SUNation Energy 2025 Third Quarter Earnings Call - Delivering on Promises with Strong Residential Growth and Financial Turnaround

Bella, Conference Operator: Hello, and thank you for standing by. My name is Bella, and I will be your conference operator today. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to SUNation Energy’s Third Quarter 2025 Financial Results Conference Call. All lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise. After the speaker’s remarks, there will be a question-and-answer session. If you would like to ask a question during this time, simply press , then the number 1 on your telephone keypad. To withdraw your question, press 1 again. I would now like to turn the conference over to David Sullivan, Managing Director of Equity Group. You may begin.

David Sullivan, Managing Director of Equity Group, Equity Group: Thank you, Bella. Thank you, everyone, for joining us today for SUNation’s 2025 Third Quarter Financial Results Conference Call. Our speakers for today are Scott Maskin, Chief Executive Officer, and James Brennan, Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Maskin will open with prepared remarks, followed by a question-and-answer session. Before we get started, I’d like to remind everyone that prospects at SUNation Energy are subject to uncertainties and risks. Remarks on today’s call may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. The company intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbor provisions provided by the foregoing sections.

These forward-looking statements are based largely on the expectations or forecasts of future events, can be affected by inaccurate assumptions, and are subject to various business risks and known and unknown uncertainties, a number of which are beyond the control of management. Therefore, actual results could differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained during this call. The company cannot predict or determine after the fact what factors would cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements or other statements. Participants should consider statements that include the words "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," "plans," "projects," "should," or other expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events or trends to be uncertain and forward-looking. We caution investors not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements.

The company does not undertake to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise. Additional information respecting factors that could materially affect the company and its operations are contained in the company’s filings with the SEC, including its Form 10-K and in subsequent filings, which can be found on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. With that, I’d now like to turn the call over to Scott Maskin, CEO of SUNation Energy. Scott, please go ahead.

Scott Maskin, Chief Executive Officer, SUNation Energy: Thank you, David, and good morning, everybody. Happy Monday. Thank you all for joining me today. This is a call that I’ve truly been looking forward to for quite some time. Since Jim and I took the helm of SUNation about 18 months ago, it’s felt at times like steering through unpredictable conditions, keeping steady, staying focused, and making sure everyone on the team understood where we were headed and why. Now, I won’t tell you things have calmed down. They absolutely have not. As we look ahead to 2026, there’s still a lot of movement in the industry and uncertainty. The difference is that we’re no longer reacting; we’re leading. We’ve got structure, direction, and a team that’s completely aligned on the mission. This quarter represents a turning point.

For the first time in a long while, our results, our work, reflect the impact of our hard work, the discipline, and the cultural rebuilding that’s taken place inside this organization. If I had to sum up Q3 in one phrase, it’s this: we delivered it on our promises. Sales rose, costs came down, margins improved, and profitability strengthened. Our capital structure is squeaky clean, and our balance sheet is the strongest it’s been in years. That did not happen by chance. It took tough calls, long hours, and people who refused to give up. It proves what happens when we stay focused and we execute. While many in our industry have struggled to find direction, SUNation has moved forward, stronger, leaner, and ready for what’s next. Those of us who’ve been in solar for a while know the ride never really smooths out.

The one big, beautiful bill and the upcoming sunset of Section 25D have created new challenges and new opportunities, and our team has handled both with focus and professionalism. The rush to complete residential installations before the end of 2025 has been intense, and our teams in New York and Hawaii have been extraordinary and really stepped up to the plate. These are two of the most expensive energy markets in the country, and our people have helped homeowners take control of both their power and their costs. Residential sales in those markets were up 54% year over year in Q3. I want to say that again. Residential sales in those markets were up 54% year over the year in Q3. We expect that momentum to continue right through the year end. At the same time, we’re not focused on this surge. We’re preparing for what comes after.

