2.4.0.81050 - Disclosure - GES-Port Charlottetruefalsefalse1false falsefalseD2012http://www.sec.gov/CIK0001065860duration2012-01-01T00:00:002012-12-31T00:00:001true 1us-gaap_BusinessCombinationsAbstractus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:stringItemTypestringfalse0GES-Port Charlotte2false 2us-gaap_BusinessCombinationDisclosureTextBlockus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00<div style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times New Roman;"> Note 5 — GES-Port Charlotte   During 2010, the Company established Lime Energy Asset Development, LLC (“LEAD”), to develop, construct, operate and in certain situations own energy producing assets.  In October 2010, LEAD paid $2.65 million to acquire GES-Port Charlotte, an entity that held the gas rights to the Zemel Road landfill in Punta Gorda, Florida.  Shortly thereafter GES-Port Charlotte entered into a 20-year power purchase agreement with a utility for the sale of electricity and certain environmental attributes to be generated from the landfill gas.  In October 2011, it completed construction of a 2.8 megawatt landfill-gas to electricity facility on the site and began delivery of electricity under the power purchase agreement.  The cost to construct the facility was approximately $4.7 million, net of a $1.8 million U.S. Treasury Grant received for the project in December 2011.  The Company financed a portion of the construction costs with a $3.6 million term loan.  Refer to Note 13 for information regarding the terms of this loan.   The Company evaluates all of our long-lived assets, including intangible assets other than goodwill and fixed assets, periodically for impairment in accordance with ASC 360-10-35, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets.” It records impairment losses on long-lived assets used in operations when events and circumstances indicate that the assets might be impaired and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the carrying amount of those items. Its cash flow estimates are based on historical results adjusted to reflect its best estimate of future market and operating conditions. The net carrying value of assets not recoverable is reduced to fair value. During the fourth quarter of 2012, it estimates regarding future cash flows indicated that the fair-market value of the Zemel Road landfill-gas to electricity generating facilities was less than its current carrying value.  Accordingly, it recorded a $3.5 million impairment charge for impairment to both the intangible asset and the associated PP&E to reduce the value of these assets to their estimate of fair-market values during the fourth quarter of 2012. </div>falsefalsefalsenonnum:textBlockItemTypenaThe entire disclosure for a business combination (or series of individually immaterial business combinations) completed during the period, including background, timing, and recognized assets and liabilities. The disclosure may include leverage buyout transactions (as applicable).Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7488404&loc=d3e6996-128479 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 7 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7659399&loc=d3e1524-128463 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7659399&loc=d3e1383-128463 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7488404&loc=d3e7000-128479 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 141R -Paragraph F4 -Subparagraph e -Appendix F Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6910749&loc=d3e4934-128472 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 141 -Paragraph 51, 52 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. 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This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) -Number 88-16 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7659399&loc=d3e1392-128463 Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7659399&loc=d3e1486-128463 Reference 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7659399&loc=d3e1497-128463 Reference 15: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7659399&loc=d3e1490-128463 Reference 16: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7488404&loc=d3e7008-128479 Reference 17: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7488404&loc=d3e6927-128479 Reference 18: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6910749&loc=d3e4845-128472 Reference 19: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 6 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7659399&loc=d3e1500-128463 false0GES-Port CharlottefalseGES-Port CharlotteUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnowntruefalsefalseSheethttp://www.lime-energy.com/role/DisclosureGESPortCharlotte12