Balance Sheet Components (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013		Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 29, 2013		Sep. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012		Jul. 01, 2012	Jan. 01, 2012
Capital Leases, Lessor Balance Sheet, Net Investment in Direct Financing and Sales Type Leases, Current	$ 6,000,000			$ 6,000,000					$ 4,500,000
Accounts receivable, net:
Accounts receivable, gross	407,680,000	[1]		407,680,000	[1]				429,977,000	[1]
Accounts receivable, net	377,824,000			377,824,000					398,150,000
Inventories:
Raw materials	79,272,000			79,272,000					89,331,000
Work-in-process	47,212,000			47,212,000					50,627,000
Finished goods	161,565,000			161,565,000					151,428,000
Inventories, net	288,049,000			288,049,000					291,386,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets:
VAT receivables, current portion	99,899,000			99,899,000					97,041,000
Derivative Assets, Current	2,198,000			2,198,000					1,275,000
Deferred project costs	172,679,000			172,679,000					305,980,000
Deferred costs for solar power systems to be leased, current	25,264,000			25,264,000					31,419,000
Other current assets	46,314,000			46,314,000					47,468,000
Other receivables	78,336,000			78,336,000					104,640,000
Other prepaid expenses	28,905,000			28,905,000					25,230,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	453,595,000	[2]		453,595,000	[2]				613,053,000	[2]
Project assets - plant and land:
Project assets - plant	91,911,000			91,911,000					61,862,000
Project assets - land	9,653,000			9,653,000					21,645,000
Project assets - plant and land, net	101,564,000			101,564,000					83,507,000
Project assets - plants and land, current portion	98,005,000			98,005,000					75,911,000
Project assets - plants and land, net of current portion	3,559,000			3,559,000					7,596,000
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	1,293,330,000			1,293,330,000					1,155,429,000
Less: accumulated depreciation	(441,986,000)			(441,986,000)					(380,520,000)
Property, plant and equipment, net	851,344,000	[3]		851,344,000	[3]				774,909,000	[3]
Sale Leaseback Transaction, Historical Cost	25,300,000			25,300,000
Depreciation expense				72,893,000		82,747,000	[4]
Interest expense:
Interest cost incurred	(29,075,000)		(26,912,000)	(81,827,000)		(66,899,000)
Cash interest cost capitalized - property, plant and equipment	39,000		272,000	267,000		859,000
Non-cash interest cost capitalized - property, plant and equipment	0		142,000	57,000		444,000
Cash interest cost capitalized - project assets - plant and land	96,000		395,000	395,000		944,000
Non-cash interest cost capitalized - project assets - plant and land	79,000		269,000	343,000		717,000
Interest expense	(28,861,000)		(25,834,000)	(80,765,000)		(63,935,000)
Other long-term assets:
Equity Method Investments	113,778,000			113,778,000					111,516,000
Derivative Assets, Noncurrent	96,635,000			96,635,000					2,327,000
Cost Method Investments	12,374,000			12,374,000					14,918,000
Capital Leases, Lessor Balance Sheet, Net Investment in Direct Financing and Sales Type Leases, Current	139,177,000			139,177,000					67,742,000
Long-term debt issuance costs	18,153,000			18,153,000					38,185,000
Other	113,608,000			113,608,000					41,375,000
Other long-term assets	493,725,000	[2]		493,725,000	[2]				276,063,000	[2]
Accrued liabilities:
VAT payables								5,456,000	2,049,000
Foreign currency derivatives								7,250,000	4,891,000
Short-term warranty reserves								9,468,000	9,054,000
Interest payable								10,840,000	9,672,000
Deferred revenue								25,521,000	32,507,000
Employee compensation and employee benefits								48,024,000	40,750,000
Restructuring Reserve	11,935,000			11,935,000				11,935,000	29,477,000
Short-term residential lease financing								28,471,000	25,153,000
Other								109,489,000	93,819,000
Accrued liabilities, current	256,454,000			256,454,000				256,454,000	247,372,000
Other long-term liabilities:
Embedded conversion option derivatives	96,665,000			96,665,000					2,327,000
Long-term warranty reserves	125,307,000			125,307,000					107,803,000
Deferred revenue	157,395,000			157,395,000					128,936,000
Unrecognized tax benefits	25,193,000			25,193,000					35,022,000
Long-term residential lease financing	28,788,000			28,788,000					11,411,000
Long-term sale-leaseback financing	36,575,000			36,575,000					0
Other	50,337,000			50,337,000					50,120,000