We’ve been developing new financing options and lease-to-own programs that will carry us not just in 2026, but far beyond. Tried-and-true approaches that have been part of SUNation’s success story for more than two decades. On the commercial side, we’re continuing to see steady demand from institutions and municipalities across Long Island and downstate New York. High energy costs and the longer runway for federal tax credits have supported a solid project pipeline, and we’re executing efficiently. Our advantage continues to be our diversification in our people, our markets, and our services. It is what gives us balance and stability moving forward. We stand unique by offering residential solar and storage, commercial solar, roofing, and our ever-growing, expanding service division.

We intend to expand into the energy-efficient HVAC market and standalone roofing while we double down on our service and O&M side, helping both our long-term customers and those left without support when their original installers disappeared. We’re also evaluating strategic M&A opportunities that make sense, ones that bring scale, efficiency, or exposure to fast-growing sectors like AI, crypto, and data centers. These are reshaping how power is used, and we’re positioning SUNation to play a meaningful role in the future. Through all of this, one thing hasn’t changed. We stay calm, focused, and deliberate. Running a business, much like captaining a ship, isn’t about avoiding rough conditions. It’s about knowing your course, trusting your crew, and making steady progress no matter what’s ahead.

Every day, I’m driven by three things: our team who show up with grit and purpose, our customers who trust us to deliver on the promise of solar, and, of course, our shareholders whose patience and confidence we’re determined to reward. SUNation is strong, stronger than it’s been in a long time. We understand the challenges ahead, but we also see tremendous opportunity in front of us. We’ve built a company that can adapt, grow, and lead through whatever comes next. I’ll close with this: God willing, the market will begin to acknowledge and reward our efforts, our resilience, and the results that this incredible team has delivered for you in Q3. Thank you all for your time and trust and your continued confidence in SUNation. With that, I’ll turn it over to our COO, CFO, and my steady co-captain, Jim Brennan, who’ll take us through the numbers. Jim.

James Brennan, Chief Financial Officer, SUNation Energy: Thank you, Scott. Good morning, everyone. I appreciate you joining us today, especially those on the West Coast that are joining us at 6:00 A.M. We are joined today by Kristen Lofka, SUNation’s Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Treasurer, as well as Ms. Sommer, SUNation’s Corporate Controller. We filed our 10-Q on November 7 and issued our earnings release on Monday, November 10. As we reflect on our performance for the third quarter, I am pleased to report that the actions that we have taken have delivered significant improvements throughout the business, as we promised. We ended the third quarter in the strongest financial position in recent history. Through in-depth planning, disciplined execution, and sharp focus on operational efficiencies by the regional leadership teams in both New York and Hawaii, we strengthened our balance sheet, expanded our margins, and improved profitability.

These much-improved results are a direct outcome of the hard work of the entire team and a commitment to deliver value to our shareholders in the midst of a rapidly evolving market environment. We are on track to report strong results in the current fourth quarter and have reiterated our 2025 full-year financial guidance for higher total sales and a return to positive adjusted EBITDA as compared to full-year 2024. Onto the review of our Q3 2025 results. Total Q3 sales rose by 29% to $19 million from $14.7 million last year. Sales at SUNation in New York and Hawaii rose by 22% and 47%, respectively, with residential sales rising 54% and service sales increasing by 72%. This was driven by an accelerated pace of system installations prior to the expiration of the federal tax credits on December 31, 2025.

Although commercial sales declined by $1.7 million, we expect continued stability in this sector as businesses and institutions such as churches and schools continue to take advantage of the longer runway that the One Big Beautiful Bill has offered. Inherently, the commercial sector is more complex and nuanced than residential, so these projects tend to take more time to develop and install. On a consolidated basis, overall kilowatts installed on residential projects increased by 52% in the third quarter of 2025. Revenue per installation increased by 25%. Consolidated gross margin improved to $7.2 million, or 38% of sales, from gross margin of $5.2 million, or 35.6% of sales, driven by higher residential margins. SUNation New York’s gross margin improved to 40.7% from 37.9%, while Hawaii’s gross margin increased to 32.1% from 29.5%. We continue to effectively manage costs throughout our organization.

