Note 9 - Assets Held for Sale	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2013
Asset Held For Sale Text Block [Abstract]
Asset Held For Sale Text Block [Text Block]	9. Assets Held for Sale During the year ended December 31, 2010, Solar Power, Inc. recorded an asset held for sale of $10.0 million. The asset held for sale resulted from Solar Power, Inc. taking possession of a solar facility for which the customer was unable to complete payment. During 2010, the asset held for sale was reduced by $3.3 million to $6.7 million by funds received from the United States Treasury under Section 1603, Payment for Specified Energy Property in Lieu of Tax Credits. Although this asset had been held for sale for the past eighteen months as of December 31, 2011, during the period of the closing of the stock purchase by LDK, this asset was not actively marketed to third parties at LDK’s request and Solar Power, Inc. could not accept offers to sell the facility under the provisions of the LDK stock purchase agreement. Subsequent to the stock purchase by LDK, Solar Power, Inc. proceeded to actively market the asset to third parties and expected that this asset would be sold within the next twelve months. Accordingly, the asset held for sale was recorded as a current asset in the Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2011. During the quarter ended June 30, 2011, Solar Power, Inc. recorded an impairment charge of $0.4 million to reduce the carrying amount to the estimate of fair value less cost to sell. As such, the asset held for sale was recorded at $6.3 million as of December 31, 2011. The fair value was estimated based on a discounted cash flow analysis using level 3 unobservable inputs such as estimated future revenues and government incentives, less estimated future operating expenses. In May 2012, the Company recorded further impairment of $0.7 million, based on qualitative changes in the solar market. In June 2012, the Company sold the asset and assigned the related loan obligation, in the amount of $4.2 million, to HEK, LLC (“HEK”), a related party, and received net proceeds from the sale of $1.5 million consistent with the new fair value of the asset. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company’s subsidiary, SGT, completed construction of two SEFs, which were classified in the amount of $5.5 million as assets held for sale on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. In May 2012, these Italian assets held for sale were sold to and leased back from a leasing company. Refer to Note 8 —Property, Plant and Equipment for more information related to the assets. The fair value of the Italian assets held for sale was estimated using a discounted cash flow analysis using level 3 unobservable inputs. At June 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the balance of the account assets held for sale was zero and zero, respectively.

Note 9 - Assets Held for Sale

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2013

Asset Held For Sale Text Block [Abstract]

Asset Held For Sale Text Block [Text Block]

9. Assets Held for Sale

During the year ended December 31, 2010, Solar Power, Inc. recorded an asset held for sale of $10.0 million. The asset held for sale resulted from Solar Power, Inc. taking possession of a solar facility for which the customer was unable to complete payment. During 2010, the asset held for sale was reduced by $3.3 million to $6.7 million by funds received from the United States Treasury under Section 1603, Payment for Specified Energy Property in Lieu of Tax Credits. Although this asset had been held for sale for the past eighteen months as of December 31, 2011, during the period of the closing of the stock purchase by LDK, this asset was not actively marketed to third parties at LDK’s request and Solar Power, Inc. could not accept offers to sell the facility under the provisions of the LDK stock purchase agreement. Subsequent to the stock purchase by LDK, Solar Power, Inc. proceeded to actively market the asset to third parties and expected that this asset would be sold within the next twelve months. Accordingly, the asset held for sale was recorded as a current asset in the Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2011. During the quarter ended June 30, 2011, Solar Power, Inc. recorded an impairment charge of $0.4 million to reduce the carrying amount to the estimate of fair value less cost to sell. As such, the asset held for sale was recorded at $6.3 million as of December 31, 2011. The fair value was estimated based on a discounted cash flow analysis using level 3 unobservable inputs such as estimated future revenues and government incentives, less estimated future operating expenses. In May 2012, the Company recorded further impairment of $0.7 million, based on qualitative changes in the solar market. In June 2012, the Company sold the asset and assigned the related loan obligation, in the amount of $4.2 million, to HEK, LLC (“HEK”), a related party, and received net proceeds from the sale of $1.5 million consistent with the new fair value of the asset.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company’s subsidiary, SGT, completed construction of two SEFs, which were classified in the amount of $5.5 million as assets held for sale on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. In May 2012, these Italian assets held for sale were sold to and leased back from a leasing company. Refer to Note 8 —Property, Plant and Equipment for more information related to the assets. The fair value of the Italian assets held for sale was estimated using a discounted cash flow analysis using level 3 unobservable inputs.

At June 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the balance of the account assets held for sale was zero and zero, respectively.