Other long-term liabilities	520,260,000			520,260,000					335,619,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss):
Cumulative translation adjustment	(4,322,000)			(4,322,000)					(2,319,000)
Net unrealized gain on derivatives	(767,000)		(265,000)	(767,000)		(265,000)		1,238,000	(243,000)		2,346,000	10,473,000
Deferred taxes	141,000			141,000					41,000
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(4,948,000)			(4,948,000)					(2,521,000)
Residential lease financing	57,300,000			57,300,000					36,600,000
Equipment [Member]
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Collateralized equipment									16,500,000
Leasehold Improvements [Member]
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	229,817,000			229,817,000					221,378,000
Machinery and Equipment [Member]
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	545,174,000	[5]		545,174,000	[5]				531,289,000	[5]
Computer Equipment [Member]
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	77,087,000			77,087,000					75,438,000
Other Energy Equipment [Member]
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	54,585,000	[6]		54,585,000	[6]				12,501,000	[6]
Solar power systems leased [Member]
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	290,388,000			290,388,000					163,003,000
Collateralized equipment	228,300,000			228,300,000					280,800,000
Furniture and Fixtures [Member]
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	8,262,000			8,262,000					8,178,000
Solar power systems to be leased [Member]
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	52,936,000			52,936,000					89,423,000
Construction in Progress [Member]
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	9,001,000			9,001,000					34,110,000
Land and Building [Member]
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	26,080,000			26,080,000					20,109,000
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, Current [Member]
Accounts receivable, net:
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Balance	(27,476,000)			(27,476,000)					(26,773,000)
Allowance for Sales Returns [Member]
Accounts receivable, net:
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Balance	(2,380,000)			(2,380,000)					(5,054,000)
Philippines
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, plant and equipment, net	333,959,000	[3]		333,959,000	[3]				367,708,000	[3]
United States
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, plant and equipment, net	458,825,000	[3]		458,825,000	[3]				343,710,000	[3]
Mexico
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, plant and equipment, net	32,377,000	[3]		32,377,000	[3]				32,409,000	[3]
Europe
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, plant and equipment, net	25,681,000	[3]		25,681,000	[3]				29,292,000	[3]
Other
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, plant and equipment, net	502,000	[3]		502,000	[3]				1,790,000	[3]
IFC Mortgage Loan [Member] | Mortgages [Member]
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Collateralized equipment	$ 153,500,000			$ 153,500,000					$ 152,900,000

[1] Includes short-term finance receivables associated with solar power systems leased of $6.0 million and $4.5 million as of September 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012, respectively.

[2] The Company has related party balances in connection with transactions made with Total and its affiliates as well as 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," "Convertible debt, net of current portion," and "Customer advances, net of current portion" financial statement line items in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (see Note 2, Note 4, Note 5, Note 7, and Note 8).

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

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

[5] The Company's mortgage loan agreement with International Finance Corporation ("IFC") is collateralized by certain manufacturing equipment with a net book value of $153.5 million and $152.9 million as of September 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012, respectively. The Company also provided security for advance payments received from a third-party supplier in the form of collateralized manufacturing equipment with a net book value of $16.5 million as of December 30, 2012.

[6] Includes $25.3 million of solar power systems associated with sale-leaseback transactions under the financing method as of September 29, 2013 (see Note 7).