $363,670   $1,255,991   $   $   $4,747,534 
For the year ended December 31, 2016:                              
Proceeds from Shares Sold  $49,913,307   $6,957,212   $15,078,606   $419,175   $1,750,750   $74,119,050 
Proceeds from Shares Issued through Reinvestment of Distributions  $2,347,789   $257,384   $685,413   $   $   $3,290,586 
For the year ended December 31, 2015:                              
Proceeds from Shares Sold  $38,391,839   $1,413,670   $8,871,732   $   $   $48,677,241 
Proceeds from Shares  Issued through Reinvestment of Distributions  $783,459   $61,957   $147,858   $   $   $993,274 

 

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As of December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, none of the LLC’s preferred shares were issued and outstanding.

 

The LLC Agreement authorizes the board of directors, without approval of any of the members, to increase the number of shares the company is authorized to issue and to classify and reclassify any authorized but unissued class or series of shares into any other class or series of shares having such designations, preferences, right, power and duties as may be specified by the board of directors. The LLC Agreement also authorizes the board of directors, without approval of any of the members, to issue additional shares of any class or series for the consideration and on the terms and conditions established by the board of directors. In addition, the company may also issue additional limited liability company interests that have designations, preferences, right, powers and duties that are different from, and may be senior to, those applicable to the common shares. The Special Unitholder will hold the special unit in the company. Refer to Note 5 for the terms of the special unit. The proceeds related to the shareholder receivable amount of $225,509 presented on the consolidated statements of assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2017 were subsequently collected on January 2, 2018.

 

Distribution Reinvestment Plan

 

The company adopted a distribution reinvestment plan (“DRP”) through which the company’s Class A, C and I shareholders may elect to purchase additional shares with distributions from the company rather than receiving the cash distributions. The board of directors may reallocate the shares between the public offering and the DRP. Shares issued pursuant to the DRP will have the same voting rights as shares offered pursuant to the public offering. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, $50,000,000 in shares were allocated for use in the DRP. During this offering, the purchase price of shares purchased through the DRP will be at a price equal to the then current net offering price per share. No dealer manager fees, selling commissions or other sales charges will be paid with respect to shares purchased pursuant to the DRP except for distribution fees on Class C shares issued under the DRP. At its discretion, the board of directors may amend, suspend, or terminate the DRP. A participant may terminate participation in the DRP by written notice to the plan administrator, received by the plan administrator at least 10 days prior to the distribution payment date.

 

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, 1,008,948 and 478,421 shares, respectively, were issued under the DRP.

 

Share Repurchase Program

 

During the quarter ended September 30, 2015, the company commenced a share repurchase program, or “share repurchase program”, pursuant to which quarterly share repurchases will be conducted, on up to approximately 5% of the weighted average number of outstanding shares in any 12-month period, to allow members who hold Class A, C, I or P-I shares (commencing as of October 1, 2017) to sell shares back to the company at a price equal to the then current offering price less the selling commissions and dealer manager fees associated with that class of shares. The company is not obligated to repurchase shares and the board of directors may terminate the share repurchase program at its sole discretion. The share repurchase program includes numerous restrictions that will limit a shareholders ability to sell shares. Unless the board of directors determines otherwise, the company limits the number of shares to be repurchased during any calendar year to the number of shares the company can repurchase with the proceeds received from the sale of shares under the DRP. At the sole discretion of the board of directors, the company may also use cash on hand, cash available from borrowings and cash from liquidation of investments to repurchase shares. In addition, the company plans to limit repurchases in each fiscal quarter to 1.25% of the weighted average number of shares outstanding in the prior four fiscal quarters. For the year ended December 31, 2017, the company repurchased 368,925 Class A shares, 6,041 Class C shares, 81,315 Class I shares and 10,309 Class P-I shares at a total purchase price of $3,280,566, $53,073, $724,059 and $90,000, respectively, pursuant to the company’s share repurchase program. For the year ended December 31, 2016, the company repurchased 261,620 Class A shares and 25,035 Class I shares at a total purchase price of $2,407,717 and $230,084, respectively, including 98,786 shares from an affiliate of the advisor. For the year ended December 31, 2015, the company repurchased 15,000 Class A shares at a total purchase price of $135,375, pursuant to the company’s share repurchase program.

 

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We have received an order for our repurchase program from the SEC under Rule 102(a) of Regulation M under the Exchange Act. In addition, our repurchase program is substantially similar to repurchase programs for which the SEC has stated it will not recommend enforcement action under Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E under the Exchange Act.

 

Note 8. Distributions

 

On the last business day of each month, with the authorization of the company’s board of directors, the company declares distributions on each outstanding Class A, C, I, P-A and P-I share. These distributions are calculated based on shareholders of record for each day in amounts equal to that exhibited in the table below based upon distribution period and class of share.

 

      Class of Share 
Distribution Period  A   C   I   P-A   P-I 
1-Jan-15  31-Oct-15  $0.0016438   $0.0016438   $0.0016438         
1-Nov-15  31-Jan-16  $0.0016478   $0.0016478   $0.0016478         
1-Feb-16  30-Apr-16  $0.0016551   $0.0016551   $0.0016551         
1-May-16  31-Jul-16  $0.0016617   $0.0016617   $0.0016617   $0.0015826   $0.0015826 
1-Aug-16  31-Oct-16  $0.0016766   $0.0016766   $0.0016766   $0.0015968   $0.0015968 
1-Nov-16  31-Jan-17  $0.0016856   $0.0016402   $0.0016856   $0.0016036   $0.0016036 
1-Feb-17  31-Apr-17  $0.0016807   $0.0016350   $0.0016807   $0.0015952   $0.0015952 
1-May-17  31-Jul-17  $0.0016710   $0.0016273   $0.0016710   $0.0015952   $0.0015828 
1-Aug-17  31-Oct-17  $0.0016690   $0.0016265   $0.0016690       $0.0015901 
1-Nov-17  31-Dec-17  $0.0016690   $0.0016265   $0.0016690       $0.0015828 

 

The following table reflects the distributions declared during the year ended December 31, 2017:

 

Pay Date  Paid in Cash   Value of Shares
Issued under DRP
   Total 
February 1, 2017  $431,686   $349,842   $781,528 
March 1, 2017   413,270    332,761    746,031 
April 3, 2017   482,113    371,902    854,015 
May 1, 2017   486,864    370,463    857,327 
June 1, 2017   524,909    383,585    908,494 
July 3, 2017   534,165    382,339    916,504 
August 1, 2017   572,833    406,993    979,826 
September 1, 2017   600,962    415,864    1,016,826 
October 2, 2017   603,869    411,848    1,015,717 
November 1, 2017   637,604    436,753    1,074,357 
December 1, 2017   656,495    430,860    1,087,355 
January 2, 2018   711,306    454,324    1,165,630 
Total  $6,656,076   $4,747,534   $11,403,610 

 

The following table reflects the distributions declared during the year ended December 31, 2016.