While total operating expenses rose 7.5% from $6.8 million—I’m sorry, $7.5 million from $6.8 million—as a percentage of sales, the total operating expenses declined to 39.3% from 46.5%. We expect the total operating expenses in 2025 to be lower than 2024. Interest expense in the third quarter of 2025 declined to $143,000 from a whopping $812,000 last year, reflecting the continuing benefits of paying off the expense of debt earlier this year. We continue to expect our annual interest expense to decline by approximately $2 million for 2025 as compared to 2024. We operated just below break-even for the quarter with a net loss of approximately $393,000, which is a $2.9 million improvement from a net loss of $3.3 million in last year’s third quarter.

Taking all of this into account, Q3 adjusted EBITDA improved to a positive $898,000 from an adjusted EBITDA loss of $1 million in last year’s third quarter. With respect to the balance sheet, cash and cash equivalents rose to $5.4 million on September 30th, which is our largest or highest cash level since 2022. Our total debt decreased by over $11 million, falling to $7.9 million compared to $19.1 million at the end of 2024. This total debt included an earnout consideration of $1 million. Other areas of improvement this year through September 30th include accounts payable improved to $7.3 million from $8 million on December 31st, 2024. Current liabilities improved to $19.0 million from $27.2 million on December 31st, 2024. Lastly, shareholders’ equity improved to $21.7 million from $8.5 million on December 31st, 2024.

Based on these Q3 results, solar projects pipeline, and general business environment, we are reiterating our guidance for 2025 as follows. Total sales are expected to rise to between $65 million and $70 million, a projected increase of 14% or 23% from total sales of $56.9 million in 2024. Adjusted EBITDA is expected to improve to between $500,000 and $700,000 from an adjusted EBITDA loss in 2024. Before turning things back to Scott, I want to again thank the entire SUNation team, both in Hawaii and New York, for their hard work and dedication. This process has not been easy. Over the past six months, our financial health has improved dramatically. Sales are up, costs are down, profits are higher, and our financial position is strong. It’s no secret that our industry is in a state of transition and that the challenges we all face are significant. That’s okay.

We are embracing these challenges as an opportunity to redefine SUNation as a whole and the value we can deliver to our shareholders. The global demand for energy is accelerating, and SUNation has over two decades of experience in delivering clean, sustainable solar energy. As we look ahead to 2026, we will continue to address these opportunities from a renewed and, we believe, sustainable position of financial strength. We are optimistic about our future and look forward to keeping you apprised of any news and progress. I want to thank you for your time, and we’ll now turn things back to the most handsome guy in solar, Scott Maskin.

Scott Maskin, Chief Executive Officer, SUNation Energy: Thanks, Jim. Are we taking calls now, guys? All right. Fire away.

Bella, Conference Operator: All right. At this time, I would like to remind everyone, in order to ask a question, press star, then the number one on your telephone keypad. We will pause for just a moment to compile the Q&A roster. Your first question comes from the line of Julianne Dumlin-Smith with Jefferies. Your line is now open. Please go ahead.

Hey, good morning. You have Hannah Velasquez on for Julianne. Thanks for the update this quarter. I had a quick question, or rather, yeah, just an update on 25D expiration. Curious to see what you all are seeing out there in the market in terms of any pull-forward effect, and then also any reactions to the advent, or, you know, I suppose, the introduction of this new concept, the prepaid lease plus loan bundle. I think you alluded to it on your call, but any additional detail you can provide there in terms of if it’s viable as a replacement of 25D and if you would consider pursuing it.

Scott Maskin, Chief Executive Officer, SUNation Energy: Sure. Thanks for the time today. Listen, 25D has certainly, you know, the sunset of that tax credit certainly has a meaningful impact, especially in markets like New York and Hawaii with high cost of kilowatt-hour. We’ve traditionally been loan markets. We have done some leasing, and there’s been a lot of different tools that are out there. What I would say is that we’re driving to the end of the year. Pull forward? Yeah. There’s a ton of people that sat on the fence for a long time that got off the fence, and they’re just, you know, I mean, there’s a lot of angry elves out there that, you know, were on the fence for too long, and we just simply could not get them installed.

I mean, my teams in both states are running, you know, six days a week plus to get this work done. That being said, I believe that there are some significant advances in a lot of different financing tools other than just traditional leasing and loans. I think a lot’s going to evolve as more information comes out on FIAC. You know, when I look at our markets, we could still make a damn fine, you know, financial model for a loan and for owning it. I don’t think it’s going to slow things. I think that we’re in a trough right now of people that rush to move forward, and then when they couldn’t, they’re in pause mode. What’s going to happen is we’ll figure out ways to get them back on the fence through some of these other tools.

I think they’re all going to be viable. I think that people that are coming out with new and unique financing options are really making sure that their i’s are dotted and their t’s are crossed on the tax side of it. And that’s been, I’d say that’s been a slower than they anticipated, you know, process. Did that answer your question?

Bella, Conference Operator: Yeah, that was perfect. Maybe just as a follow-up there, so we’re hearing with 25D expiring, you’re having new entrants, I suppose, in the competitive market, maybe more so on the TPO side. Can you just double-click in terms of what you’re seeing out there? Are you seeing new TPOs enter trying to take advantage of this shift towards the leasing market? I know Tesla also joined the space. Just what are you seeing from a competitive perspective?

Scott Maskin, Chief Executive Officer, SUNation Energy: You know, when you mention the T word, never count Elon Musk out for anything. He’s got the balance sheet, you know, the sheet that he can upend this entire industry on a moment’s notice. I think that as somebody who’s been involved for 20-some-odd years, I have seen so many players, financial players, kind of circle and circle, and, you know, they take advantage of opportunities when they’re there, and then some get smacked down, and then they reinvent themselves, and they come back. I mean, this all boils down to capital and available capital and available tax equity, right? You know, my understanding in the market, you know, raising capital in solar is difficult right now. Doesn’t mean that it’s nonexistent, but I think that there’s going to be a little bit of a lull.

People still want solar, but the players, some of them rename themselves, some of them, you know, retreat and then come back. I mean, I’m mindful of how SunPower, you know, and I’ll say that, you know, SunPower exited bankrupt, and now they’re coming back in as a player. So, and, you know, acquiring companies and stuff. I look at some other companies that, you know, were in the, you know, the LMI market that just couldn’t get the capital and imploded, right? It’s just like a big, it’s kind of a big vortex, a big circle. Ultimately, everybody comes back to the top. The same players that are involved in the space are the same players that keep rising. They may rename themselves. You know, listen, we’re going to go back. Again, all that needs to happen is the cost of energy continues to rise.

It makes every decision even easier and more palatable.

James Brennan, Chief Financial Officer, SUNation Energy: Yeah, I would add to that.

Bella, Conference Operator: Okay, got it.

James Brennan, Chief Financial Officer, SUNation Energy: I would add to that that, you know, some of the newer tools that are becoming available based on some of the financial wizards in this market, prepaid leases, synthetic cash, you name it, there’s a lot of buzzwords circulating around. I love it. As long as we have the ability to deliver to these customers, you know, some sort of approach that works for them, even though the recent stupidity in Washington got it 100% wrong, we are pivoting to continue to survive. There are, as Scott mentioned, companies in the industry that will not. The reality is New York and Hawaii are not alone with expensive power. You know, some of the target acquisition markets that we are looking at have even more expensive power than Long Island, which is hard to believe.

