Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Total		Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest	Sun Power Investment Prior To IPO	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Accumulated Earnings	Total Shareholders Equity	Noncontrolling Interest	Class A shares	Class B shares	SunPower	SunPower Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest	SunPower Sun Power Investment Prior To IPO	SunPower Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	SunPower Accumulated Earnings	SunPower Total Shareholders Equity	SunPower Noncontrolling Interest	SunPower Class A shares	SunPower Class B shares	First Solar	First Solar Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest	First Solar Sun Power Investment Prior To IPO	First Solar Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	First Solar Accumulated Earnings	First Solar Total Shareholders Equity	First Solar Noncontrolling Interest	First Solar Class A shares	First Solar Class B shares
Beginning Balance at Dec. 29, 2013		$ 139,933			$ 139,933	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Beginning Balance at Dec. 29, 2013		0
Beginning Balance, shares at Dec. 29, 2013										0	0
Predecessor loss prior to IPO		(1,216)		$ 0	(1,216)	0	0	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Unrealized loss on cash flow hedges		(3,156)	[1]	0	0	(3,156)	0	0	0	0	0
Contributions from SunPower		3,147		0	3,147	0	0	0	0	0	0
Distributions to SunPower		(11,198)		0	(11,198)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ending Balance at Dec. 28, 2014		127,510			130,666	(3,156)	0	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Ending Balance at Dec. 28, 2014		0
Ending Balance, shares at Dec. 28, 2014										0	0
Predecessor loss prior to IPO		(20,095)		0	(20,095)	0	0	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Unrealized loss on cash flow hedges		3,156		0	0	3,156	0	0	0	0	0
Contributions from SunPower		337,794		0	337,794	0	0	0	0	0	0
Distributions to SunPower		(3,163)		0	(3,163)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ending Balance at Jun. 24, 2015		445,202			445,202	0	0	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Ending Balance at Jun. 24, 2015		0
Ending Balance, shares at Jun. 24, 2015										0	0
Beginning Balance at Dec. 28, 2014		127,510			130,666	(3,156)	0	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Beginning Balance at Dec. 28, 2014		0
Beginning Balance, shares at Dec. 28, 2014										0	0
Predecessor loss prior to IPO		(20,095)
Unrealized loss on cash flow hedges	[1]	3,156
Net income (loss) subsequent to IPO		(3,916)
Ending Balance at Nov. 30, 2015		602,386			0	0	15,580	408,328	194,058	$ 392,748	$ 0
Ending Balance at Nov. 30, 2015		89,747
Ending Balance, shares at Nov. 30, 2015										20,007,281	51,000,000
Beginning Balance at Jun. 24, 2015		445,202			445,202	0	0	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Beginning Balance at Jun. 24, 2015		0
Beginning Balance, shares at Jun. 24, 2015										0	0
Issuance by OpCo of OpCo common units,subordinated units and Incentive Distribution Rights ("IDRs") for contribution of SunPower Project Entities												$ 0	$ 0	$ (493,790)	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 493,790	$ 0	$ 0
Predecessor's liabilities assumed												48,588	0	48,588	0	0	0	0	$ 0	0
Noncontrolling interests obtained through acquisition																					$ 408,820	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 408,820	$ 0	$ 0
Contributions from noncontrolling interests - tax equity investors		25,638		178,079	0	0	0	0	25,638	$ 0	$ 0
Distribution to Sponsors		(857,904)		0	0	0	0	0	(857,904)	0	0
Issuance of Class shares, value		392,636		0	0	0	0	392,636	0	$ 392,636	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0		$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0		$ 0
Issuance of Class shares, shares										20,000,000	0								0	28,883,075								0	22,116,925
Share-based compensation, Value		112		0	0	0	0	112	0	$ 112	$ 0
Share-based compensation, Shares										7,281	0
Contributions from SunPower		58,026		0	0	0	0	0	58,026	$ 0	$ 0
Cash distributions to Class A shareholders		(3,146)		0	0	0	(3,146)	(3,146)	0	0	0
Net income (loss) subsequent to IPO		84,414		(88,332)	0	0	18,726	18,726	65,688	0	0
Ending Balance at Nov. 30, 2015		602,386			0	0	15,580	408,328	194,058	$ 392,748	$ 0
Ending Balance at Nov. 30, 2015		89,747
Ending Balance, shares at Nov. 30, 2015										20,007,281	51,000,000
Predecessor loss prior to IPO		0
Unrealized loss on cash flow hedges	[1]	0
Noncontrolling interests obtained through acquisition		40,128		0	0	0	0	0	40,128	$ 0	$ 0
Cash and accrued distributions to noncontrolling interests - tax equity investors		(3,574)		(3,580)	0	0	0	0	(3,574)	0	0
Issuance of Class shares, value		113,325		0	0	0	0	113,325	0	$ 113,325	$ 0
Issuance of Class shares, shares										8,050,000	0
Reclassification of noncontrolling interests due to issuance of Class A shares		0						(257,159)	257,159	$ (257,159)
Share-based compensation, Value		224		0	0	0	0	224	0	$ 224	$ 0
Share-based compensation, Shares										15,399	0
Contributions from SunPower		9,973		0	0	0	0	0	9,973	$ 0	$ 0
Contributions from tax equity investors		50,507		0	0	0	0	0	50,507	0	0
Cash distributions to Class A shareholders		(20,241)		0	0	0	(20,241)	(20,241)	0	0	0
Cash distributions to Sponsors as OpCo unitholders		(12,271)		$ 0	0	0	0	0	(12,271)	0	0
Net income (loss) subsequent to IPO		12,910
Net income (loss)		81,452			0	0	27,101	27,101	54,351	0	0
Ending Balance at Nov. 30, 2016		861,909			$ 0	$ 0	$ 22,440	$ 271,578	$ 590,331	$ 249,138	$ 0
Ending Balance at Nov. 30, 2016		$ 17,624
Ending Balance, shares at Nov. 30, 2016										28,072,680	51,000,000

[1] The realized gain on cash flow hedge relates to the Predecessor’s interest swap that was terminated upon closing of the IPO and the remaining ineffective portion was recognized in earnings during the eleven months ended November 30, 2015.