 

Pay Date  Paid in Cash   Value of Shares
Issued under DRP
   Total 
February 1, 2016  $171,410   $185,680   $357,090 
March 1, 2016   182,825    195,193    378,018 
April 1, 2016   221,088    221,729    442,817 
May 2, 2016   234,799    241,934    476,733 
June 1, 2016   261,003    271,362    532,365 
July 1, 2016   270,112    277,033    547,145 
August 1, 2016   296,391    288,859    585,250 
September 1, 2016   323,445    299,790    623,235 
October 3, 2016   334,152    299,699    633,851 
November 1, 2016   356,589    321,863    678,452 
December 1, 2016   371,493    320,165    691,658 
January 3, 2017   403,983    367,279    771,262 
Total  $3,427,290   $3,290,586   $6,717,876 

 

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The following table reflects the distributions declared during the year ended December 31, 2015:

 

Pay Date  Paid in Cash   Value of Shares
Issued under DRP
   Total 
February 2, 2015  $35,820   $30,024   $65,844 
March 2, 2015   35,691    30,341    66,032 
April 1, 2015   46,720    38,120    84,840 
May 1, 2015   53,139    46,808    99,947 
June 1, 2015   61,499    57,380    118,879 
July 1, 2015   69,501    65,739    135,240 
August 3, 2015   82,395    81,426    163,821 
September 1, 2015   95,124    95,081    190,205 
October 1, 2015   104,797    109,643    214,440 
November 2, 2015   120,894    128,288    249,182 
December 1, 2015   134,302    143,800    278,102 
January 4, 2016   156,985    166,624    323,609 
Total  $996,867   $993,274   $1,990,141 

  

All distributions paid for the year ended December 31, 2017 are expected to be reported as a return of capital to stockholders for tax reporting purposes and all distributions paid for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 were reported as a return of capital to stockholders for tax purposes.

 

Cash distributions paid during the periods presented were funded from the following sources noted below:

 

   For the year
ended
December 31,
2017
   For the year ended
December 31, 2016
   For the year ended
December 31, 2015
 
Cash from operations  $6,656,075   $3,180,297   $216,548 
Offering proceeds           654,246 
Total cash distributions  $6,656,075   $3,180,297   $870,794 

 

The company expects to continue to fund distributions from a combination of cash from operations as well as offering proceeds until a minimum of $250,000,000 in net assets is reached, the portfolio is leveraged by at least 33% as well as being fully invested in operating assets.

 

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Note 9. Income Taxes

 

The LLC conducts most of its operations through GREC, its taxable wholly-owned subsidiary. The consolidated income tax provision for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 is comprised of the following:

 

   Current   Deferred   Total 
Year ended December 31, 2017:               
US federal  $   $1,289,202   $1,289,202 
State and local       273,787    273,787 
Foreign jurisdiction            
Tax (benefit)/expense  $   $1,562,989   $1,562,989 
Change in valuation allowance       92,366    92,366 
Tax (benefit)/expense, net  $   $1,655,355   $1,655,355 

 

   Current   Deferred   Total 
Year ended December 31, 2016:               
US federal  $   $2,916,807   $2,916,807 
State and local       360,921    360,921 
Foreign jurisdiction            
Tax (benefit)/expense  $   $(3,277,728)  $(3,277,728)
Change in valuation allowance       2,251,666    2,251,666 
Tax (benefit)/expense, net  $   $(5,529,394)  $(5,529,394)

 

   Current   Deferred   Total 
Year ended December 31, 2015:               
US federal  $   $3,151,932   $3,151,932 
State and local       (20,847)   (20,847)
Foreign jurisdiction            
Tax (benefit)/expense  $   $(3,131,085)  $(3,131,085)
Change in valuation allowance       (2,481,085)   (2,481,085)
Tax (benefit)/expense, net  $   $(650,000)  $(650,000)

 

The following table represents the components of the income tax expense and the proportionate ratio of each components as follows:

 

   2017   Percentage   2016   Percentage   2015   Percentage 
Net increase (decrease) in net assets from operations before tax, based on ASC 946, at the federal income tax rate  $2,793,488    168.75%  $869,681    (15.73)%  $462,771    (71.20)%
Reversal of Greenbacker Renewable Energy, LLC’s (income)/loss treated as a partnership for U.S tax purposes, at federal income tax rate  $337,284    20.38%  $42,047    (0.76)%  $197,603    (30.40)%
Adjustment for Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation’s consolidated book income/(loss), based on standard GAAP accounting, at federal income tax rate  $(2,225,352)   (134.43)%  $(2,066,516)   37.37%  $(467,369)   71.90%
Federal tax credit  $      $(1,762,020)   31.87%  $(3,345,092)   514.63%
State tax credit  $       (229,419)   4.15%       %
Increase in income taxes resulting from:                              
State and local taxes, net of federal benefit  $261,224    15.78%  $(132,613)   2.40%  $21,421    (3.30)%
Change in state rate  $12,562    0.76%  $1,112    (0.02)%  $(591)   .09%
Change in federal rate  $383,783    23.18%  $    %  $    %
Permanent differences, at federal income tax rate  $      $    %  $172    (.03)%
Change in valuation allowance  $92,366    5.58%  $(2,251,666)   40.72%  $2,481,085    (381.69)%
Actual provision for income taxes  $1,655,355    100.00%  $(5,529,394)   100.00%  $(650,000)   100.00%

 

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Deferred tax assets have been classified on the accompanying consolidated statements of assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 as follows:

 

   2017   2016 
Amortization   63,480    103,532 
Net operating losses   12,669,763    8,837,890 
Federal tax credits   5,493,745    5,336,530 
Unrealized gains   (13,381,165)   (7,869,139)
Deferred tax assets  $4,845,823   $6,408,813 
Less: valuation allowance   (321,785)   (229,419)
Deferred tax assets, net  $4,524,038   $6,179,394 

 

 

As of December 31, 2017, the company has federal and state income tax net operating loss (“NOL”) and investment tax credit (“ITC”) carryforwards of which will expire on various dates through 2036 as follows:

 

Expires Year Ending  Federal NOL   Federal ITC   State NOL 
December 31,  Amount   Amount   Amount 
             
2022  $   $   $918,368 
2023  $   $   $2,457,214 
2025  $   $   $673,181 
2026  $   $   $2,934,175 
2030  $   $   $2,751,775 
2031  $   $   $5,377,684 
2034  $161,963   $   $161,963 
2035  $6,693,198   $3,345,092   $2,718,197 
2036  $15,734,069   $1,955,780   $5,908,771 
2037  $26,158,009   $   $ 

 

As new tax legislation was enacted on December 22, 2017, commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”), the company recognized the effect of any material changes in the Act in the determination of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the year ending December 31, 2017. The major aspects of the Act which affected the company included 1) the reduction of the corporate tax rate to 21%, effective January 1, 2018, which caused the company to remeasure its deferred tax assets and liabilities to reflect the effects of tax rate change; and 2) a deduction of interest expense up to only 30% of “adjusted taxable income” (as defined in the Act) ) and the ability of post 2017 net operating losses (“NOLs”) to only offset up to 80% of taxable income, with the understanding that any unused NOL can be carried forward indefinitely, which caused the company to modify certain assumptions in regard to utilization of NOL and investment tax credits in determining any potential valuation allowance. While cost recovery was modified to allow companies to expense 100% of investments in depreciable property, the company expects to continue to depreciate renewable energy assets over a five-year life using accelerated methodology.

 

In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax assets, projected future taxable income, and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. Based upon projections for future taxable income over the periods in which the deferred tax assets would be deductible, management as of December 31, 2017 has applied a partial valuation allowance of $321,785 against the deferred tax asset amounts the company will not be able to fully realize, as compared with $229,419 for the year ended December 31, 2016.

 

The company follows the authoritative guidance on accounting for uncertainty in income taxes and concluded it has no material uncertain tax positions to be recognized as of December 31, 2017.

 

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The company assessed its tax positions and filings for all open tax years as of December 31, 2017 for all federal and state tax jurisdictions for the years 2013 through 2017. The results of this assessment are included in the company’s tax provision and deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2017.

 

Note 10. Commitments and Contingencies

 

Legal proceedings: The company may become involved in legal proceedings, administrative proceedings, claims and other litigation that arise in the ordinary course of business. Individuals and interest groups may sue to challenge the issuance of a permit for a renewable energy project or seek to enjoin construction of a wind energy project. In addition, we may be subject to legal proceedings or claims contesting the construction or operation of our renewable energy projects. In defending ourselves in these proceedings, we may incur significant expenses in legal fees and other related expenses, regardless of the outcome of such proceedings. Unfavorable outcomes or developments relating to these proceedings, such as judgments for monetary damages, injunctions or denial or revocation of permits, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, settlement of claims could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. As of September 30, 2017, management is not aware of any legal proceedings that might have a significant adverse impact on the company.

 

Pledge of collateral and unsecured guarantee of loans to subsidiaries: Pursuant to various project loan agreements between the operating entities of the company, subsidiary holding companies and various lenders (financial institutions, the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority and the Vermont Economic Development Authority), the operating entities and the subsidiary holding companies have pledged all solar operating assets as well as the membership interests in various operating subsidiaries as collateral for the term loans with maturity dates ranging from March 2021 through March 2032. In addition, GREC and the company have provided an unsecured guaranty (“Guarantors”) on the outstanding principal of all subsidiary loans, which is approximately $61,200,000, as of December 31, 2017. The Guarantors would only have to perform under the guarantee if the cash flow or the liquidation of collateral at the operating entities or subsidiary holding companies was inadequate to fully liquidate the remaining loan balance.

 

Unsecured guarantee of subsidiary renewable energy credit (“REC”) forward contracts: For the majority of the forward REC contracts currently effective as of December 31, 2017 where a subsidiary of the company is the principal, the company has provided an unsecured guarantee related to the delivery obligations. The amount of the unsecured guaranty related to REC delivery performance obligations is approximately $174,800 as of December 31, 2017.

 

Pursuant to a credit agreement between Holdco and a financial institution, Holdco has pledged all solar operating assets as well as all membership interests in operating subsidiaries owned by Holdco as collateral for the loan. GREC and the company have provided an unsecured guaranty on approximately $14,300,000 on the loans as of December 31, 2017.

 

See Note 1 – Organization and Operations of the Company and Note 5 – Related Party Agreements and Transactions Agreements for an additional discussion of the company’s commitments and contingencies.

 

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Note 11. Financial Highlights

 

The following is a schedule of financial highlights of the company attributed to Class A, C, I and P-I shares for the year ended December 31, 2017.

 

   For the year ended December 31, 2017 
   Class A Shares   Class C Shares   Class I Shares   Class P-I Shares 
Per share data attributed to common shares (1):                    
Net Asset Value at beginning of period  $8.69   $8.44   $8.69   $8.67 
Net investment income (3)   0.25    0.25    0.25    0.25 
Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments, net of incentive allocation to special unitholder   0.35    0.35    0.35    0.35 
Change in translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies (4)   0.01    0.01    0.01    0.01 
Change in benefit from deferred taxes on unrealized depreciation on investments   0.05    0.05    0.05    0.05 
Net increase in net assets attributed to common stockholders   0.66    0.66    0.66    0.66 
Shareholder distributions:                    
Distributions from net investment income   (0.39)   (0.39)   (0.39)   (0.39)
Distributions from offering proceeds   (0.22)   (0.22)   (0.21)   (0.19)
Offering costs and deferred sales commissions   (0.04)   (0.15)   (0.08)   - 
Other (2)   (0.02)   0.08    0.01    0.06 
Net decrease in members’ equity attributed to common shares   (0.01)   (0.02)   (0.01)   0.14 
Net asset value for common shares at end of period  $8.68   $8.42   $8.68   $8.81 
Common shareholders’ equity at end of period  $120,344,517   $12,053,349   $39,181,769   $29,858,889 
Common shares outstanding at end of period   13,857,830    1,431,999    4,511,832    3,387,568 
                     
Ratio/Supplemental data for common shares (annualized):                    
Total return attributed to common shares based on net asset value   6.90%   6.77%   6.90%   8.65%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets   2.96%   3.04%   2.96%   2.92%
Ratio of operating expenses to average net assets   3.64%   3.74%   3.64%   3.59%
Portfolio turnover rate   19.15%   19.15%   19.15%   19.15%

 

(1)The per share data for Class A, C, I and P-I Shares were derived by using the weighted average shares outstanding during the year ended December 31, 2017, which were 12,384,101, 1,194,718, 3,529,998 and 1,792,632, respectively.

 

(2)Represents the impact of different share amounts used in calculating certain per share data based on weighted average shares outstanding during the period and the impact of shares at a price other than the net asset value.

 

(3)Does not reflect any incentive fees that may be payable to the Special Unitholder.

 

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The following is a schedule of financial highlights of the company attributed to Class A, C, I, P-A and P-I shares for the year ended December 31, 2016.

 

   For the year ended December 31, 2016 
   Class A
Shares
   Class C
Shares
   Class I Shares   Class P-A
Shares
   Class P-I
Shares
 
Per share data attributed to common shares (1):                         
Net Asset Value at beginning of period  $8.54   $8.54   $8.54   $8.54   $8.54 
Net investment income (3)   0.43    0.43    0.43    0.19    0.19 
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments, net of incentive allocation to special unitholder   (0.10)   (0.10)   (0.10)   (0.05)   (0.05)
Change in translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies                    
Change in benefit from deferred taxes on unrealized appreciation on investments   0.40    0.40    0.40    0.18    0.17 
Net increase in net assets attributed to common stockholders   0.73    0.73    0.73    0.32    0.31 
Shareholder distributions:                         
     Distributions from net investment income   (0.33)   (0.33)   (0.33)   (0.15)   (0.14)
    Distributions from offering proceeds   (0.27)   (0.27)   (0.27)   (0.11)   (0.11)
Offering costs and deferred sales commissions       (0.22)            
Other (2)   0.02    (0.01)   0.02    0.07    0.07 
Net increase in members’ equity attributed to common shares   0.15    (0.10)   0.15    0.13    0.13 
Net asset value for common shares at end of period  $8.69   $8.44   $8.69   $8.67   $8.67 
Common shareholders’ equity at end of period  $94,541,760   $8,796,002   $23,938,449   $414,145   $1,727,858 
Common shares outstanding at end of period   10,878,502    1,041,836    2,754,491    47,774    199,319 
Ratio/Supplemental data for common shares:                         
Total return, net of expense reimbursement to/from advisor, attributed to common shares based on net asset value   8.79%   5.65%   8.79%   4.59%   4.49%
Ratio of net investment income, net of expense reimbursement to/from advisor, to average net assets   4.95%   4.98%   4.93%   4.81%   4.48%
Ratio of operating expenses, net of expense reimbursement to/from advisor, to average net assets   4.65%   4.68%   4.63%   4.53%   4.21%
Total return, excluding expense reimbursement to/from advisor, attributed to common shares based on net asset value   9.34%   6.13%   9.31%   5.03%   4.78%
Ratio of net investment income, excluding expense reimbursement to/from advisor, to average net assets   5.61%   5.65%   5.58%   5.45%   5.08%
Ratio of operating expenses, excluding expense reimbursement to/from advisor, to average net assets   3.99%   4.02%   3.97%   3.88%   3.61%
Portfolio turnover rate   0.43%   0.43%   0.43%   0.43%   0.43%

 

 

 

  (1) The per share data for Class A, C, I, P-A and P-I Shares were derived by using the weighted average shares outstanding during the year ended December 31, 2016, which were 8,330,061, 690,825, 1,962,616, 30,286 and 82,013, respectively.

