Note 1 - Description of Business and Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
Disclosure Text Block [Abstract]
Business Description and Basis of Presentation [Text Block]	1. Description of Business and Basis of Presentation Description of Business Solar Power, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively the “Company”) consist of the combination of the legacy reporting entity Solar Power, Inc. and Solar Green Technology S.p.A. (“SGT”) and their respective subsidiaries. The Company’s subsidiaries are located in the United States, Italy, China, Hong Kong and Japan. Refer to Note 5—Acquisition of Solar Green Technology, and Note 6—Deconsolidation of Solar Green Technology, for further details of the accounting impact of the SGT acquisition and deconsolidation. The Company is a global solar energy facility (“SEF”) developer offering its own brand of high-quality, low-cost distributed generation and utility-scale SEF development services. The Company primarily partners with developers around the world as co-developer and provides engineering, procurement and construction (“EPC”) services. Basis of Presentation The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are unaudited and have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information. They should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes to the financial statements of Solar Power, Inc. for the years ended December 31, 2013 appearing in Solar Power, Inc.’s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on April 15, 2014. The Company’s September 30, 2014 and 2013 unaudited interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements on Form 10-Q have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC for smaller reporting companies and include the accounts of Solar Power, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Preparation of these financial statements requires management to make certain judgments, estimates and assumptions. These may affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. They also may affect the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Key estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements include: contract percentage-of-completion and cost estimates, construction in progress, allowance for doubtful accounts, stock-based compensation, derivative liability, warranty reserve, deferred taxes, valuation of inventory, and valuation of other intangible assets. Actual results could differ from those estimates upon subsequent resolution of identified matters. The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business are dependent on, among other things, the Company’s ability to operate profitably, to generate cash flows from operations, and to pursue financing arrangements to support its working capital requirements.

Note 1 - Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2014

Business Description and Basis of Presentation [Text Block]

1. Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

Description of Business

Solar Power, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively the “Company”) consist of the combination of the legacy reporting entity Solar Power, Inc. and Solar Green Technology S.p.A. (“SGT”) and their respective subsidiaries. The Company’s subsidiaries are located in the United States, Italy, China, Hong Kong and Japan. Refer to Note 5—Acquisition of Solar Green Technology, and Note 6—Deconsolidation of Solar Green Technology, for further details of the accounting impact of the SGT acquisition and deconsolidation.

The Company is a global solar energy facility (“SEF”) developer offering its own brand of high-quality, low-cost distributed generation and utility-scale SEF development services. The Company primarily partners with developers around the world as co-developer and provides engineering, procurement and construction (“EPC”) services.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are unaudited and have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information. They should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes to the financial statements of Solar Power, Inc. for the years ended December 31, 2013 appearing in Solar Power, Inc.’s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on April 15, 2014. The Company’s September 30, 2014 and 2013 unaudited interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements on Form 10-Q have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC for smaller reporting companies and include the accounts of Solar Power, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

Preparation of these financial statements requires management to make certain judgments, estimates and assumptions. These may affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. They also may affect the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Key estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements include: contract percentage-of-completion and cost estimates, construction in progress, allowance for doubtful accounts, stock-based compensation, derivative liability, warranty reserve, deferred taxes, valuation of inventory, and valuation of other intangible assets. Actual results could differ from those estimates upon subsequent resolution of identified matters.

The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business are dependent on, among other things, the Company’s ability to operate profitably, to generate cash flows from operations, and to pursue financing arrangements to support its working capital requirements.