2.4.0.82101100 - Disclosure - The Company and Summary of Significant Accounting Policiestruefalsefalse1falsefalsefalseD2013Q2YTDhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000867773duration2012-12-31T00:00:002013-06-30T00:00:001true1us-gaap_OrganizationConsolidationAndPresentationOfFinancialStatementsAbstractus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:stringItemTypestringfalse02false2us-gaap_OrganizationConsolidationBasisOfPresentationBusinessDescriptionAndAccountingPoliciesTextBlockus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00<div style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;"><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold;">THE COMPANY AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">The Company</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">SunPower Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, the "Company" or "SunPower") is a vertically integrated solar products and solutions company that designs, manufactures and delivers high-performance solar systems worldwide, serving as a one-stop shop for residential, commercial, and utility-scale power plant customers.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">The Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, as the chief operating decision maker ("CODM"), has organized the Company, manages resource allocations and measures performance of the Company's activities among three regional segments: (i) the Americas Segment, (ii) the EMEA Segment, and (iii) the APAC Segment. The Americas Segment includes both North and South America. The EMEA Segment includes European countries, as well as the Middle East and Africa. The APAC segment includes all Asia-Pacific countries. </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">On </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">June 21, 2011</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">, the Company became a majority owned subsidiary of Total Energies Nouvelles Activités USA, SAS, formerly known as Total Gas & Power USA, SAS</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;"> </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">("Total"), a subsidiary of Total S.A</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;">.</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> ("Total S.A."), through a tender offer and Total's purchase of </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">60%</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> of the outstanding former class A common stock and former class B common stock of the Company as of </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">June 13, 2011</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">. On January 31, 2012, Total purchased an additional </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">18.6 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> shares of the Company's common stock in a private placement, thereby increasing Total's ownership to approximately </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">66%</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> of the Company's outstanding common stock as of that date (see Note 2).</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Basis of Presentation and Preparation</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;">    </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;">Principles of Consolidation</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">The condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("United States" or "U.S.") and include the accounts of the Company, all of its subsidiaries and special purpose entities, as appropriate under consolidation accounting guidelines. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. The assets of the special purpose entities that the Company sets up related to project financing for customers are not designed to be available to service the general liabilities and obligations of the Company in certain circumstances.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;">Reclassifications</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Certain prior period balances have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation in the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. Such reclassifications had no effect on previously reported results of operations or retained earnings. As reflected in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2012 ("2012 Form 10-K"), in connection with the growth of its residential lease program, during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 the Company began to separately classify both the cost of the leased assets and related investing cash flows based upon the nature of the lease entered into. The Company has reclassified prior period interim balances to conform to the current period presentation, which resulted in an increase in operating cash flows of </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">$51.4 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> for the six months ended </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">July 1, 2012</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;">Fiscal Years</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">The Company has a 52-to-53-week fiscal year that ends on the Sunday closest to December 31. Accordingly, every fifth or sixth year will be a 53-week fiscal year. Both fiscal 2013 and 2012 are 52-week fiscal years. The second quarter of fiscal </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">2013</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> ended on </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">June 30, 2013</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">, while the second quarter of fiscal </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">2012</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> ended on </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">July 1, 2012</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">. The first and second quarters in both fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2012 were 13-week quarters.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;">Management Estimates </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Significant estimates in these condensed consolidated financial statements include percentage-of-completion for construction projects; allowances for doubtful accounts receivable and sales returns; inventory and project asset write-downs; stock-based compensation; estimates for future cash flows and economic useful lives of property, plant and equipment and other long-term assets; fair value of financial instruments; valuation of certain accrued liabilities including accrued warranty, restructuring, and termination of supply contracts reserves; valuation of debt without the conversion feature; and income taxes and tax valuation allowances. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Summary of Significant Accounting Policies</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold;">Noncontrolling Interests</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Noncontrolling interests represents the portion of net assets in consolidated subsidiaries that are not attributable, directly or indirectly, to the Company. Beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2013, the Company has entered into facilities with third-party investors under which the investors are determined to hold noncontrolling interests in entities fully consolidated by the Company. The net assets of the shared entities are attributed to the controlling and noncontrolling interests based on the terms of the governing contractual arrangements. The Company further determined the hypothetical liquidation at book value method ("HLBV Method") to be the appropriate method for attributing net assets to the controlling and noncontrolling interests as this method most closely mirrors the economics of the governing contractual arrangements. Under the HLBV Method, the Company allocates recorded income (loss) to each investor based on the change, during the reporting period, of the amount of net assets each investor is entitled to under the governing contractual arrangements in a liquidation scenario.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Other than as described above, there have been no significant changes in the Company's significant accounting policies during the six months ended June 30, 2013, as compared to the significant accounting policies described in the 2012 Form 10-K.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Recent Accounting Pronouncements</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">In March 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") and International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB") issued common disclosure requirements that are intended to enhance comparability between financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and those prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). This new guidance is applicable to companies that have financial instruments or derivatives that are either offset in the balance sheet (presented on a net basis) or subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar arrangement. The requirement does not change the existing offsetting eligibility criteria or the permitted balance sheet presentation for those instruments that meet the eligibility criteria. However, once this disclosure requirement becomes effective, companies will also be required to disclose information about financial instruments and derivatives instruments that have been offset and related arrangements and to provide both net (offset amounts) and gross information in the notes to the financial statements for relevant assets and liabilities that are offset. The disclosure requirement becomes effective retrospectively in the first quarter of the Company's fiscal year 2014. The Company does not expect that the requirement will have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements as it is disclosure only in nature.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">In March 2013, the FASB amended its guidance related to foreign currency matters requiring the release of the cumulative translation adjustment into net income when an entity ceases to have a controlling financial interest in a subsidiary or a group of assets within a foreign entity. The amendment will become effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal 2014. The Company does not expect that the requirement will have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">In February 2013, the FASB amended its disclosure guidance related to the presentation of comprehensive income. The amendment requires reporting of the impact of significant reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income or loss on the line items on the statement of operations, if a reclassification is required in its entirety in one reporting period. The amendment became effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal 2013 and did not have a significant impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:36px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Other than as described above, there has been no issued accounting guidance not yet adopted by the Company that it believes is material or potentially material to its condensed consolidated financial statements.</font></div></div>falsefalsefalsenonnum:textBlockItemTypenaThe entire disclosure for the general note to the financial statements for the reporting entity which may include, descriptions of the basis of presentation, business description, significant accounting policies, consolidations, reclassifications, new pronouncements not yet adopted and changes in accounting principles.No definition available.false0falseThe Company and Summary of Significant Accounting PoliciesUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnowntruefalsefalseSheethttp://www.sunpowercorp.com/role/CompanyAndSummaryOfSignificantAccountingPolicies12