Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Operating activities:
Net loss	$ (768,822)	$ (375,230)	$ (151,758)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	166,653	97,880	41,448
Non cash interest and other expense	16,427	13,631	13,438
Stock-based compensation, net of amounts capitalized	86,369	65,562	21,262
Tax benefit of stock option exercises	(63,019)
Loss on extinguishment of long-term debt	1,093	4,533	306
Deferred income taxes	(527)	(26,680)	(25,424)
Non-cash reduction in financing obligation	(48,132)	(48,837)	(35,675)
Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment and construction in progress	3,840	1,404	60
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Restricted cash	(48,650)	(17,699)	(13,059)
Accounts receivable	(11,049)	945	2,911
Rebates receivable	18,476	(9,890)	(2,630)
Inventories	(125,337)	(97,347)	(19,954)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(24,485)	(23,155)	(19,276)
MyPower deferred costs	(202,899)	(13,571)
Other assets	(70,016)	(18,872)	(6,882)
Accounts payable	125,472	112,480	50,750
Accrued and other liabilities	147,455	(22,676)	84,444
Customer deposits	(4,238)	1,732	919
Deferred revenue	11,505	137,941	233,635
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(789,884)	(217,849)	174,515
Investing activities:
Payments for the cost of solar energy systems, leased and to be leased	(1,665,641)	(1,162,963)	(716,947)
Purchase of property, plant and equipment	(176,540)	(22,892)	(9,126)
Purchases of short-term investments	(44,592)	(167,397)
Proceeds from sales and maturities of short-term investments	170,737	28,764
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired	(9,509)	1,874	(3,826)
Other investments	(1,189)	(22,200)
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,726,734)	(1,344,814)	(729,899)
Financing activities:
Borrowings under long-term debt	1,093,261	369,801	203,228
Repayments of long-term debt	(215,933)	(336,557)	(65,328)
Proceeds from issuance of solar asset-backed notes	119,790	262,880	51,334
Repayments of borrowings under solar asset-backed notes	(15,863)	(5,932)	(1,461)
Payment of deferred purchase consideration	(3,747)	(2,206)	(3,382)
Proceeds from financing obligation	43,125	44,563	57,780
Repayments of financing obligation	(5,259)	(12,460)	(41,536)
Repayment of capital lease obligations	(6,036)	(2,772)	(1,594)
Proceeds from investment by noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	1,097,487	777,963	362,692
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	(109,511)	(117,125)	(137,005)
Proceeds from U.S. Treasury grants		342	127,476
Net cash provided by financing activities before equity and convertible notes issuances	2,207,330	982,149	552,204
Equity and convertible notes issuances:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock			174,083
Proceeds from issuance of convertible senior notes	99,805	552,765	222,518
Proceeds from issuance of convertible senior notes issued to related parties	12,975
Purchase of capped call options		(65,203)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	11,650	20,255	15,545
Tax benefit of stock option exercises	63,019
Proceeds from exercise of common stock warrants			8,034
Net cash provided by equity issuances	187,449	507,817	420,180
Net cash provided by financing activities	2,394,779	1,489,966	972,384
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(121,839)	(72,697)	417,000
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	504,383	577,080	160,080
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	382,544	504,383	577,080
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:
Cash paid during the period for interest	53,971	22,702	6,603
Cash paid during the period for taxes, net of refunds	2,846	1,881	$ (1,726)
Solar Bonds [Member]
Financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of solar bonds	47,146	3,122
Proceeds from issuance of solar bonds issued to related parties	165,020	$ 530
Repayments of borrowings under solar bonds	(1,820)
Repayments of borrowings under solar bonds issued to related parties	$ (330)