Smart energy storage company Stem‘s revenue in the third quarter (Q3) of 2024 dropped 78% to $29.3 from $133.7 million in Q3 2023 due to lower battery hardware sales. This decrease includes reductions of $5.6 million and $37.4 million, attributed to adjusted valuations of assets under specific hardware price guarantees established in 2022 and 2023.

Stem’s net loss rose 92.3% year-over-year (YoY) to $148.3 million from a $77.1 million net loss, primarily due to a $104.1 million bad debt expense related to impairments on accounts receivable for customer contracts with a parent company guarantee.

The company’s earnings per share (EPS) of -$0.18 for Q3 exceeded analyst expectations by $0.021. The company concluded Q3 2024 with $75.4 million in cash and cash equivalents, compared to $89.6 million at the end of Q2 2024.

David Buzby, Stem’s Interim Chief Executive Officer, acknowledged the significant revenue drop due to lower hardware revenue during the quarter.

Operational Highlights

The company recorded bookings of $29.1 million, a decline from $676.4 million in Q3 2023, mainly due to reduced bookings for battery hardware resales.

The contracted backlog stood at $1.5 billion, reflecting a 17% decrease from the end of Q3 2023 and a 2% decline from the end of Q2 2024.

Contracted storage assets under management (AUM) totaled 6 GWh, up 20% YoY. Solar monitoring AUM reached 28.5 GW, up 8% from Q3 2023.

Revised Strategy

Stem stated that it is implementing cost-cutting measures to optimize business operations in accordance with a revised strategic approach.

This shift was driven by ongoing uncertainty in project timelines for utility-scale storage hardware, which led to a strategic decision to reduce dependence on this revenue source. This unpredictability contributed to lower-than-expected bookings, revenue, and collections on accounts receivable.

The company reported a modest increase of approximately 200 MWh in storage assets and a growth of about 1.6 GW in solar during the quarter.

However, the total contract value for bookings is expected to decline, primarily due to two factors: reduced battery storage hardware resales in new bookings and a move towards shorter software and service contracts in storage, now spanning 3 to 5 years instead of the previous 15 to 20 years.

Doran Hole, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President announced that the company is revising its full-year 2024 guidance for several key metrics to reflect its most recent financial results, the ongoing implementation of its new strategy, and the anticipated project delays that continue to adversely affect revenue, bookings, and cash flow.

The energy storage system provider saw its revenue drop 63% YoY to $34 million in Q2 2024. Stem attributed the revenue dip and increased loss to reduced hardware demand and extended project timelines.

During Q1, the company’s total revenue fell by 62% from $67.4 million in the prior quarter to $25.5 million.