Transfer of Entities Under Common Control (Details) (USD $) Share data in Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				12 Months Ended							12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2012		Jan. 01, 2012		Dec. 30, 2012		Jan. 01, 2012		Jan. 02, 2011		Jan. 03, 2010	Jan. 01, 2012 Scenario, Previously Reported [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Change In Reporting Entity [Member]	Apr. 01, 2012 Total [Member] Tenesol [Member]	Jan. 31, 2012 Total [Member] Tenesol [Member]
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent					$ (361,683,000)		$ (610,235,000)	[1]	$ 199,721,000			$ (598,959,000)	$ (610,235,000)
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price															165,400,000
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired															100.00%
Cash distributions to Parent in connection with the transfer of entities under common control					169,637,000		0	[1],[2]	0					12,900,000
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	457,487,000		725,618,000	[1],[2]	457,487,000		725,618,000	[1],[2]	605,420,000	[1],[2]	615,879,000	657,934,000	725,618,000
Restricted cash and cash equivalents, current portion	15,568,000		52,279,000	[1],[2]	15,568,000		52,279,000	[1],[2]				52,279,000	52,279,000
Accounts receivable, net	398,150,000		438,633,000	[1],[2]	398,150,000		438,633,000	[1],[2]				390,262,000	438,633,000
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings	36,395,000		54,854,000	[1],[2]	36,395,000		54,854,000	[1],[2]				54,854,000	54,854,000
Inventories	291,386,000		445,501,000	[1],[2]	291,386,000		445,501,000	[1],[2]				397,262,000	445,501,000
Advances to suppliers, current portion	50,282,000		43,143,000	[1],[2]	50,282,000		43,143,000	[1],[2]				43,143,000	43,143,000
Project assets - plants and land, current portion	75,911,000		24,243,000	[1],[2]	75,911,000		24,243,000	[1],[2]				24,243,000	24,243,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	613,053,000	[3]	487,766,000	[1],[2],[3]	613,053,000	[3]	487,766,000	[1],[2],[3]				482,691,000	502,879,000
Total current assets	1,938,232,000		2,272,037,000	[1],[2]	1,938,232,000		2,272,037,000	[1],[2]				2,102,668,000	2,287,150,000
Restricted cash and cash equivalents, net of current portion	31,396,000		27,276,000	[1],[2]	31,396,000		27,276,000	[1],[2]				27,276,000	27,276,000
Restricted long-term marketable securities	10,885,000		9,145,000	[1],[2]	10,885,000		9,145,000	[1],[2]				9,145,000	9,145,000
Property, plant and equipment, net	774,909,000	[4]	643,882,000	[1],[2],[4]	774,909,000	[4]	643,882,000	[1],[2],[4]				607,456,000	628,769,000
Project assets - plants and land, net of current portion	7,596,000		34,614,000	[1],[2]	7,596,000		34,614,000	[1],[2]				34,614,000	34,614,000
Goodwill	0		47,077,000	[1],[2]	0		47,077,000	[1],[2]	345,270,000			35,990,000	47,077,000
Other intangible assets, net	744,000		23,900,000	[1],[2]	744,000		23,900,000	[1],[2]				4,848,000	23,900,000
Advances to suppliers, net of current portion	301,123,000		284,378,000	[1],[2]	301,123,000		284,378,000	[1],[2]				278,996,000	284,378,000
Other long-term assets	276,063,000	[3]	176,821,000	[1],[2],[3]	276,063,000	[3]	176,821,000	[1],[2],[3]				174,204,000	176,821,000
Total assets	3,340,948,000		3,519,130,000	[1],[2]	3,340,948,000		3,519,130,000	[1],[2]				3,275,197,000	3,519,130,000
Accounts payable	414,335,000	[3]	441,655,000	[1],[2],[3]	414,335,000	[3]	441,655,000	[1],[2],[3]				416,615,000	441,655,000
Accrued liabilities	247,372,000		249,404,000	[1],[2]	247,372,000		249,404,000	[1],[2]				234,688,000	249,404,000
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings	225,550,000		170,828,000	[1],[2]	225,550,000		170,828,000	[1],[2]				170,828,000	170,828,000
Short-term debt	14,700,000		2,122,000	[1],[2]	14,700,000		2,122,000	[1],[2]				0	2,122,000
Convertible debt, current portion	0		196,710,000	[1],[2]	0		196,710,000	[1],[2]				196,710,000	196,710,000
Customer advances, current portion	59,648,000	[3]	48,073,000	[1],[2],[3]	59,648,000	[3]	48,073,000	[1],[2],[3]				46,139,000	48,073,000
Total current liabilities	961,605,000		1,108,792,000	[1],[2]	961,605,000		1,108,792,000	[1],[2]				1,064,980,000	1,108,792,000
Long-term debt	375,661,000		364,273,000	[1],[2]	375,661,000		364,273,000	[1],[2]				355,000,000	364,273,000
Convertible debt, net of current portion	438,629,000		423,268,000	[1],[2]	438,629,000		423,268,000	[1],[2]				423,268,000	423,268,000
Customer advances, net of current portion	236,082,000	[3]	181,946,000	[1],[2],[3]	236,082,000	[3]	181,946,000	[1],[2],[3]				181,947,000	181,946,000
Other long-term liabilities	335,619,000		166,126,000	[1],[2]	335,619,000		166,126,000	[1],[2]				152,492,000	166,126,000
Total liabilities	2,347,596,000		2,244,405,000	[1],[2]	2,347,596,000		2,244,405,000	[1],[2]				2,177,687,000	2,244,405,000
