Note 12 - Line of Credit and Loans Payable	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Text Block]	12. Line of Credit, Loans Payable and Financing Obligations Lines of Credit On December 26, 2011, the Company entered into a Business Loan Agreement with Cathay Bank (“Cathay”) whereby Cathay agreed to extend the Company a line of credit of the lesser of $9.0 million or seventy percent (70%) of the aggregate amount in certain accounts receivable, which will mature December 31, 2012. LDK agreed to guaranty the full amount of the loan under a Commercial Guaranty by and between LDK and Cathay dated December 26, 2011. The interest rate under the loan is variable, 1.25% above the prime rate. In conjunction with the Business Loan Agreement, the Company and Cathay entered into a Commercial Security Agreement dated December 26, 2011 (“Cathay Security Agreement”), pursuant to which Cathay is granted a security interest in the collateral, which is certain accounts receivable. See Note 10— Stockholders’ Equity regarding the warrants associated with the line of credit that were issued in February 2012. Under the Business Loan Agreement, the Company is required to adhere to certain covenants, including a profitability requirement and financial statement ratio covenants. On June 15, 2012, the Company and Cathay executed a modification to the terms of the line of credit to adjust the required debt to worth ratio from three to one from two and one-half to one, and to subject all future advances to seventy percent of the receipts related to EPC agreements reviewed and approved by Cathay. Due to the accounting treatment related to the Aerojet 1 solar project development, the Company’s debt to worth covenant was in violation at December 31, 2011 and continues to be in violation until the related financial obligation is satisfied. The Company obtained a waiver from Cathay that excludes the financial impact of the Aerojet 1 transaction from the calculation of the debt to worth ratio through the term of the loan. Related to the financial concerns of the Company’s parent, LDK, as discussed in Note 2— Going Concern Considerations and Management’s Plan, the Cathay line of credit contains a material adverse change (“MAC”) clause under which the bank can declare amounts immediately due and payable. Due to the subjectivity of the MAC clause, it is not clear whether the events described above regarding LDK would represent a material adverse change. Should the banks declare amounts immediately due and payable under the MAC clause, the Company does not have the ability to make the payments without additional sources of financing or accelerating the collection of outstanding receivables. In December 2012, the Company amended the Business Loan Agreement with Cathay. Under the terms of the amended loan agreement, the facility amount was reduced to $7.0 million, with a variable interest rate of 2.0% above the prime rate and a 6% floor rate. The maturity date is extended to June 30, 2013 with monthly principal payments of $0.5 million due each month beginning December 30, 2012. The Company did not make the March 2013 payment and is, therefore, a month in arrears. The Company is currently in negotiations with Cathay, who has not issued a notice of default. The covenants were amended to include, among other items, the subordination of the net account payable due to LDK and elimination of minimum income and cash flow requirements. As of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company had a balance outstanding to Cathay on the line of credit of $5.5 and $6.5 million recorded in the current account lines of credit. During 2011 and 2012, SGT entered into various unsecured revolving credit agreements with six Italian financial institutions under which SGT may borrow up to 4.0 million Euros (approximately $5.1 million U.S. Dollars). Amounts borrowed for advances on customer invoices or for performance bonds to customers may be repaid and reborrowed after repayment. The Company is required to pay interest on outstanding borrowings at interest rates ranging from 4.4% to 9.9%, compounded quarterly. Repayment is due for each invoice advance upon repayment by the customer, up to one-hundred twenty days from utilization of each facility. As of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, $4.3 million and $4.4 million, respectively, were outstanding under the revolving credit facilities, classified in the current account lines of credit. Loans Payable On December 30, 2011, the Company and CDB entered into a Security Agreement (the “CDB Security Agreement”), whereby the Company granted CDB a security interest in certain collateral. The CDB Security Agreement is providing CDB with security for two term loan facilities that CBD, as lender, is extending to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, SPI Solar New Jersey, Inc. (“SPI New Jersey”) as discussed below (collectively, the “Facility Agreements” and each a “Facility Agreement”). Under the CDB Security Agreement, CDB may, among other rights involving the collateral, sell the collateral or withdraw funds from certain accounts of the Company in the event of a default under a Facility Agreement. The CDB Security Agreement terminates upon satisfaction in full of the obligations under the Facility Agreements. On December 30, 2011, SPI New Jersey entered into two facility agreements with CDB. The first Facility Agreement is for a $3.6 million facility and a RMB 72,150,000 ($11.5 million at current exchange rates) facility and relates to EPC Financing for one of the Company’s customers. The second Facility Agreement is for a $15.6 million facility and a RMB 77,850,000 ($12.3 million at current exchange rates) facility and relates to EPC financing for another of the Company’s customers. SPI New Jersey has twelve months to draw upon the facilities. The interest rate is a variable interest rate based on either LIBOR plus a margin, in the case of a loan under a U.S. dollar portion, or the standard RMB interest rate for similar loans, in the case of a loan under a RMB portion. The interest is payable every six months. Under each Facility Agreement, SPI New Jersey is obligated to pay a front-end fee of 1.5% of the total amount of the U.S. dollars portion of a Facility Agreement upon the first drawing under the U.S. dollars portion of that Facility Agreement. Further, SPI New Jersey is obligated to pay a front-end fee of 1.5% of the total amount of the RMB portion of a Facility Agreement upon the first drawing under the RMB portion of that Facility Agreement. Additionally, SPI New Jersey is obligated to pay a fee equal to 0.5% per annum of the available but undrawn funds. The loans under a facility may be prepaid in whole or in part. However, any repaid portion cannot be re-borrowed. The full amount outstanding under a facility is required to be paid in full twenty-four months from the date the facility was first utilized, which was December 2011. The loans outstanding under the facility also become payable on the occurrence of certain events, including a change of control of SPI New Jersey. During the three months ended March 31, 2012, SPI New Jersey repaid the first Facility Agreement of $3.6 million upon completion of the related solar development project. During the three months ended June 30, 2012, the Company drew down the remaining amount of RMB 77,850,000 (or $12.3 million in USD) under the second Facility Agreement. As of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the outstanding balance under these two credit facilities was $27.9 million, which was recorded in the current account loans payable and capital lease obligations. The CDB Facility Agreements also contain a MAC clause. LDK financial issues may trigger an acceleration of the CDB loans if CDB reasonably believes that LDK’s financial concerns would have a material adverse effect on the Company. While the Company currently does not believe that it is probable that repayment of these debts will be accelerated by CDB, given inherent uncertainty on this determination by CDB and because the amounts outstanding relate to ongoing EPC projects and are expected to be paid within one year following the end of the construction, in the second quarter 2012 the Company reclassified the related balance from a noncurrent liability account to the current account loans payable and capital lease obligations.

