The Company and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 29, 2013

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Principles of Consolidation [Policy Text Block]

Principles of Consolidation

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.

Comparability of Prior Year Financial Data, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Reclassifications

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 $100.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2012.

Fiscal Years [Policy Text Block]

Fiscal Years

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 third quarter of fiscal 2013 ended on September 29, 2013, while the third quarter of fiscal 2012 ended on September 30, 2012. All quarters in fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2012 were 13-week quarters.

Management Estimates [Policy Text Block]

Management Estimates

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; the fair value and residual value of leased solar power systems; 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.

Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Revenue Recognition

Residential Leases

The Company offers a solar lease program, in partnership with third-party financial institutions, which allows its residential customers to obtain SunPower systems under lease agreements for terms of up to 20 years. Leases are classified as either operating or sales-type leases in accordance with the relevant accounting guidelines.

For those systems classified as sales-type leases, the net present value of the minimum lease payments, net of executory costs, is recognized as revenue when the lease is placed in service. This net present value as well as the net present value of the residual value of the lease at termination are recorded as receivables in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The difference between the initial net amounts and the gross amounts are amortized to revenue over the lease term using the interest method. The residual values of our solar systems are determined at the inception of the lease applying an estimated system fair value at the end of the lease term.

For those systems classified as operating leases, rental revenue is recognized, net of executory costs, on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.

Consolidation, Subsidiaries or Other Investments, Consolidated Entities, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Noncontrolling Interests

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.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Fair value is estimated by applying the following hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value into three levels and bases the categorization within the hierarchy upon the lowest level of input that is available and significant to the fair value measurement (observable inputs are the preferred basis of valuation):

• Level 1 — Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

• Level 2 — Measurements are inputs that are observable for assets or liabilities, either directly or indirectly, other than quoted prices included within Level 1.

• Level 3 — Prices or valuations that require management inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable.