<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<FilingSummary xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <Version>2.4.0.6</Version>
  <ProcessingTime />
  <ReportFormat>Html</ReportFormat>
  <ContextCount>41</ContextCount>
  <ElementCount>124</ElementCount>
  <EntityCount>1</EntityCount>
  <FootnotesReported>false</FootnotesReported>
  <SegmentCount>13</SegmentCount>
  <ScenarioCount>0</ScenarioCount>
  <TuplesReported>false</TuplesReported>
  <UnitCount>4</UnitCount>
  <MyReports>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R1.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>000100 - Document - Document and Entity Information</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://activepower.com/role/DocumentAndEntityInformation</Role>
      <ShortName>Document and Entity Information</ShortName>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>true</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R2.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>010000 - Statement - Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://activepower.com/role/CondensedConsolidatedBalanceSheetsUnaudited</Role>
      <ShortName>Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)</ShortName>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R3.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>010100 - Statement - Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (Parenthetical)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://activepower.com/role/CondensedConsolidatedBalanceSheetsUnauditedParenthetical</Role>
      <ShortName>Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (Parenthetical)</ShortName>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R4.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>020000 - Statement - Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss (Unaudited)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://activepower.com/role/CondensedConsolidatedStatementsOfOperationsAndComprehensiveLossUnaudited</Role>
      <ShortName>Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss (Unaudited)</ShortName>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R5.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>030000 - Statement - Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://activepower.com/role/CondensedConsolidatedStatementsOfCashFlowsUnaudited</Role>
      <ShortName>Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)</ShortName>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R6.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>060100 - Disclosure - Significant Accounting Policies</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://activepower.com/role/SignificantAccountingPolicies</Role>
      <ShortName>Significant Accounting Policies</ShortName>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R7.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>060200 - Disclosure - Supplemental Balance Sheet Information</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://activepower.com/role/SupplementalBalanceSheetInformation</Role>
      <ShortName>Supplemental Balance Sheet Information</ShortName>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R8.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>060300 - Disclosure - Net Loss Per Share</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://activepower.com/role/NetLossPerShare</Role>
      <ShortName>Net Loss Per Share</ShortName>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R9.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>060400 - Disclosure - Fair Value of Financial Instruments</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://activepower.com/role/FairValueOfFinancialInstruments</Role>
      <ShortName>Fair Value of Financial Instruments</ShortName>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R10.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>060500 - Disclosure - Guarantees</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://activepower.com/role/Guarantees</Role>
      <ShortName>Guarantees</ShortName>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R11.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>080200 - Disclosure - Supplemental Balance Sheet Information (Tables)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://activepower.com/role/SupplementalBalanceSheetInformationTables</Role>
      <ShortName>Supplemental Balance Sheet Information (Tables)</ShortName>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R12.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>080300 - Disclosure - Net Loss Per Share (Tables)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://activepower.com/role/NetLossPerShareTables</Role>
      <ShortName>Net Loss Per Share (Tables)</ShortName>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R13.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>080400 - Disclosure - Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Tables)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://activepower.com/role/FairValueOfFinancialInstrumentsTables</Role>
      <ShortName>Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Tables)</ShortName>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R14.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>090200 - Disclosure - Supplemental Balance Sheet Information (Details)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://activepower.com/role/SupplementalBalanceSheetInformationDetails</Role>
      <ShortName>Supplemental Balance Sheet Information (Details)</ShortName>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R15.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>090300 - Disclosure - Net Loss Per Share (Details)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://activepower.com/role/NetLossPerShareDetails</Role>
      <ShortName>Net Loss Per Share (Details)</ShortName>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R16.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>090400 - Disclosure - Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Details)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://activepower.com/role/FairValueOfFinancialInstrumentsDetails</Role>
      <ShortName>Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Details)</ShortName>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R17.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>090500 - Disclosure - Guarantees (Details)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://activepower.com/role/GuaranteesDetails</Role>
      <ShortName>Guarantees (Details)</ShortName>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <LongName>All Reports</LongName>
      <ReportType>Book</ReportType>
      <ShortName>All Reports</ShortName>
    </Report>
  </MyReports>
  <Logs>
    <Log type="Info">Process Flow-Through: 010000 - Statement - Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)</Log>
    <Log type="Info">	Process Flow-Through: Removing column 'Sep. 30, 2011'</Log>
    <Log type="Info">	Process Flow-Through: Removing column 'Dec. 31, 2010'</Log>
    <Log type="Info">Process Flow-Through: 010100 - Statement - Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (Parenthetical)</Log>
    <Log type="Info">Process Flow-Through: 020000 - Statement - Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss (Unaudited)</Log>
    <Log type="Info">Process Flow-Through: 030000 - Statement - Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)</Log>
  </Logs>
  <InputFiles>
    <File>acpw-20120930.xml</File>
    <File>acpw-20120930.xsd</File>
    <File>acpw-20120930_cal.xml</File>
    <File>acpw-20120930_def.xml</File>
    <File>acpw-20120930_lab.xml</File>
    <File>acpw-20120930_pre.xml</File>
  </InputFiles>
  <SupplementalFiles />
  <BaseTaxonomies />
  <HasPresentationLinkbase>true</HasPresentationLinkbase>
  <HasCalculationLinkbase>true</HasCalculationLinkbase>
</FilingSummary>
