Joint Venture	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Less Than Wholly Owned Subsidiary [Abstract]
Joint Venture	16. Joint Venture On March 23, 2012, the Company entered into an agreement with Holley Metering Limited (“Holley Metering”), a designer and manufacturer of energy meters in China, to create a joint venture, Zhejiang Echelon-Holley Technology Co., Ltd. (“Echelon-Holley”). The joint venture is focusing on the development and sales of smart energy products for China and rest-of-world markets. The Company has a 51% ownership interest in the joint venture and exercises controlling influence. Therefore, Echelon-Holley’s accounts are included in the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements as of December 31, 2012 and for the year then ended. Holley Metering’s interests in Echelon-Holley’s net assets are reported in the noncontrolling interest in subsidiary on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2012. Net loss attributable to the noncontrolling interest in Echelon-Holley was $363,000 during year ended December 31, 2012. As of December 31, 2012, Echelon and Holley Metering had contributed in cash a total of approximately $4,000,000 in Share Capital, as defined, to Echelon-Holley in proportion to their respective ownership interests.

16. Joint Venture

On March 23, 2012, the Company entered into an agreement with Holley Metering Limited (“Holley Metering”), a designer and manufacturer of energy meters in China, to create a joint venture, Zhejiang Echelon-Holley Technology Co., Ltd. (“Echelon-Holley”). The joint venture is focusing on the development and sales of smart energy products for China and rest-of-world markets. The Company has a 51% ownership interest in the joint venture and exercises controlling influence. Therefore, Echelon-Holley’s accounts are included in the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements as of December 31, 2012 and for the year then ended. Holley Metering’s interests in Echelon-Holley’s net assets are reported in the noncontrolling interest in subsidiary on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2012. Net loss attributable to the noncontrolling interest in Echelon-Holley was $363,000 during year ended December 31, 2012.

As of December 31, 2012, Echelon and Holley Metering had contributed in cash a total of approximately $4,000,000 in Share Capital, as defined, to Echelon-Holley in proportion to their respective ownership interests.