 

  (2) Represents the impact of different share amounts used in calculating certain per share data based on weighted average shares outstanding during the period and organizational costs, which are not included in operating expenses nor subject to the expense reimbursement agreement, and the impact of shares at a price other than the net asset value.

 

  (3) Does not reflect any incentive fees that may be payable to the Special Unitholder.

 

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The following is a schedule of financial highlights of the company attributed to common stockholders for the year ended December 31, 2015 and for the period from Commencement of Operations (April 25, 2014) through December 31, 2014. The company’s income and expense is allocated pro-rata across the outstanding Class A, Class C and Class I shares as applicable, and, therefore, the financial highlights are equal for each of the outstanding classes. Information for the period ended December 31, 2013 is not included since operations did not commence until April 25, 2014 and it is not considered meaningful.

 

   For the year ended
December 31, 2015
   For the period from
Commencement of
Operations (April 25,
2014) through
December 31, 2014
 
Per share data attributed to common shares (1):          
Net proceeds before offering costs (2)  $   $9.17 
Offering costs       (0.59)
Net proceeds after offering costs       8.58 
Net Asset Value at beginning of period   8.50     
Net investment income (loss) and realized loss on foreign currency translation (7)   0.22    (0.38)
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments, net of incentive allocation to special unit holder   0.39    0.14 
Change in translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies   (0.06)   (0.06)
Change in benefit from deferred taxes on unrealized appreciation on investments   0.04     
Net increase (decrease) in net assets attributed to common stockholders   0.59    (0.30)
Shareholder distributions   (0.60)   (0.28)
Capital contribution from advisor       0.38 
Other (6)   0.05    0.12 
Net increase (decrease) in members’ equity attributed to common shares   0.04    (0.08)
Net asset value for common shares at end of period (3)  $8.54   $8.50 
Total return attributed to common shares based on net asset value (4)   7.44%   (5.33)%
Common shareholders’ equity at end of period  $57,401,819   $10,502,809 
Common shares outstanding at end of period   6,721,967    1,236,345 
Ratio/Supplemental data for common shares (annualized) (4)(5):          
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets   2.63%   (6.60)%
Ratio of operating expenses to average net assets   5.83%   7.89%
Portfolio turnover rate   1.55%   N/A 

 

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  (1) The per share data was derived by using the weighted average shares outstanding during the year ended December 31, 2015 and for the period from Commencement of Operations (April 25, 2014) through December 31, 2014, which was 3,335,719 and 513,052, respectively.
  (2) Net proceeds before offering costs, from the period from Commencement of Operations (April 25, 2014) through December 31, 2014 is greater than $9.025 since a significant number of shares were sold with less than the maximum commission and dealer manager fee charged.
  (3) Net asset value would have been lower if the advisor had not agreed to waive management fees and reimburse the company for expenses above the Maximum Rates as of December 31, 2014.
  (4) Total return, ratio of net investment income (loss) and ratio of operating expenses to average net assets for the year ended December 31, 2015, prior to the effect of the expense reimbursement agreement were 7.46%, 2.67% and 5.78%, respectively. Total return, ratio of net investment loss and ratio of operating expenses to average net assets for the period from Commencement of Operations (April 25, 2014) through December 31, 2014, prior to the effect of the expense reimbursement agreement and the management fee waiver were (11.35%), (21.68%) and 22.97%, respectively.
  (5) The company’s ratio of net investment loss to average net assets and ratio of operating expenses to average net assets have been annualized for the period from Commencement of Operations (April 25, 2014) through December 31, 2014 assuming consistent results over a full fiscal year, however, this may not be indicative of a full fiscal year due to the company’s brief period of operations through December 31, 2014.
  (6) Represents the impact of different share amounts used in calculating certain per share data based on weighted average shares outstanding during the period and the fact that no offering costs were charged against shares issued prior to the commencement of this offering.
  (7) Does not reflect any incentive fees that may be payable to the Special Unitholder.

 

Note 12. Selected Quarterly Data – Unaudited

 

Presented in the following tables is a summary of the unaudited quarterly financial information for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014. The company believes that all necessary adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, have been included in the amounts stated below to present fairly, and in accordance with GAAP, the selected quarterly information.

 

   For the quarter ended 
   December 31,
2017
   September 30,
2017
   June 30,
2017
   March 31,
2017
 
Total investment income  $4,416,117   $3,663,635   $2,936,470   $2,366,899 
Net investment income  $229,297   $1,149,977   $1,986,899   $1,450,378 
Net gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency translation  $3,738,403   $1,579,619   $1,576,272   $(108,245)
Change in benefit (expense) from deferred taxes on unrealized appreciation on investments  $1,198,186   $680,969   $(653,366)  $(262,069)
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations  $5,165,886   $3,410,565   $2,909,805   $1,080,064 
Net investment income per share – basic and diluted  $(0.01)  $0.06   $0.11   $0.09 
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations per share – basic and diluted  $0.22   $0.16   $0.15   $0.07 
Net asset value per share at period end (Class A)  $8.68   $8.64   $8.63   $8.64 
Net asset value per share at period end (Class C)  $8.42   $8.42   $8.41   $8.40 
Net asset value per share at period end (Class I)  $8.68   $8.64   $8.63   $8.64 
Net asset value per share at period end (Class P-I)  $8.81   $8.75   $8.73   $8.69 

 

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   For the quarter ended 
   December 31,
2016
   September 30,
2016
   June 30,
2016
   March 31,
2016
 
Total investment income  $2,848,655   $3,085,513   $1,645,291   $656,566 
Net investment income  $1,497,148   $1,730,438   $1,519,649   $23,132 
Net gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency translation  $(1,706,876)  $1,143,849   $(231,426)  $(634,047)
Change in benefit (expense) from deferred taxes on unrealized appreciation on investments  $671,401   $(8,372)  $1,838,292   $1,885,335 
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations  $461,673   $2,865,915   $3,126,515   $1,274,420 
Net investment income per share – basic and diluted  $0.11   $0.14   $0.15   $0.00 
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations per share – basic and diluted  $0.03   $0.24   $0.30   $0.16 
Net asset value per share at period end (Class A)  $8.69   $8.74   $8.69   $8.56 
Net asset value per share at period end (Class C)  $8.44   $8.49   $8.43   $8.56 
Net asset value per share at period end (Class I)  $8.69   $8.74   $8.69   $8.56 
Net asset value per share at period end (Class P-A)  $8.67   $8.74   $   $ 
Net asset value per share at period end (Class P-I)  $8.67   $8.74   $   $ 

