Preferred Stock Statement, Equity Components [Axis] Common Stock Additional Paid-In Capital Notes Receivable - Common Stock Treasury Stock Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Accumulated Deficit Comprehensive Loss Notes Receivable - Common Stock Noncontrolling Interest Document And Entity Information Entity Registrant Name Entity Central Index Key Document Type Document Period End Date Amendment Flag Current Fiscal Year End Date Is Entity a Well-known Seasoned Issuer? Is Entity a Voluntary Filer? Is Entity's Reporting Status Current? Entity Filer Category Entity Public Float Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding Document Fiscal Period Focus Document Fiscal Year Focus Statement of Financial Position [Abstract] Assets Cash and cash equivalents Accounts receivable, net Inventories Prepaid and other current assets Refundable income tax credit Total current assets Long-term assets: Property, plant and equipment, net Investment in investee company Intangible assets, net Goodwill Total assets Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity Bank loans and notes payable Accounts payable Accrued expenses Deferred revenues Accrued compensation and benefits Total current liabilities Long-term liabilities: Bank loans and notes payable Total liabilities Shareholders' equity Series A preferred stock ($0.01 par value, $10,000 face value) 10,000,000 authorized, 575.1280 and 355.4678 issued, preference in liquidation of $6,133,947 and $3,715,470 as of December 31, 2011 and June 30, 2011, respectively Common stock ($0.01 par value); 150,000,000 authorized 36,623,476 and 29,912,415 shares issued Additional paid-in capital Notes receivable - common stock Treasury stock - 13,833 shares Accumulated deficit Accumulated other comprehensive loss Total ZBB Energy Corporation Equity Noncontrolling interest Total equity Total liabilities and shareholders' equity Preferred stock, par value Preferred stock, face value Preferred stock, authorized shares Preferred stock, issued shares Preferred stock, liquidation preference Treasury stock, shares Common stock, par value Common stock, Authorized Common stock, Issued Income Statement [Abstract] Revenues Product sales Engineering and development Total Revenues Costs and Expenses Cost of product sales Cost of engineering and development Advanced engineering and development Selling, general, and administrative Depreciation and amortization Impairment and other equipment charges Total Costs and Expenses Loss from Operations Other Income (Expense) Equity in loss of investee company Interest income Interest expense Other income Total Other Income (Expense) Loss before provision (benefit) for Income Taxes Provision (benefit) for Income Taxes Net Loss Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest Net Loss Attributable to ZBB Energy Corporation Net Loss per share - Basic and diluted Weighted average shares-basic and diluted: Basic Diluted Statement [Table] Statement [Line Items] Beginning Balance Shares Beginning Balance Amount Net loss Net translation adjustment Total Comprehensive Loss Issuance of common stock, net of costs and underwriting fees, Shares Issuance of common stock, net of costs and underwriting fees,Amount Equity offering costs Stock-based compensation Settlement of stock purchase agreement,Shares Settlement of stock purchase agreement,Amount Retired restricted stock,Shares Retired restricted stock,Amount Issuance of restricted common stock offering,Shares Issuance of restricted common stock offering,Amount Purchase of treasury stock Issuance of commitment fee shares,Shares Issuance of commitment fee shares,Amount Issuance of common stock for acquisition of net assets of TierElectronics,Shares Issuance of common stock for acquisition of net assets of TierElectronics,Amount Equity issuance costs,Shares Equity issuance costs,Amount Conversion of debenture notes payable to preferred stock,Shares Conversion of debenture notes payable to preferred stock,Amount Issuance of preferred stock, net of issuance costs,Shares Issuance of preferred stock, net of issuance costs,Amount Conversion of cash settled RSU's to stock settled RSU's Interest on notes receivable - common stock Accretion of dividends on preferred stock Issuance of warrants Issuance of preferred and common stock, net of issuance costs, Shares Issuance of preferred and common stock, net of issuance costs, Amount Other,Shares Other,Amount Issuance of subsidiary shares to noncontrolling interest Ending Balance Shares Ending Balance Amount Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract] Cash flows from operating activities Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: Depreciation of property, plant and equipment Amortization of intangible assets Stock-based compensation Equity in loss of investee company Bad Debt Provision Inventory obsolescence Impairment and other equipment charges Changes in assets and liabilities Accounts receivable Inventories Prepaids and other current assets Other receivables-interest Refundable income taxes Accounts payable Accrued compensation and benefits Accrued expenses Deferred revenues Net cash used in operating activities Cash flows from investing activities Expenditures for property and equipment Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired Bank certificate of deposit Investment in investee company Net cash used in investing activities Cash flows from financing activities Proceeds from bank loans and notes payable Repayments of bank loans and notes payable Proceeds from issuance of debenture notes payable Proceeds from issuance of Series A preferred stock Proceeds from issuance of Common Stock Common stock issuance costs Proceeds from noncontrolling interest Purchase of treasury stock Net cash provided by financing activities Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period Cash and cash equivalents - end of period Cash paid for interest Cash received for income tax credit Supplemental schedule of non-cash investing and financing activities: Conversion of debenture notes payable to Series A preferred stock Issuance of common stock for discounted notes receivable Issuance of common stock as consideration for equity issuance costs Conversion of cash settled RSUs to stock settled RSUs Issuance of warrants for purchase of property and equipment Notes to Financial Statements SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES BUSINESS ACQUISITION CHINA JOINT VENTURE GOING CONCERN INVENTORIES PROPERTY, PLANT & EQUIPMENT INTANGIBLE ASSETS GOODWILL BANK LOANS AND NOTES PAYABLE EMPLOYEE/DIRECTOR EQUITY INCENTIVE PLANS NON RELATED PARTY WARRANTS EQUITY COMMITMENTS RETIREMENT PLANS INCOME TAXES BUSINESS SEGMENT INFORMATION SUBSEQUENT EVENTS NotesReceivableCommonStockMember Assets, Current Assets [Default Label] Liabilities, Current LongTermLoansAndNotesPayableToBank Liabilities NotesReceivableCommonStock Treasury Stock, Value Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest Liabilities and Equity Revenue, Net Costs and Expenses [Default Label] Interest Expense Nonoperating Income (Expense) Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest Shares, Issued Share-based Compensation EquipmentImpairmentCharges Increase (Decrease) in Inventories Increase (Decrease) in Accounts Payable Increase (Decrease) in Employee Related Liabilities Increase (Decrease) in Accrued Liabilities Increase (Decrease) in Deferred Revenue Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities Payments to Acquire Property, Plant, and Equipment Payments to Acquire Interest in Subsidiaries and Affiliates Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities Repayments of Bank Debt Payments of Stock Issuance Costs Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities