Income Taxes	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes The income tax expense rate for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 was (31.0)% and (19.7)%, respectively. The income tax expense rate for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 was (5.2)% and (2.3)%, respectively, The differences between the actual consolidated effective income tax rate and the U.S. federal statutory rate were primarily attributable to the allocation of losses on noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests, which assumes a hypothetical liquidation of these partnerships as of the reporting dates. The Company sells solar energy systems to investment Funds. As the investment Funds are consolidated by the Company, the gain on the sale of the assets has been eliminated in the consolidated financial statements. These transactions are treated as intercompany sales and any tax expense incurred related to these sales prior to fiscal year 2017 was deferred. As described in Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Recently Issued Accounting Standards, ASU 2016-16, Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory, requires entities to recognize income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. As a result, a reporting entity would recognize the tax expense from the sale of assets in the seller’s tax jurisdiction when the transfer occurs, even though the pre-tax effects of the transaction are eliminated in the consolidated financial statements. Any deferred tax asset that arises in the buyer’s jurisdiction would also be recognized at the time of the transfer. As the Company sells solar energy systems to Funds, the Company will record the current tax effect of the gain on the sale as well as a deferred tax asset related to the Company’s increased tax basis in the partnership as a result of the sale. As a result of the adoption of ASU 2016-16, the Company recognized in retained earnings the reversal of the net prepaid tax assets of $378.5 million previously recorded for the tax deferral, and recognized gross a deferred tax asset of $378.2 million at January 1, 2017. The Company adopted ASU 2016-09, Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, on January 1, 2017. As a result of the adoption, the Company has increased its federal and state deferred tax assets by $3.3 million for the cumulative unrecognized federal and state gross windfall net operating loss carryover at December 31, 2016 of $8.6 million and $6.8 million, respectively, with an offsetting adjustment to retained earnings of $3.3 million. Uncertain Tax Positions As of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company had $1.5 million of unrecognized tax benefits related to an acquisition in 2015. In addition, there was $0.4 million and $0.3 million of interest and penalties for uncertain tax positions as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. The Company does not have any tax positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amount of gross unrecognized benefits will increase or decrease within the next 12 months. The Company is subject to taxation and files income tax returns in the United States, and various state and local jurisdictions. Due to the Company’s net losses, substantially all of its federal, state and local income tax returns since inception are still subject to audit. Net Operating Loss Carryforwards As a result of the Company’s net operating loss carryforwards as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company does not expect to pay income tax, including in connection with its income tax provision for the six months ended June 30, 2017 until the Company’s net operating losses are fully utilized. As of December 31, 2016, the Company’s federal and state net operating loss carryforwards were $571.3 million and $524.9 million, respectively. If not utilized, the federal net operating loss will begin to expire in the year 2028 and the state net operating losses will begin to expire in the year 2024.

Income Taxes

The income tax expense rate for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 was (31.0)% and (19.7)%, respectively. The income tax expense rate for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 was (5.2)% and (2.3)%, respectively, The differences between the actual consolidated effective income tax rate and the U.S. federal statutory rate were primarily attributable to the allocation of losses on noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests, which assumes a hypothetical liquidation of these partnerships as of the reporting dates.

The Company sells solar energy systems to investment Funds. As the investment Funds are consolidated by the Company, the gain on the sale of the assets has been eliminated in the consolidated financial statements. These transactions are treated as intercompany sales and any tax expense incurred related to these sales prior to fiscal year 2017 was deferred. As described in Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Recently Issued Accounting Standards, ASU 2016-16, Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory, requires entities to recognize income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. As a result, a reporting entity would recognize the tax expense from the sale of assets in the seller’s tax jurisdiction when the transfer occurs, even though the pre-tax effects of the transaction are eliminated in the consolidated financial statements. Any deferred tax asset that arises in the buyer’s jurisdiction would also be recognized at the time of the transfer. As the Company sells solar energy systems to Funds, the Company will record the current tax effect of the gain on the sale as well as a deferred tax asset related to the Company’s increased tax basis in the partnership as a result of the sale. As a result of the adoption of ASU 2016-16, the Company recognized in retained earnings the reversal of the net prepaid tax assets of $378.5 million previously recorded for the tax deferral, and recognized gross a deferred tax asset of $378.2 million at January 1, 2017.

The Company adopted ASU 2016-09, Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, on January 1, 2017. As a result of the adoption, the Company has increased its federal and state deferred tax assets by $3.3 million for the cumulative unrecognized federal and state gross windfall net operating loss carryover at December 31, 2016 of $8.6 million and $6.8 million, respectively, with an offsetting adjustment to retained earnings of $3.3 million.

Uncertain Tax Positions

As of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company had $1.5 million of unrecognized tax benefits related to an acquisition in 2015. In addition, there was $0.4 million and $0.3 million of interest and penalties for uncertain tax positions as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. The Company does not have any tax positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amount of gross unrecognized benefits will increase or decrease within the next 12 months. The Company is subject to taxation and files income tax returns in the United States, and various state and local jurisdictions. Due to the Company’s net losses, substantially all of its federal, state and local income tax returns since inception are still subject to audit.

Net Operating Loss Carryforwards

As a result of the Company’s net operating loss carryforwards as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company does not expect to pay income tax, including in connection with its income tax provision for the six months ended June 30, 2017 until the Company’s net operating losses are fully utilized. As of December 31, 2016, the Company’s federal and state net operating loss carryforwards were $571.3 million and $524.9 million, respectively. If not utilized, the federal net operating loss will begin to expire in the year 2028 and the state net operating losses will begin to expire in the year 2024.