Name:	plug_FinancingTransactionFinanceObligationAmount
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Represents the amount of current portion of finance obligation in connection with the transactions involving the sale of property to another party and the lease of the property back to the seller.

No definition available.

Name:	plug_FinancingTransactionFinanceObligationAmountCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Represents the amount of noncurrent portion of finance obligation in connection with the transactions involving the sale of property to another party and the lease of the property back to the seller.

No definition available.

Name:	plug_FinancingTransactionFinanceObligationAmountNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of interest expense on finance lease liability.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 53
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479589/842-20-55-53

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479041/842-20-45-4

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147478964/842-20-50-4

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseInterestExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147481295/840-40-50-1

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479741/842-40-50-2