10. Project Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Project assets	$ 41,022	$ 58,579
Project assets, current	24,654	42,211
Project assets, noncurrent	16,368	16,368
Completed for sale
Project assets	21,215	24,228
Under development [Member]
Project assets	$ 19,807	$ 34,351

Amount PV solar power systems ("project assets") that are held for development and sale. Project assets costs consist primarily of capitalizable costs for items such as permits and licenses, acquired land or land use rights, and work-in-process. Work-in-process includes materials and modules, construction, installation and labor, capitalized interests and other capitalizable costs incurred to construct the PV solar power systems. There project assets are not completed at reporting or no plan is in placed to actively market the systems for immediate sale in their present condition to potential third party buyers subject to terms that are usual and customary for sales of these types assets and it is probable that the system will be sold within one year.

No definition available.

Name:	spi_ProjectAssetsNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	spi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant