7. Equity

During 2013, we issued, under our 2009 Long-Term Incentive Plan, 49,187 and 160,470 shares of our Class A common stock to our independent directors, in lieu of cash compensation, for services rendered during 2013, and to our employees upon the exercise of stock options, respectively. We recorded the shares issued to our directors at their estimated fair value based on the market’s closing price of our stock on the date the shares were issued, which by policy is the last trading day of each quarter in which the services were rendered.

On October 11, 2013, we issued 15,759 shares of our Class A common stock under restricted stock award agreements of the same date to certain of our former board directors. See Footnote 8. Share-Based Compensation. On October 31, 2013, we issued 1,055,000 shares of our Class A common stock into escrow as part of the consideration transferred for an acquisition.

During 2012, we issued 32,620 shares of our Class A common stock under our 2009 Long-Term Incentive Plan to certain of our independent directors, in lieu of cash compensation, for services rendered in 2012. We recorded these shares at their estimated fair value based on the market’s closing price of our stock on the date the shares were issued, which by policy is the last trading day of each quarter in which the services were rendered. Additionally, our adventure travel subsidiary, which is 51.4% owned by us, paid its shareholders dividends of $0.7 million from additional paid-in capital and $0.5 million from retained earnings, and, as a result, the noncontrolling interests on our consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2012 was decreased by $0.6 million.

During 2011, we issued 11,518 of our Class A common shares under our 2009 Long-Term Incentive Plan to our independent directors, in lieu of cash compensation, for services rendered in 2011, and issued 15,200 of our Class A common shares upon exercise of options under our 1999 Long-Term Incentive Plan. We value the shares issued to our independent directors at estimated fair value based on the closing price of our stock on the date the shares are issued, which by policy is the last trading day of each quarter in which the services were rendered. Additionally, we repurchased 628,003 of our Class A common shares for a total cost of $2.3 million. We recorded this repurchase of our shares in accordance with the cost method of accounting for treasury stock. Because we have not decided the ultimate disposition of the re-acquired shares, their cost is reflected in our consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2011 as a reduction to additional paid-in capital.

On December 31, 2011, we converted our Real Goods Solar Class B common shares, which had ten votes per share, to Real Goods Solar Class A common shares, which have one vote per share. As a result of this conversion, our voting ownership decreased to 37.5% and, thus, we no longer had financial control of Real Goods Solar, but retained significant financial influence. Accordingly, we deconsolidated Real Goods Solar from our equity by removing the noncontrolling interest in Real Goods Solar at December 31, 2011 and increasing additional paid-in capital for a portion of the adjustment to a deferred tax liability related to this investment.

During May 2013, as a result of a decrease in our voting ownership to less than 20% and the resignation of our chairman from his position as Chairman of the Board for Real Goods Solar, we changed the accounting for our investment in Real Goods Solar from the equity to cost method. Thus, our consolidated balance sheet data at December 31, 2013 and our consolidated statement of operations data for 2013 reports Real Goods Solar as a cost method investment.

The following schedule reflects the effect of changes in Gaiam, Inc.’s ownership interest in its subsidiaries on Gaiam, Inc.’s equity for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. There were no changes to Gaiam, Inc.’s equity during 2013 as a result of converting our accounting for our investment in Real Goods Solar from the equity to cost method.

As of December 31, 2012, we had the following Class A common shares reserved for future issuance:

Each holder of our Class A common shares is entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders. Each of our Class B common shares is entitled to ten votes on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders. There are no cumulative voting rights. All holders of our Class A common shares and our Class B common shares vote as a single class on all matters that are submitted to the shareholders for a vote. Shareholders may consent to an action in writing and without a meeting under certain circumstances. Jirka Rysavy, our chairman, holds 100% of our 5,400,000 outstanding shares of class B common stock and also owns 648,682 shares of Class A common stock. Consequently, our chairman holds approximately 75% of our voting stock and thus is able to exert substantial influence over us and to control matters requiring approval by our shareholders, including the election of directors, increasing our authorized capital stock, or a merger or sale of substantially all of our assets. As a result of Mr. Rysavy’s control of us, no change of control can occur without Mr. Rysavy’s consent.

Our Class A common shares and our Class B common shares are entitled to receive dividends, if any, as may be declared by the board of directors out of legally available funds. In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our Company, our Class A common shares and our Class B common shares are entitled to share ratably in our assets remaining after the payment of all of our debts and other liabilities. Holders of our Class A common shares and our Class B common shares have no preemptive, subscription or redemption rights, and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our Class A common shares and our Class B common shares.

Our Class B common shares may not be transferred unless converted into our Class A common shares, other than certain transfers to affiliates, family members, and charitable organizations. Our Class B common shares are convertible one-for-one into our Class A common shares, at the option of the holder of the Class B common shares.