Those folks are predicting higher revenue this year than next year than 2025 because their math continues to work in a purchase-to-own market, even in the absence of the 30% federal ITC.

Bella, Conference Operator: Okay. If I could just have one more follow-up question. On that point, you know, maybe on a consolidated basis, how are you thinking about market growth in 2026? I mean, you hear the consultants all over the place, right, talking about a 10% decline, best-case scenario, and then up to a 20-30% decline all in just given 25D expiring. As like a secondary question there, what’s the latest you’re hearing on FIAC? Thank you.

James Brennan, Chief Financial Officer, SUNation Energy: The first part of your question was about 2026 guidance, and I’m not prepared to give that today. We do predict a lower-than-normal Q1, although, as I say those words, I was recently pleasantly surprised from the New York team that they’ve already booked nearly 100 deals for January, which was surprising given the new set of circumstances that we’re dealing with. By the way, that’s the normal cycle of our business. Q1 and Q2 are always low in both New York and Hawaii for different reasons. Q3 and Q4, just like this year in 2025, Q3 and Q4 were cranking. So much so that we’re having trouble keeping up with all the work. I suspect that a very similar model will follow in 2026 as well. Scott, you want to talk?

Scott Maskin, Chief Executive Officer, SUNation Energy: Yeah. You know, I just, you know, on FIAC, it’s still happening, right? Every day there’s a change. Every day somebody’s coming out with different, you know, securing different equipment, different AVLs and stuff like that. I don’t think that anybody can securely say, "This is where it’s going to be on January 1." Because just the guidance is just, it’s too fuzzy. I think that we will adapt, we will find product, and, you know, cash is king also. Those with strong balance sheets are going to be able to get equipment, and others are going to implode. You know, I just want to, you know, I just want to touch on what Jim said. You know, I have often, and the thesis of SUNation would, you know, has always been, you know, a regional company.

You know, when the analysts say 10% decline, 40% decline, 50%, it’s really unfair because, you know, you look at some, you know, you look at California who just takes gut punch after gut punch, but last year, you know, they blew it out of the door, right? Like, you know, with the exit of NEM-3. You know, North Carolina is growing. Massachusetts is growing. It is hyper-regional markets and hyper-regional. I’ve always said we’re very, we’re exposed by utilities and state politics. Find me a state that is really pro-energy. Find me a state that’s going to see a growth of data centers and AI, and I’ll show you, you know, a state that is going to grow revenue-based because the cost of power is going to be so high.

James Brennan, Chief Financial Officer, SUNation Energy: Great question.

Scott Maskin, Chief Executive Officer, SUNation Energy: Thank you.

Bella, Conference Operator: Thank you. At this time, I would like to turn the call back over to David Sullivan.

David Sullivan, Managing Director of Equity Group, Equity Group: Thank you, Bella. We do have a couple of questions from SUNation stakeholders that I’d like to ask on their behalf. The first one to the management team is, what is your long-term vision for SUNation following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act?

Scott Maskin, Chief Executive Officer, SUNation Energy: Thanks, Devin. And to whoever that shareholder is, thank you. You know, I need to harpen on the diversification of SUNation as, you know, one of our strengths. Maybe it’s our greatest strength. For my shareholders and for our company, you know, we see a rush to the end of the year. We’re figuring out a lot of things for 2026 and moving forward, but we see the commercial industry really growing. We see the service industry growing. Residential is going to figure itself out. We’ve been through these cycles before. I’m not too, there’s a lot of confidence. You know, sometimes, you know, things like this are also a good gut check. You know, you know, where can we be better? Where can we be more efficient and take advantage of that thing?

That’s not just with, you know, that’s not just with employees and stuff like that. I mean, you know, over time, you kind of bloat and you look at your software stack and you look at, you know, all kinds of things that you spend money on as you’re growing and growing and growing. Sometimes it’s a good, it’s a good exercise to retool and reshape the company so that you can come back. It’s almost like going into the corner of a prize fight so that you can come out punching, you know, after somebody splashes water on you. I’m not concerned, overly concerned about 2026 and 2027 because we’re in a good spot for it. We have a lot of different revenue streams.