Note 12 - Line of Credit and Loans Payable

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

12. Line of Credit, Loans Payable and Financing Obligations

Lines of Credit

On December 26, 2011, the Company entered into a Business Loan Agreement with Cathay Bank (“Cathay”) whereby Cathay agreed to extend the Company a line of credit of the lesser of $9.0 million or seventy percent (70%) of the aggregate amount in certain accounts receivable, which will mature December 31, 2012. LDK agreed to guaranty the full amount of the loan under a Commercial Guaranty by and between LDK and Cathay dated December 26, 2011. The interest rate under the loan is variable, 1.25% above the prime rate. In conjunction with the Business Loan Agreement, the Company and Cathay entered into a Commercial Security Agreement dated December 26, 2011 (“Cathay Security Agreement”), pursuant to which Cathay is granted a security interest in the collateral, which is certain accounts receivable. See Note 10— Stockholders’ Equity regarding the warrants associated with the line of credit that were issued in February 2012.

Under the Business Loan Agreement, the Company is required to adhere to certain covenants, including a profitability requirement and financial statement ratio covenants. On June 15, 2012, the Company and Cathay executed a modification to the terms of the line of credit to adjust the required debt to worth ratio from three to one from two and one-half to one, and to subject all future advances to seventy percent of the receipts related to EPC agreements reviewed and approved by Cathay. Due to the accounting treatment related to the Aerojet 1 solar project development, the Company’s debt to worth covenant was in violation at December 31, 2011 and continues to be in violation until the related financial obligation is satisfied. The Company obtained a waiver from Cathay that excludes the financial impact of the Aerojet 1 transaction from the calculation of the debt to worth ratio through the term of the loan.

Related to the financial concerns of the Company’s parent, LDK, as discussed in Note 2— Going Concern Considerations and Management’s Plan, the Cathay line of credit contains a material adverse change (“MAC”) clause under which the bank can declare amounts immediately due and payable. Due to the subjectivity of the MAC clause, it is not clear whether the events described above regarding LDK would represent a material adverse change. Should the banks declare amounts immediately due and payable under the MAC clause, the Company does not have the ability to make the payments without additional sources of financing or accelerating the collection of outstanding receivables.

In December 2012, the Company amended the Business Loan Agreement with Cathay. Under the terms of the amended loan agreement, the facility amount was reduced to $7.0 million, with a variable interest rate of 2.0% above the prime rate and a 6% floor rate. The maturity date is extended to June 30, 2013 with monthly principal payments of $0.5 million due each month beginning December 30, 2012. The Company did not make the March 2013 payment and is, therefore, a month in arrears. The Company is currently in negotiations with Cathay, who has not issued a notice of default. The covenants were amended to include, among other items, the subordination of the net account payable due to LDK and elimination of minimum income and cash flow requirements. As of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company had a balance outstanding to Cathay on the line of credit of $5.5 and $6.5 million recorded in the current account lines of credit.

