Shareholders' Equity - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands			6 Months Ended	8 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 24, 2015	Jun. 18, 2015	Jun. 24, 2015	Aug. 31, 2015	Dec. 28, 2014
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Partnership interest				28.20%
Period of highest cash price after notice to acquire all shares is served				90 days
Minimum quarterly distribution other than liquidating				150.00%
Partnership shares, outstanding				71,002,679
Partnership Cumulative Cash Distributions			$ 3,163		$ 11,198
Initial Public Offering
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Partners' capital number of capital units purchased	20,000,000		20,000,000
Partners capital cash distributions to general purposes	$ 37,800		$ 37,800
First Solar | Initial Public Offering
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Partnership Cumulative Cash Distributions	154,400
SunPower | Initial Public Offering
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Partnership Cumulative Cash Distributions	$ 201,600
SunPower and First Solar | Non-controlling Interest
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Partnership interest				71.80%
Minimum
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Period of notice to be served to acquire all shares				10 days
Maximum
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Period of notice to be served to acquire all shares				60 days
Class A shares
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Partnership shares, Issued				20,002,679	0
Partnership shares, outstanding				20,002,679	0
Class A shares | Initial Public Offering
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
New issuance of shares	20,000,000
Shares issued price per share	$ 21.00		$ 21.00
Proceeds from issuance of shares	$ 420,000
Payments for underwriting discount	23,100
Structuring fee	3,200
Payments of stock issuance costs	26,300
Additional shares authorized to underwriters		3,000,000
Period to purchase additional shares		30 days
Partnership shares, outstanding				20,002,679
Proceeds from issuance of common limited partners units	$ 393,800
Class A shares | Minimum
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Partnership interest				80.00%
Class B shares
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Partnership shares, Issued				51,000,000	0
Partnership shares, outstanding				51,000,000	0
Class B shares | First Solar
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Partnership shares, outstanding				22,116,925
Class B shares | First Solar | Initial Public Offering
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Partnership shares, Issued		1,300,995
Class B shares | SunPower
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Partnership shares, outstanding				28,883,075
Class B shares | SunPower | Initial Public Offering
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Partnership shares, Issued		1,699,005
Class B shares | Minimum
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Partnership interest				80.00%