You know, there’s a lot of different opportunities out there to add revenue, you know, to the shareholders, you know, to the company, to the listing, to SUNation as a whole that may be in the energy field, maybe not, right? Those are the things that give me a lot of confidence moving forward into 2026 and 2027. At 62 years old, you know, I need little, I need those pearls to keep me going.

James Brennan, Chief Financial Officer, SUNation Energy: Devin, I would add to that answer that just for clarification, revenue diversification has been our strength for a long time. The companies that we’ve seen that have failed over time are ones that have a single source of revenue. You can name them off the top of your head, I’m sure. You know, in our case, we went out of our way to have six or seven, hopefully even more sources of revenue. We have a residential revenue stream, commercial, service, roofing. We actually do electrical work for some of our solar customers. We have community solar. In the future, hopefully if the moons align, we’ll add HVAC and some high-efficiency HVAC tools and so on. That, because as Scott mentioned, we will see in the future a time where another part of our revenue stream slows down. That’s fine.

That’s part of the cycle that we all live through, but we’ll have a backfill from other revenue streams. Just like in 2025, the commercial team had lower-than-expected revenue, but I doubt that will be the discussion in 2026 because there’s a ton of work that those folks are cranking through right now.

David Sullivan, Managing Director of Equity Group, Equity Group: Thank you. Thanks, Scott and Jim. Actually, Jim, that’s a good segue into our final question. Can you, how would you describe the market for commercial in 2026?

Scott Maskin, Chief Executive Officer, SUNation Energy: Yeah. I’ll start with that one. I see that we’ve, in New York, we’ve positioned ourselves very well with national developers. You know, we’ve always taken the approach that it’s great to, you know, originate your own work, but I make money when trucks roll. Our shareholders, you know, win when trucks roll and money comes in. I don’t really care who sells the job, but we’re really good at executing on those things. Because of that diversification with the national developers, we’re seeing a big inrush in schools, institutional-type things, and we’re really, really well suited to execute on that kind of stuff.

I’m not saying that, you know, traditional rooftop solar on, you know, an industrial building is going to go away, but, you know, we have a very strong pipeline, and that’s going to be a major focus for us moving forward, you know, because, listen, that’s kind of where the, you know, where the sweet spot is in the industry right now also, at least until through 2027. You know, there’s nothing, damn the torpedoes, full steady, speed ahead on that kind of stuff.

James Brennan, Chief Financial Officer, SUNation Energy: Devin, I would just add to that that because we do a lot of work for these large national developers and we do a pretty damn good job at delivering on those projects, we are now getting asked, or actually we have been throughout the year being asked to do work in other states. You know, we historically have had an acquisition view on growth into new markets, but this is an organic view just simply because the commercial team does a good job at delivering. The next thing you know, that national developer wants us to go into a different state because they have another project. That will definitely be some growth into next year that we will see on the commercial side.

David Sullivan, Managing Director of Equity Group, Equity Group: Thank you both. That is our final question. I’ll turn things back over to Scott for closing comments.

Scott Maskin, Chief Executive Officer, SUNation Energy: Thanks for everybody that spent a beautiful sunny Monday morning with us. Customers are happy. They’re making money today because the sun’s out in New York and soon Hawaii. I want to wish everybody a happy holiday season. Let’s not forget, you know, what’s important as we move forward. Revenue and shareholders and business is important, but family first, and that’s how we treat our business. I wanted to thank everybody for the time and the confidence. Man, am I looking forward to that end-of-year report. Thanks, Devin. Thanks, team.

Bella, Conference Operator: All right, ladies and gentlemen, that concludes today’s conference call. Thank you all for joining. You may now disconnect, everyone. Have a great day.