 

   For the quarter ended 
   December 31,
2015
   September 30,
2015
   June 30,
2015
   March 31,
2015
 
Total investment income  $421,488   $740,773   $633,646   $58,215 
Net investment income (loss)  $253,576   $270,523   $333,917   $(118,483)
Net gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency translation  $666,498   $376,473   $(46,396)  $385,490 
Change in benefit from deferred taxes on unrealized appreciation on investments  $127,015   $   $   $ 
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations  $1,047,089   $646,996   $287,521   $267,007 
Net investment income (loss) per share – basic and diluted  $0.09   $0.07   $0.14   $(0.08)
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations per share – basic and diluted  $0.20   $0.17   $0.12   $0.18 
Net asset value per share at period end  $8.54   $8.52   $8.50   $8.50 

 

    For the quarter ended  
     December 31,
2014    
    September 30,
 2014 (1)
    June 30,
2014 (1)(2)
 
Total investment income   $ 37,907     $ 304     $ 80  
Net investment loss   $ (106,838 )   $ (35,547 )   $ (53,464 )
Net gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency translation   $ (32,636 )   $ 81,865     $  
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations   $ (139,474 )   $ 46,318     $ (53,464 )
Net investment loss per share – basic and diluted   $ (0.13 )   $ (0.10 )   $ (0.19 )
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations per share – basic and diluted   $ (0.16 )   $ 0.09     $ (0.19 )
Net asset value per share at period end   $ 8.50     $ 8.50     $ 8.50  

 

  (1) As the company had no substantive operations prior to April 25, 2014, the first quarter of 2014 has been omitted.

 

  (2) The selected financial information for the June 30, 2014 quarter consists of the company’s commencement of operations (April 25, 2014 through June 30, 2014).

 

Note 13. Subsequent Events

 

The company’s management has evaluated subsequent events through the date of issuance of the consolidated financial statements. There have been no subsequent events that occurred during such period that would require disclosure in the consolidated financial statements or would be required to be recognized in the consolidated financial statements as of the year ended December 31, 2017, except as discussed below:

 

On January 5, 2018, the company, through GREC Entity HoldCo LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of GREC, entered into a credit agreement by and among the Company, the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, GREC, the lenders party thereto and Fifth Third Bank, as administrative agent, as sole lead arranger and sole lead bookrunner, as well as swap counterparty. The new credit facility (the “Credit Facility”) consists of a loan of up to the lesser of $60,000,000 or a borrowing base amount based on various solar projects that act as collateral for the credit facility, of which approximately $25.7 million was drawn down at closing. The Credit Facility allows for additional drawdowns through December 31, 2018, at which point the outstanding loans shall convert to a term loan, and matures on January 5, 2024. The previous Term Loan 1 and Term Loan 2 in the amount of approximately $14,100,000 were repaid as part of this transaction.

 

The company and Foresight Group (“Foresight”) entered into an agreement on December 6, 2017, which closed on January 31, 2018, for the acquisition of six operating solar facilities of 10MW in California and Colorado for a purchase price of approximately $13,200,000. The deal structure included various tax equity and debt structures, as well as an investment grade utility and various government agency off takers.

 

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ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

 

None.

 

ITEM 9A. Controls and Procedures

 

Disclosure Controls

 

In accordance with Rules 13a-15(b) and 15d-15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), we, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) and Rule 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K and determined that the disclosure controls and procedures are effective. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance that information we are required to disclose in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act are recorded, processed and summarized and reported within the time period specified in the applicable rules and forms.

 

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

Our management’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. The internal control over financial reporting for the company 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 assets; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and that receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of assets that could have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements of the company.

 

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. All internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations, including the possibility of human error and the circumvention of overriding controls. Accordingly, even effective internal control over financial reporting can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation. 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.

 

Our management assessed the effectiveness of the internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2015, based on the framework set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in its 1992 report entitled Internal Control-Integrated Framework. Our management further reviewed the updated 2013 framework as part of its assessment. Based on that assessment, our management concluded that, as of December 31, 2017, the internal control over financial reporting for the company is effective based on the criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework.

 

This annual report does not include an attestation report of the company’s independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Our management’s report was not subject to attestation by the company’s independent registered public accounting firm pursuant to the rules of the SEC that permit the company to provide only management’s report in this annual report.

 

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Change in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

No change occurred in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) during the year ended December 31, 2017 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

Limitations on the Effectiveness of Controls

 

Any control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can only provide reasonable (but not absolute) assurance that its objectives will be met. Furthermore, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected.

 

ITEM 9B. Other Information

 

None.

 

PART III

 

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

 

Our business and affairs are overseen by our board of directors, as provided by our LLC Agreement and Delaware law. The board of directors has retained GCM to manage our investment activities, under the direction of our board of directors the quarterly valuation of our assets and our financing arrangements, subject to the board’s supervision. The board of directors currently has an audit committee and a nominating and corporate governance committee, and may establish additional committees from time to time as necessary. Each director will serve until the next annual meeting of members and until his or her successor is duly elected. Although the number of directors may be increased or decreased, a decrease will not have the effect of shortening the term of any incumbent director. Any director may resign at any time and may be removed with or without cause by the members upon the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast at a meeting called for the purpose of the proposed removal. The notice of the meeting shall indicate that the purpose, or one of the purposes, of the meeting is to determine if the director shall be removed.

 

A vacancy created by an increase in the number of directors or the death, resignation, removal, adjudicated incompetence or other incapacity of a director may be filled only by a vote of a majority of the remaining directors. As provided in our LLC Agreement, nominations of individuals to fill the vacancy of a board seat previously filled by an independent director will be made by the remaining independent directors.

 

Our board of directors consists of five members, a majority of whom are independent directors as such term is defined in NASDAQ Listing Rule 5605(a)(2). We are prohibited from making loans or extending credit, directly or indirectly, to our directors or executive officers under section 402 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

Our board of directors serve in a fiduciary capacity to us and have a fiduciary duty to our members. This means that each director must perform his or her duties in good faith and in a manner that each director considers to be in our best interest and in the best interests of the members. Our board of directors has a fiduciary responsibility for the safekeeping and use of all of our funds and assets and will not employ or permit another to employ such funds or assets in any manner except for the exclusive benefit of us.

 

Directors and Executive Officers

 

The following table sets forth certain information regarding our directors and executive officers. The biographical descriptions for each director include the specific experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that led to the conclusion by our board of directors that such person should serve as a director.