During 2011 and 2012, SGT entered into various unsecured revolving credit agreements with six Italian financial institutions under which SGT may borrow up to 4.0 million Euros (approximately $5.1 million U.S. Dollars). Amounts borrowed for advances on customer invoices or for performance bonds to customers may be repaid and reborrowed after repayment. The Company is required to pay interest on outstanding borrowings at interest rates ranging from 4.4% to 9.9%, compounded quarterly. Repayment is due for each invoice advance upon repayment by the customer, up to one-hundred twenty days from utilization of each facility. As of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, $4.3 million and $4.4 million, respectively, were outstanding under the revolving credit facilities, classified in the current account lines of credit.

Loans Payable

On December 30, 2011, the Company and CDB entered into a Security Agreement (the “CDB Security Agreement”), whereby the Company granted CDB a security interest in certain collateral. The CDB Security Agreement is providing CDB with security for two term loan facilities that CBD, as lender, is extending to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, SPI Solar New Jersey, Inc. (“SPI New Jersey”) as discussed below (collectively, the “Facility Agreements” and each a “Facility Agreement”). Under the CDB Security Agreement, CDB may, among other rights involving the collateral, sell the collateral or withdraw funds from certain accounts of the Company in the event of a default under a Facility Agreement. The CDB Security Agreement terminates upon satisfaction in full of the obligations under the Facility Agreements.

On December 30, 2011, SPI New Jersey entered into two facility agreements with CDB. The first Facility Agreement is for a $3.6 million facility and a RMB 72,150,000 ($11.5 million at current exchange rates) facility and relates to EPC Financing for one of the Company’s customers. The second Facility Agreement is for a $15.6 million facility and a RMB 77,850,000 ($12.3 million at current exchange rates) facility and relates to EPC financing for another of the Company’s customers. SPI New Jersey has twelve months to draw upon the facilities. The interest rate is a variable interest rate based on either LIBOR plus a margin, in the case of a loan under a U.S. dollar portion, or the standard RMB interest rate for similar loans, in the case of a loan under a RMB portion. The interest is payable every six months. Under each Facility Agreement, SPI New Jersey is obligated to pay a front-end fee of 1.5% of the total amount of the U.S. dollars portion of a Facility Agreement upon the first drawing under the U.S. dollars portion of that Facility Agreement. Further, SPI New Jersey is obligated to pay a front-end fee of 1.5% of the total amount of the RMB portion of a Facility Agreement upon the first drawing under the RMB portion of that Facility Agreement. Additionally, SPI New Jersey is obligated to pay a fee equal to 0.5% per annum of the available but undrawn funds. The loans under a facility may be prepaid in whole or in part. However, any repaid portion cannot be re-borrowed. The full amount outstanding under a facility is required to be paid in full twenty-four months from the date the facility was first utilized, which was December 2011. The loans outstanding under the facility also become payable on the occurrence of certain events, including a change of control of SPI New Jersey. During the three months ended March 31, 2012, SPI New Jersey repaid the first Facility Agreement of $3.6 million upon completion of the related solar development project. During the three months ended June 30, 2012, the Company drew down the remaining amount of RMB 77,850,000 (or $12.3 million in USD) under the second Facility Agreement. As of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the outstanding balance under these two credit facilities was $27.9 million, which was recorded in the current account loans payable and capital lease obligations.

The CDB Facility Agreements also contain a MAC clause. LDK financial issues may trigger an acceleration of the CDB loans if CDB reasonably believes that LDK’s financial concerns would have a material adverse effect on the Company. While the Company currently does not believe that it is probable that repayment of these debts will be accelerated by CDB, given inherent uncertainty on this determination by CDB and because the amounts outstanding relate to ongoing EPC projects and are expected to be paid within one year following the end of the construction, in the second quarter 2012 the Company reclassified the related balance from a noncurrent liability account to the current account loans payable and capital lease obligations.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for information about short-term and long-term debt arrangements, which includes amounts of borrowings under each line of credit, note payable, commercial paper issue, bonds indenture, debenture issue, own-share lending arrangements and any other contractual agreement to repay funds, and about the underlying arrangements, rationale for a classification as long-term, including repayment terms, interest rates, collateral provided, restrictions on use of assets and activities, whether or not in compliance with debt covenants, and other matters important to users of the financial statements, such as the effects of refinancing and noncompliance with debt covenants.

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