STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT) (Warrants) (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 15, 2017	Aug. 10, 2017	Jul. 24, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Equity [Abstract]
Class of warrant or right, outstanding (in shares)	200,000	250,000	250,000	0	700,000	0
Exercise price of warrants (in dollars per share)	$ 1.8	$ 3	$ 4
Class Of warrants and rights, maximum ownership percentage threshold for conversion	9.99%	9.99%	9.99%
Fair value adjustments, stock price (in dollars per share)	$ 0.8	$ 1.5	$ 0.7
Derivative - expected annual volatility	99.00%	230.00%	234.00%
Fair value assumptions, risk free interest rate	1.48%	1.22%	1.23%
Warrants and rights outstanding	$ 10,035	$ 246,803	$ 88,937

Class Of Warrants And Rights, Maximum Ownership Percentage Threshold For Conversion

No definition available.

Name:	asti_ClassOfWarrantsAndRightsMaximumOwnershipPercentageThresholdForConversion
Namespace Prefix:	asti_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair Value Adjustments, Stock Price

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	asti_FairValueAdjustmentsStockPrice
Namespace Prefix:	asti_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Exercise price per share or per unit of warrants or rights outstanding.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(i)(4))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightExercisePriceOfWarrantsOrRights1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of warrants or rights outstanding.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(i))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightOutstanding
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The estimated measure of the percentage by which a share price is expected to fluctuate during a period. Volatility also may be defined as a probability-weighted measure of the dispersion of returns about the mean. The volatility of a share price is the standard deviation of the continuously compounded rates of return on the share over a specified period. That is the same as the standard deviation of the differences in the natural logarithms of the stock prices plus dividends, if any, over the period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (f)(2)(ii)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109197908&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The risk-free interest rate assumption that is used in valuing an option on its own shares.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (f)(2)(iv)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109197908&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Value of outstanding derivative securities that permit the holder the right to purchase securities (usually equity) from the issuer at a specified price.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(i))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_WarrantsAndRightsOutstanding
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant