Related Parties - Additional Information (Details)																3 Months Ended			8 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
		Sep. 21, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 20, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 09, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 09, 2016 USD ($)	Jul. 01, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 28, 2016 MW	May 31, 2016 USD ($)	May 06, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 01, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) MW	Mar. 28, 2016 Facility MW	Feb. 27, 2016 USD ($)	Jan. 26, 2016 USD ($) MW	Jan. 22, 2016 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2016 USD ($) MW	Feb. 29, 2016 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2016 USD ($) MW	Sep. 30, 2016 MW	Nov. 25, 2015 USD ($)
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Cost of operations-SunPower, prior to IPO	[1]															$ 0		$ 59,000	$ 468,000	$ 0
Amount paid subsequently in acquiring business																			0	$ 124,326,000
MW(ac) | MW																530				530
Lease term expiration date																				Dec. 31, 2019
Selling, general and administrative	[1]															$ 1,804,000		2,483,000	9,055,000	$ 5,096,000
Kern Acquisition
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payment to acquire business														$ 4,900,000
Business combination capital contribution received from tax equity investor															$ 900,000
Agreement date																				Jan. 26, 2016
Kern Acquisition | Subsequent Event
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payment to acquire business					$ 9,200,000
Business combination capital contribution received from tax equity investor					$ 1,800,000
First Solar ROFO Amendment
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
MW(ac) | MW												100
Number of facilities | Facility												2
First Solar ROFO Amendment | California Flats
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
MW(ac) | MW							130
First Solar ROFO Amendment | California Flats Facilities in Monterey, California
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
MW(ac) | MW							150
IPO PSAs
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payment to acquire business																				$ 0
First Solar | Moapa Solar Generation Project
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Contribution of Interest in entities							100.00%
First Solar | Stateline
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Contribution of Interest in entities												24.00%
Maximum | Kern Acquisition
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Future capital contribution from tax equity investor														$ 31,200,000	$ 31,200,000
Related party transaction, payable in acquiring business on certain construction milestones																				28,500,000
MW(ac) | MW														21
First Solar MSA
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Annual management fee																				$ 600,000
First Solar MSA | Maximum
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Possible one-time percentage increase in management fee by service provider																15.00%				15.00%
SunPower MSA
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Annual management fee																				$ 1,100,000
SunPower MSA | Maximum
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Possible one-time percentage increase in management fee by service provider																15.00%				15.00%
Service Provider
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Management fee expense																$ 400,000		300,000	300,000	$ 1,200,000
Affiliated Entity
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Period of warranty for power and product																				25 years
Affiliated Entity | Maximum
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Period of warranty for materials, construction, fabrication and workmanship																				10 years
Affiliated Entity | Minimum
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Period of warranty for materials, construction, fabrication and workmanship																				2 years
Leased Solar Power Systems | Predecessor
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Cost of operations-SunPower, prior to IPO																$ 1,500,000		100,000	500,000	$ 3,800,000
OpCo
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Cash received as indemnity																	$ 10,000,000
Promissory Note issued																						$ 2,000,000
Interest rate of Promissory Note																						1.00%
Number of year, power purchase agreement serving							5 years					5 years
OpCo | Moapa Solar Generation Project
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
MW(ac) | MW							250
OpCo | Kern Acquisition | Subsequent Event
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payment to acquire business				$ 9,200,000
OpCo | Kingbird Purchase Agreement
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payment to acquire business								$ 0			$ 60,000,000
Business combination capital contribution received from tax equity investor								46,800,000					$ 11,700,000
Payment at closing											$ 42,900,000
Amount paid subsequently in acquiring business								$ 17,100,000
Agreement date																				Mar. 31, 2016
MW(ac) | MW											20
OpCo | Hooper Purchase Agreement
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payment to acquire business										$ 53,500,000	$ 0
OpCo | Macy’s Maryland Purchase Agreement
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Future capital contribution from tax equity investor																				$ 8,900,000
Business combination capital contribution received from tax equity investor									$ 600,000
Related party transaction, payable in acquiring business on certain construction milestones																				$ 5,000,000
Agreement date																				Jun. 29, 2016
Payment to acquire equity method investment						$ 12,000,000
OpCo | Macy’s Maryland Purchase Agreement | Subsequent Event
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Business combination capital contribution received from tax equity investor		$ 3,300,000
OpCo | Sun Power And Sun Power Asset Co L L C | Subsequent Event | Henrietta Project
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payment to acquire equity method investment			$ 134,000,000
Percentage of ownership interest			49.00%
OpCo | Stateline
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
MW(ac) | MW												300
OpCo | Stateline | Subsequent Event
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
MW(ac) | MW																					300
OpCo | SunPower
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Cash received as indemnity																				$ 3,900,000
OpCo | SunPower | Macy’s Maryland Purchase Agreement
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payment at closing						$ 6,400,000
OpCo | SunPower | Macy’s Maryland Purchase Agreement | Subsequent Event
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Amount paid subsequently in acquiring business		$ 5,600,000
OpCo | Maximum | First Solar
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Option to purchase remaining indirect interest in facility												100.00%
OpCo | Minimum | First Solar
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Option to purchase remaining indirect interest in facility												50.00%
Maryland Solar
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Lease term expiration date																				Dec. 31, 2019
Sun Power Operating Expenses Allocations | Predecessor
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Selling, general and administrative																		$ 800,000	$ 4,800,000

[1] The Partnership has related-party activities for transactions made with the Sponsors. Related party transactions recorded within “Operating revenues” in the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations were $1.3 million and $3.9 million for the three and nine months ended August 31, 2016, respectively, and $1.0 million for the three and eight months ended August 31, 2015. Related party transactions recorded within “Operating costs and expenses” in the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations were $1.9 million and $5.0 million for the three and nine months ended August 31, 2016, respectively, and $0.4 million and $0.8 million for the three and eight months ended August 31, 2015, respectively.