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding as of both December 30, 2012 and January 1, 2012	0		0	[1],[2]	0		0	[1],[2]				0	0
Common stock, $0.001 par value, 367,500,000 shares authorized; 101,851,290 shares issued, and 100,475,533 shares outstanding as of January 1, 2012	119,000		100,000		119,000		100,000
Common stock, $0.001 par value, 367,500,000 shares authorized; 123,315,990 shares issued, and 119,234,280 outstanding as of December 30, 2012; 101,851,290 shares issued, and 100,475,533 shares outstanding as of January 1, 2012	119,000		100,000	[1],[2]	119,000		100,000	[1],[2]				100,000	100,000
Additional paid-in capital	1,931,947,000		1,845,965,000	[1],[2]	1,931,947,000		1,845,965,000	[1],[2]				1,657,474,000	1,845,965,000
Accumulated deficit	(902,085,000)		(550,065,000)	[1],[2]	(902,085,000)		(550,065,000)	[1],[2]				(540,187,000)	(550,065,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	(2,521,000)		7,142,000	[1],[2]	(2,521,000)		7,142,000	[1],[2]				8,540,000	7,142,000
Treasury stock, at cost; 1,375,757 shares of common stock as of January 1, 2012	(34,108,000)		(28,417,000)	[1],[2]	(34,108,000)		(28,417,000)	[1],[2]				(28,417,000)	(28,417,000)
Total stockholders' equity	993,352,000		1,274,725,000	[1],[2]	993,352,000		1,274,725,000	[1],[2]				1,097,510,000	1,274,725,000
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	3,340,948,000		3,519,130,000	[1],[2]	3,340,948,000		3,519,130,000	[1],[2]				3,275,197,000	3,519,130,000
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenue					2,417,501,000		2,374,376,000	[1]	2,219,230,000			2,312,494,000	2,374,376,000
Cost of revenue					2,171,103,000		2,148,158,000	[1]	1,709,337,000			2,084,290,000	2,148,158,000
Gross margin					246,398,000		226,218,000	[1]	509,893,000			228,204,000	226,218,000
Research and development					63,456,000		57,775,000	[1]	49,090,000			57,775,000	57,775,000
Sales, general and administrative					310,246,000		331,380,000	[1]	321,936,000			319,719,000	331,380,000
Goodwill impairment			309,500,000		46,734,000	[5]	309,457,000	[1],[2],[5]	0			309,457,000	309,457,000
Other intangible asset impairment	12,800,000		40,300,000		12,847,000		40,301,000	[1],[2]	0			40,301,000	40,301,000
Restructuring charges					100,823,000		21,403,000	[1]	0			21,403,000	21,403,000
Total operating expenses					534,106,000		760,316,000	[1]	371,026,000			748,655,000	760,316,000
Operating income (loss)					(287,708,000)		(534,098,000)	[1]	138,867,000			(520,451,000)	(534,098,000)
Other expense, net:
Interest income					1,091,000		2,337,000	[1]	1,541,000			2,054,000	2,337,000
Interest expense					(84,120,000)		(67,253,000)	[1]	(55,276,000)			(67,022,000)	(67,253,000)
Gain on change in equity interest in unconsolidated investee					0		322,000	[1],[2]	28,078,000			322,000	322,000
Gain on sale of equity interest in unconsolidated investee					0		5,937,000	[1],[2]	0			5,937,000	5,937,000
Gain (loss) on mark-to-market derivatives					4,000		343,000	[1],[2]	35,764,000			343,000	343,000
Other, net					(9,575,000)		(10,120,000)	[1]	(26,410,000)			(8,946,000)	(10,120,000)
Other income (expense), net					(41,955,000)		(68,434,000)	[1]	44,546,000			(67,312,000)	(68,434,000)
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated investees					(329,663,000)		(602,532,000)	[1]	183,413,000			(587,763,000)	(602,532,000)
Benefit from (provision for) income taxes					(21,842,000)		(17,208,000)	[1]	(23,375,000)			(22,099,000)	(17,208,000)
Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated investees					515,000		(6,003,000)	[1],[2]	(6,845,000)			(6,003,000)	(6,003,000)
Net income (loss)					$ (352,020,000)		$ (613,737,000)	[1],[2]	$ 178,724,000			$ (603,859,000)	$ (613,737,000)
Basic and diluted net loss per share												$ (6.18)	$ (6.28)
Weighted-average shares:
Basic and diluted weighted-average common shares												97,724	97,724

[1] As adjusted to reflect the balances of Tenesol S.A. ("Tenesol") beginning October 10, 2011, as required under the accounting guidelines for a transfer of an entity under common control (see Note 3).

[2] As adjusted to conform to the current period presentation for solar power systems leased and to be leased (see Note 1).

[3] The Company has related party balances in connection with transactions made with unconsolidated entities in which the Company has a direct equity investment. These related party balances are recorded within the "Prepaid expenses and other current assets," "Other long-term assets," "Accounts payable," "Customer advances, current portion," and "Customer advances, net of current portion" financial statement line items in the Consolidated Balance Sheets (see Note 7, Note 10, and Note 11).

[4] Property, plant and equipment, net are based on the physical location of the assets.

[5] Impairment amounts in the above table reflect the Company's cumulative-to-date goodwill impairments.