Joint Venture	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2013
Less Than Wholly Owned Subsidiary [Abstract]
Joint Venture	14. 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 will focus 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 Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements as of June 30, 2013 and for the three and six months then ended. Holley Metering’s interests in Echelon-Holley’s net assets are reported in the noncontrolling interest in subsidiary on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of June 30, 2013. Net loss attributable to the noncontrolling interest in Echelon-Holley was $176,000 and $324,000 during three and six months ended June 30, 2013, respectively. As of June 30, 2013, 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.

14. 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 will focus 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 Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements as of June 30, 2013 and for the three and six months then ended. Holley Metering’s interests in Echelon-Holley’s net assets are reported in the noncontrolling interest in subsidiary on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of June 30, 2013. Net loss attributable to the noncontrolling interest in Echelon-Holley was $176,000 and $324,000 during three and six months ended June 30, 2013, respectively.

As of June 30, 2013, 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.