 

Name   Age   Position(s) Held with Us   Director/Executive
Officer Since
David Sher   54   Director   2012
Charles Wheeler   57   Chief Executive Officer, President, and Director   2012
Richard C. Butt   62   Chief Financial Officer, Secretary   2014
Kathleen Cuocolo   66   Independent Director   2013
Robert Herriott   48   Independent Director   2013
David M. Kastin   50   Independent Director   2013

 

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David Sher has been a board member since our inception in December 2012. Mr. Sher has served as Chief Executive Officer of GCM and Co-Chief Executive Officer Greenbacker Group LLC since August 2012 (having previously served as a Managing Director of Greenbacker Group LLC since February 2011), as well as a member of GCM’s investment committee. He has also served as Chief Executive Officer and as a director of GREC since November 2011. Prior to joining our company, Mr. Sher was a senior adviser at Prospect Capital Corporation, a mezzanine debt and private equity firm that manages a publicly traded, closed-end, dividend-focused investment company, from June 2009 to January 2011. Prior to joining Prospect Capital, Mr. Sher was a serial entrepreneur founding a number of ventures in the financial services and brokerage industry. In 2002, Mr. Sher was a founder and Managing Director of ESP Technologies, a leading provider of financial software and services to institutional asset managers and hedge funds. In May of 2007, that company was sold to a group of investors. Prior to co-founding ESP, Mr. Sher was a founder and CEO of an online brokerage company, ElephantX dot com Inc. Additionally, in September 1997, he co- founded, developed and managed Lafayette Capital Management LLC, a statistical arbitrage hedge fund. Mr. Sher also spent six years at Bear Stearns where he developed trading ideas and strategies for correspondent clearing customers from 1991 to 1997.

 

Mr. Sher holds a Masters of International Affairs from Columbia University and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Rutgers University. Mr. Sher is the brother of Robert Sher.

 

Mr. Sher was selected to serve as a director because he is our advisor’s Chief Executive Officer and has over 20 years of executive experience in various areas, having previously served as founder and CEO of several companies, including two broker-dealers. He has substantial private equity and investing experience involving originated loan transactions, including serving as a senior adviser at Prospect Capital Corporation, a publicly traded business development company (NASDAQ: PSEC). He also has experience working in the renewable energy sector, including a transaction involving the proposed sale of a 28MW biomass power plant to a private equity firm. David Sher is the brother of Robert Sher, a Managing Director of GCM.

 

Charles Wheeler has served as our Chief Executive Officer, President, and as a board member since our inception in December 2012. Mr. Wheeler has also served as President of GCM and Co-Chief Executive Officer Greenbacker Group LLC since August 2012 (having previously served as a Managing Director of Greenbacker Group LLC since August 2011), and as President and a director of GREC since November 2011. Mr. Wheeler is a veteran of the investment banking industry having spent 24 years, from 1987 to January 2011, with the Macquarie Group, one of Australia’s leading investment banks. During that time, Mr. Wheeler held several senior positions with the Macquarie Group, including Head of Financial Products for North America from 2007 to January 2009 and Head of Renewables for North America from September 2007 to December 2010. From 1998 to August 2007, Mr. Wheeler was a Director of the Financial Products Group at Macquarie in Australia with responsibility for the development, distribution and ongoing management of a wide variety of retail financial products, including Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”), infrastructure bonds, international investment trusts and diversified domestic investment trusts. Prior to joining Macquarie, Mr. Wheeler was a tax manager with Touche Ross & Co. in Australia (which was merged into KPMG in Australia).

 

Mr. Wheeler holds a Bachelor of Economics from Sydney University and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia.

 

Mr. Wheeler was selected to serve as a director because he is our Chief Executive Officer and has significant knowledge of, and relationships within, the project and structured finance industry and the renewable energy sector due to his numerous positions with the Macquarie Group. Mr. Wheeler also brings his extensive background in project and structured finance to bear on the renewables sector. He has experience working in the solar and wind energy sectors while at Macquarie, including a transaction involving the purchase and subsequent management of a large portfolio of distributed solar assets located in California, the consideration of several proposals to invest equity into solar thermal power plants across the Southwest, the acquisition of a wind developer in Texas, and the evaluation of numerous wind development opportunities across Canada and the United States. Furthermore, during his tenure at Macquarie, Mr. Wheeler participated in several other renewable energy resource transactions, including a proposal to invest equity into a significant unlisted geo-thermal developer based in Nevada.

 

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Richard C Butt has served as our Chief Financial Officer since April 2014 and Secretary since August 2017. Mr. Butt has held a variety of senior management positions for global investment and financial institutions. Most recently, from July 2012 to August 2013, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of P3 Global Management LLC, a firm focused on investing in municipal infrastructure assets. From August 2006 to January 2011, he served as President of Macquarie Capital Investment Management LLC., with offices in New York and Sydney, Australia, responsible for administration, operations, finance, compliance, treasury, marketing, business operations and FX/cash management for portfolios domiciled in North America, Australia, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. In addition, Mr. Butt served as Chief Financial and Accounting Officer for Macquarie Global Infrastructure Fund, a New York Stock Exchange listed closed end fund (NYSE: MGU). Prior to joining Macquarie, Mr. Butt served as President of Refco Alternative Investments LLC and Refco Fund Holdings LLC, the commodity pool businesses associated with Refco, Inc., from January 2003 to August 2006. In this capacity, Mr. Butt was responsible for the initial development and ongoing operations of numerous public and private commodity pools. During the period from1990 through 2003, he served in various operational and financial capacities with multiple mutual/hedge fund third party administration firms. Earlier in his career, he served as Vice President at Fidelity Investments, where he was responsible for fund accounting and financial reporting for all equity and global mutual funds. Mr. Butt is a Certified Public Accountant (Inactive) previously working at major accounting firms such as PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, from July 1978 to July 1984, where he was an Audit Manager, and KPMG from December 1994 to October 1996, where he was a Director in their financial services consulting practice. Mr. Butt holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management Science from Duke University.

 

Kathleen Cuocolo, an independent director since July 2013, is currently President of Syntax, LLC, a company that has created a new class of equity indices – Syntax Stratified Indices. She is responsible for overseeing the business and infrastructure development at Syntax of a family of Stratified IndicesTM and Stratified FundsTM Ms. Cuocolo was formerly Managing Director, Head of Global ETF Accounting and Administration at Bank of New York Mellon from April 2008 until March 2013. Prior to Bank of New York Mellon, she was President of Cuocolo & Associates from January 2004 through March 2008 where she specialized in board governance services. From September 1982 through July 2003, Ms. Cuocolo served as Executive Vice President of State Street Corporation where she was also Head of US Fund Administration Services and the founder of Exchange Traded Fund Services. In addition, Ms. Cuocolo has served as an independent director of Guardian Life Mutual Funds from June 2006 through their acquisition by RS Investments in December 2007, Chairperson of Select Sectors SPDR Trust from August 2000 through October 2007, trustee of SPDR Trust from January 1993 through July 2003, President and Director of The China Fund from September 1999 through July 2003 and President of the State Street Master Funds from January 2000 through July 2003. Ms. Cuocolo was selected to serve as an independent director based upon her extensive experience in financial service administration as well as an investor.

 

Robert Herriott, an independent director since July 2013, founded RBT Public Affairs Group in January of 2009. Mr. Herriott has worked in public affairs since 1994 serving in various political, legislative, and governmental liaison roles. In his capacity with RBT Public Affairs Group, Mr. Herriott has been involved with legislative and regulatory issues concerning FATCA, the Dodd-Frank Act, and Investment Management Operational Due Diligence, among others including Green Energy Initiatives and Healthcare. Prior to forming RBT Public Affairs Group, Mr. Herriott served from January 2007 to April 2009 as an internal advisor to the Toy Industry Association assisting in the legislative and regulatory reform of the industry, and harmonizing manufacturing standards between the United States, China and the European Union.

