Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 382,544	$ 504,383
Short-term investments		11,311	138,311
Restricted cash		39,864	20,875
Accounts receivable (net of allowances for doubtful accounts of $4,292 and $1,941 as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively)		33,998	22,708
Rebates receivable (net of reserves of $2,207 and $7,860 as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively)		11,545	30,021
Inventories		342,951	217,223
Deferred income tax asset			13,149
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		79,925	50,946
Total current assets		902,138	997,616
Solar energy systems, leased and to be leased – net		4,375,553	2,796,796
Property, plant and equipment – net		262,387	75,464
Build-to-suit lease asset under construction		284,500	26,450
Goodwill and intangible assets – net		517,109	539,557
MyPower customer notes receivable, net of current portion		488,461	34,544
MyPower deferred costs		215,708	13,147
Other assets		241,262	67,645
Total assets	[1]	7,287,118	4,551,219
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		364,973	237,809
Distributions payable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests		26,769	8,552
Current portion of deferred U.S. Treasury grant income		15,336	15,330
Accrued and other current liabilities		270,184	152,408
Customer deposits		6,322	10,560
Current portion of deferred revenue		103,078	86,238
Current portion of long-term debt		180,048	11,781
Current portion of solar asset-backed notes		13,864	13,157
Current portion of financing obligation		34,479	29,689
Total current liabilities		1,193,362	566,513
Deferred revenue, net of current portion		1,010,491	557,408
Long-term debt, net of current portion		1,006,595	282,789
Convertible senior notes		881,585	777,726
Convertible senior notes issued to related parties		12,975
Solar asset-backed notes, net of current portion		395,667	293,215
Long-term deferred tax liability		1,373	13,194
Financing obligation, net of current portion		68,940	73,379
Deferred U.S. Treasury grant income, net of current portion		382,283	397,486
Build-to-suit lease liability		284,500	26,450
Other liabilities and deferred credits		279,006	218,024
Total liabilities	[1]	$ 5,552,555	$ 3,208,847
Commitments and contingencies (Note 22)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries		$ 320,935	$ 186,788
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock, $0.0001 par value - authorized, 1,000,000 shares as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014; issued and outstanding, 97,864 and 96,521 shares as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively		10	10
Additional paid-in capital		1,195,246	1,003,992
Accumulated deficit		(316,690)	(258,360)
Total stockholders' equity		878,566	745,642
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries		535,062	409,942
Total equity		1,413,628	1,155,584
Total liabilities and equity		7,287,118	4,551,219
Solar Bonds [Member]
Current liabilities:
Current portion of solar bonds		13,189	659
Current portion of solar bonds issued to related parties		165,120	330
Solar bonds, net of current portion		35,678	2,463
Solar bonds issued to related parties, net of current portion		$ 100	$ 200

[1] SolarCity Corporation’s, or the Company’s, consolidated assets as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 include $2,866,882 and $1,672,370, respectively, being assets of variable interest entities, or VIEs, that can only be used to settle obligations of the VIEs. These assets include solar energy systems, leased and to be leased - net of $2,779,363 and $1,581,459 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively; property, plant and equipment - net of $21,960 and $24,286 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively; cash and cash equivalents of $33,537 and $27,820 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively; inventory of $1,000 and $614 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively; restricted cash, current, of $522 and $106 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively; accounts receivable - net of $10,267 and $6,769 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively; prepaid expenses and other current assets of $2,713 and $1,839 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively; rebates receivable of $6,220 and $25,397 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively; restricted cash, long-term, of $254 and $300 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively; and other assets of $11,046 and $3,780 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The Company’s consolidated liabilities as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 included $33,475 and $27,808, respectively, being liabilities of VIEs whose creditors have no recourse to the Company. These liabilities include distributions payable to noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries and redeemable noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries of $26,769 and $8,552 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively; accounts payable of $1,954 and $2,748 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively; customer deposits of $2,928 and $6,405 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively; accrued liabilities and other payables of $1,824 and $969 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively; and current portion of long-term debt of $0 and $9,134 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.