 

Mr. Herriott has testified before legislative bodies regarding pending legislation, and spoken throughout the U.S. and internationally on how to interact with government, communication strategy, the U.S. legislative process, and specific industry issues pending before governmental entities. Mr. Herriott continues to advise clients on macro and micro governmental and political risk analysis, as well as reputation management and public affairs campaigns. Mr. Herriot was selected to serve as an independent director based on his extensive experience with legislative and regulatory issues, and with federal government energy initiatives.

 

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David M. Kastin has been an independent director since July 2013. He has been Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. (NYSE:VSI) since August 2015. From August 2007 thought August 2015, Mr. Kastin was Senior Vice President-General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Town Sports International Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLUB). From March 2007 through July 2007, Mr. Kastin was Senior Associate General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Sequa Corporation, a diversified manufacturer. From March 2003 through December 2006, Mr. Kastin was in-house counsel at Toys “R” Us, Inc., most recently as Vice President — Deputy General Counsel. From 1996 through 2003, Mr. Kastin was an associate in the corporate and securities departments at several prominent New York law firms, including Bryan Cave LLP. From September 1992 through October 1996, Mr. Kastin was a Staff Attorney in the Northeast Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr. Kastin was selected to serve as an independent director based on his extensive experience as a legal and strategic advisor to publicly traded companies.

 

We operate under the direction of our board of directors, a majority of which are independent of us—Kathleen Cuocolo, Robert Herriott and David M. Kastin. Charles Wheeler, who also serves as the President of the company and President and Chief Investment Officer of our advisor, and David Sher, who also serves as Chief Executive Officer of our advisor, are the other members of our board of directors. No member of our board of directors, including Messrs. Sher and Wheeler, has ever served as an officer or director of the dealer manager, or any of their affiliates.

 

Committees of the Board of Directors

 

The entire board of directors considers all major decisions concerning our business. However, our LLC Agreement provides that our board of directors may establish such committees as our board believes appropriate. Our board of directors will appoint the members of the committee in its discretion, provided a majority of the members of the audit committee of our board of directors must be comprised of independent directors. Our board of directors has established an audit committee and adopted a charter for the audit committee that complies with current U.S. federal and NASDAQ rules relating to corporate governance matters. In addition, our board of directors has established a nominating and corporate governance committee, as described below.

 

Audit Committee

 

Our audit committee is composed of Kathleen Cuocolo, Robert Herriott, and David M. Kastin, all of whom are independent directors. The audit committee will assist the board of directors in overseeing:

 

  our accounting and financial reporting processes;

 

  the integrity and audits of our consolidated financial statements;

 

  our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements;

 

  the qualifications and independence of our independent auditors; and

 

  the performance of our internal and independent auditors.

 

Kathleen Cuocolo chairs our audit committee and serves as our “audit committee financial expert,” as that term is defined by the SEC.

 

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

 

Our nominating and corporate governance committee is composed of Charles Wheeler, David Sher and Robert Herriott. Robert Herriott is the sole independent director on the committee. The nominating and corporate governance committee operates pursuant to a charter approved by our board of directors. The charter sets forth the responsibilities of the nominating and corporate governance committee, including making nominations for the appointment or election of independent directors, retirement policies and investment professionals training policies.

 

Robert Herriott chairs our nominating and corporate governance committee.

 

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ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

None of our executive officers will receive any compensation for their service as our executive officers.

 

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

 

The following table sets forth, as of the date of this report, information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our shares by:

 

  each person known to us to beneficially own more than 5% of any class the outstanding shares;

 

  each of our directors, director nominees and named executive officers; and

 

  all of our directors and executive officers as a group.

 

We have issued 23,601 Class A shares to our advisor. Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and includes voting or investment power with respect to the securities. There are no shares subject to options that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of the offering. Unless otherwise indicated, all shares are owned directly and the indicated person has sole voting and investment power.

  

       Percentage 
       of all 
   Number of Shares   Shares 
   Beneficially   Issued and 
Name and Address1  Owned   Outstanding 
Greenbacker Capital Management LLC2   23,601    0.02%
Greenbacker Group LLC        
David Sher        
Charles Wheeler        
Richard C. Butt        
Kathleen Cuocolo        
Robert Herriott        
David Kastin        
All officers and directors as a group (8 persons)        

 

 

 

1 Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial owner is c/o Greenbacker Capital Management LLC, 11 East 44th Street, Suite 1200, New York, NY 10017.

2 Greenbacker Capital Management LLC, GCM, is a majority-owned subsidiary of Greenbacker Group, LLC. The board of managers of Greenbacker Group, LLC has investment power over the Class A shares held by GCM, including the power to dispose, or to direct the disposition, of such shares. Charles Wheeler is a member of the board of managers of Greenbacker Group, LLC.

 

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

 

Our board of directors oversees our management. However, we have entered into the advisory agreement with our advisor, GCM, pursuant to which GCM is responsible for managing us on a day-to-day basis and identifying and making investments on our behalf. GCM is a joint venture between Greenbacker Group LLC and Strategic Capital Advisory Services, LLC, or Strategic Capital, an affiliate of our dealer manager, SC Distributors, and certain of our directors and/or officers. Strategic Capital, an affiliate of our dealer manager, SC Distributors, which owns a 25% interest in our advisor, generally provides to us, on behalf of our advisor, certain non-investment advisory services, including but not limited to formation services related to our company and the structure of our organization, financial and strategic planning advice and analysis, overseeing the development of marketing materials, selecting and negotiating with third party vendors and other administrative and operational services. The non-managing member exercises no control or influence over our investment, asset management or accounting functions or any other aspect of our management or operations. In connection with providing such services, Greenbacker Group LLC has paid Strategic Capital an aggregate of $1,250,000 in fees. We have reimbursed such fees in connection with our obligation to reimburse our advisor and its affiliates for certain organization and offering expenses incurred by them on our behalf, subject to the limitation that such reimbursements would not cause the selling commissions, the dealer manager fee and the other organization and offering expenses borne by us to exceed 15% of gross offering proceeds as of the date of reimbursement.

 

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Through each of their ownership interests in Greenbacker Group LLC, Charles Wheeler, our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors, and David Sher, a member of our board of directors, indirectly own a 7.40% and a 5.57% interest, respectively, in our advisor. In addition, several of our officers and directors, including Messrs. Sher and Wheeler, are officers of our advisor. As a result, the advisory agreement between us and our advisor was negotiated between related parties, and its terms, including fees and other amounts payable, may not be as favorable to us as if they had been negotiated with unaffiliated third parties.

 

Except for the advancement of funds pursuant to certain indemnification provisions of our LLC Agreement, no loans, credit facilities, credit agreements or otherwise will be made by us to our advisor or any of its affiliates. Our advisor, SC Distributors and their affiliates will receive the compensation described herein.

 

Our advisor’s services under the advisory agreement will not be exclusive, and it may furnish the same or similar services to other entities, including businesses that may directly or indirectly compete with us, so long as its services to us are not impaired by the provision of such services to others, and provided that the advisor notify us prior to being engaged to serve as an adviser to a fund or another company having a similar investment strategy.

 

With respect to our renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainability investments, our advisor does not currently target similar investment opportunities for other clients. This may change in the future, however.

 

We have entered into license agreements with Greenbacker Group LLC, pursuant to which it has agreed to grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the name “Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC.” In addition, we have entered into an administration agreement with Greenbacker Administration, pursuant to which the Administrator will provide us with administrative services and will receive the compensation from us for its services. As of the date hereof, Greenbacker Administration has delegated certain of its administrative functions to U.S Bancorp Fund Services, LLC as well as accounting for certain of our investments to independent firm which provides outsourced bookkeeping and accounting services. While Greenbacker Administration performs a majority of asset management, accounting and oversight services for the company’s investments, it is anticipated that Greenbacker Administration will continue to delegate the majority of certain administrative functions for GREC and the LLC.

 

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

 

The Audit Committee has appointed KPMG as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal years ending December 31, 2017 and 2016.

 

Fees Incurred for KPMG LLP

 

The following table shows the fees invoiced for audit and other services provided by KPMG for fiscal 2017 and 2016.

 

   2017   2016 
Audit Fees(1)  $501,860   $290,848 
Audit-Related Fees(2)       23,008 
Tax Fees(3)   113,818    68,099 
All Other Fees(4)   2,500    8,063 
Total  $618,178   $390,018 

 

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The Audit Committee has approved all of the services and fees listed in the previous table.

 

The Audit Committee has delegated to the chair of the Audit Committee the authority to pre-approve audit-related and non-audit services not prohibited by law to be performed by our independent registered public accounting firm and associated fees up to a maximum for any one service of $25,000 provided that the chair shall report any decisions to pre-approve services and fees to the full Audit Committee at its next regular meeting.

 

(1)   Audit fees represent fees for professional services provided in connection with the audit of our consolidated financial statements and review of our quarterly consolidated financial statements and audit services provided in connection with our quarterly and annual statutory or regulatory filings.

 

(2)   Audit-related fees consisted of all fees associated with statutory and regulatory filings other than our quarterly and annual statutory and regulatory filings, such as fees to issue consents for our filing of prospectuses.

 

(3)   Tax fees consisted of tax compliance fees.

 

(4)   Other fees billed in the reporting periods for products and services provided by the KPMG, included consents for the company’s audited financial statements to be included in various SEC filings.

 

KPMG has not provided services and charged fees to our advisor or entities that are controlling, controlled by, or under common control with our advisor.

 

PART IV

 

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

 

The following exhibits are included, or incorporated by reference, in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 (and are numbered in accordance with Item 601 of Regulation S-K).

 

(a) Documents Filed as Part of this Report

 

  (1) The following consolidated financial statements are set forth in Item 8:

 

  Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

  

  Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities as of December 31, 2017 and 2016

 

  Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015

 

  Consolidated Statements of Changes in Net Assets for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, 2015

 

  Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015

 

  Consolidated Schedules of Investments as of December 31, 2017 and 2016

 

  Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

 

  (2) Financial Statement Schedules have been omitted because they are not applicable or the required information is shown in the Consolidated Financial Statements or Notes thereto in Item 8 of this annual report.

 

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(b) Exhibits

 

The following exhibits are filed as part of this report or hereby incorporated by reference to exhibits previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission:

 

Exhibit    
Number   Description of Document
     
3.1 *   Certificate of Formation of Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 3.1 of the Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333- 178786-01) filed on December 11, 2012)
     
3.2 *   Third Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Operating Agreement of Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC dated June 27, 2014 (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 3.2 of the Registrant’s Form 10-K (File No. 333-178786-01) filed on March 20, 2015)
     
10.1 *   Form of Participating Broker-Dealer Agreement between SC Distributors, LLC and the participating dealers (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.1 of the Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 5 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-178786-01) filed on July 11, 2013)
     
10.2 *   Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between Registrant, Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation and Greenbacker Capital Management LLC dated October 9, 2013 (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.2 of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-178786-01) filed on October 9, 2013)
     
10.3 *   Form of Dealer Management Agreement by and among Registrant, Greenbacker Capital Management LLC and SC Distributors, LLC (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.3 of the Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 5 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-178786-01) filed on July 11, 2013)
     
10.4 *   Form of Administration Agreement by and among Registrant, Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation and Greenbacker Administration, LLC (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.5 of the Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 5 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-178786-01) filed on July 11, 2013)
     
10.5 *   Form of Expense Assumption and Reimbursement Agreement by and among Registrant, Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation and Greenbacker Capital Management, LLC (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.6 of the Registrant’s Form 10-Q (File No. 333-178786-01) filed on August 11, 2014)
     
10.6*   Credit Agreement among GREC Entity Holdco LLC, as Borrower, Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation, as Intermediate Holdco, Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLP, as Parent, the lenders named therein, and Fifth Third Bank, as Administrative Agent, dated July 11, 2016 (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.1 of the Registrant’s Form 8-K (File No. 333-178786-01) filed on July 14, 2016)
     
10.7*   Credit Agreement among GREC Entity Holdco LLC, as Borrower, Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation, as Intermediate Holdco, Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC, as Parent, the lenders named therein, and Fifth Third Bank, as Administrative Agent, dated January 5, 2018 (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.1 of the Registrant’s Form 8-K (File No. 000-55610) filed on January 10, 2018)
     
14.1*   Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC Code of Ethics (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 14.1 of the Registrant’s Form 8-K (File No. 333-178786-01) filed on December 9, 2014)
     
21.1**   List of Subsidiaries
     
24.1**   Power of attorney (included on the signature page hereto)
     
31.1**   Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
     
31.2**   Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended

 

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32.1**   Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to section 906 of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act of 2002
     
32.2 **   Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to section 906 of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act of 2002
     
101   The following materials from Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, filed on March 8, 2018 formatted in XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language): (i) Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities, (ii) Consolidated Statements of Operations, (iii) Consolidated Statements of Changes in Net Assets, (iv) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, (v) Consolidated Schedules of Investments and (vi) Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
     
*   Filed previously.
**   Filed herewith.

 

ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY

 

None

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

Date: March 8, 2018 By /s/ Charles Wheeler
    Charles Wheeler
    Chief Executive Officer and Director
    (Principal Executive Officer)
    Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC
     
Date: March 8, 2018 By /s/ Richard C. Butt
    Richard C. Butt
    Chief Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer
    (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
    Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature   Title   Date
         
/s/ Charles Wheeler   Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director   March 8, 2018
Charles Wheeler   (Principal Executive Officer)    
         
/s/ Richard C. Butt   Chief Financial Officer, Chief Investment Officer,   March 8, 2018 
Richard C. Butt   Chief Compliance Officer and Director    
    (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)    

 

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints each of Charles Wheeler and Richard C. Butt, respectively, as his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any or all amendments to this annual report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the SEC, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent or any of his substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

/s/ David Sher   Director   March 8, 2018
David Sher        
         
/s/ Kathleen Cuocolo   Director   March 8, 2018
Kathleen Cuocolo        
         
/s/ Robert Herriott   Director   March 8, 2018
Robert Herriott        
         
/s/ David M. Kastin   Director   March 8, 2018
David M. Kastin        

   

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