Debt and Credit Sources (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended				1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended					3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended					3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended					9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended													3 Months Ended									3 Months Ended						1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended										0 Months Ended							3 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012		Dec. 30, 2012	Feb. 28, 2012 Total [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 Total [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 Bond Hedge [Member]		Sep. 30, 2012 Bond Hedge [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 Bond Hedge [Member]		Sep. 30, 2012 Bond Hedge [Member]	Dec. 30, 2012 Bond Hedge [Member]		Sep. 29, 2013 Embedded Cash Conversion Option [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Embedded Cash Conversion Option [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 Embedded Cash Conversion Option [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Embedded Cash Conversion Option [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 Convertible Debt [Member]	Dec. 30, 2012 Convertible Debt [Member]		Sep. 29, 2013 0.75% Debentures due 2018	Sep. 29, 2013 0.75% Debentures due 2018	May 29, 2013 0.75% Debentures due 2018	Sep. 29, 2013 0.75% Debentures due 2018 Maximum [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 0.75% Debentures due 2018 Convertible Debt [Member]	Dec. 30, 2012 0.75% Debentures due 2018 Convertible Debt [Member]		Sep. 29, 2013 4.50% Debentures [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 4.50% Debentures [Member] Bond Hedge [Member]		Dec. 30, 2012 4.50% Debentures [Member] Bond Hedge [Member]		Dec. 30, 2012 4.50% Debentures [Member] Embedded Cash Conversion Option [Member]		Sep. 29, 2013 4.50% Debentures [Member] Convertible Debt [Member]	Dec. 30, 2012 4.50% Debentures [Member] Convertible Debt [Member]		Apr. 01, 2010 4.50% Debentures [Member] Convertible Debt [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 4.75% Debentures [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 4.75% Debentures [Member] Convertible Debt [Member]	Dec. 30, 2012 4.75% Debentures [Member] Convertible Debt [Member]		May 31, 2009 4.75% Debentures [Member] Convertible Debt [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 4.75% Debentures [Member] Convertible Debt [Member] Minimum [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 IFC Mortgage Loan [Member]	Dec. 30, 2012 IFC Mortgage Loan [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 IFC Mortgage Loan [Member] Mortgages [Member]	Dec. 30, 2012 IFC Mortgage Loan [Member] Mortgages [Member]	May 06, 2010 IFC Mortgage Loan [Member] Mortgages [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 CEDA Loan [Member] Loans Payable [Member]	Dec. 30, 2012 CEDA Loan [Member] Loans Payable [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 CEDA Loan [Member] Loans Payable [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 July 2013 Credit Agricole Revolving Credit Facility [Domain] Line of Credit [Member]	Jul. 03, 2013 July 2013 Credit Agricole Revolving Credit Facility [Domain] Line of Credit [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 Deutsche Bank Letter of Credit Facility August 2011 [Member] Letter of Credit [Member]	Dec. 30, 2012 Deutsche Bank Letter of Credit Facility August 2011 [Member] Letter of Credit [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 Deutsche Bank Trust [Member] Letter of Credit [Member]	Dec. 30, 2012 Deutsche Bank Trust [Member] Letter of Credit [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Credit Agricole Revolving Credit Facility [Member] Line of Credit [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 Credit Agricole Revolving Credit Facility [Member] Line of Credit [Member]	Dec. 30, 2012 Credit Agricole Revolving Credit Facility [Member] Line of Credit [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 Israel Project Loan [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 Combined Project Loan [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 Tenesol Other Long-term Debt [Member]		Sep. 29, 2013 Other Long-term Debt [Member]		Dec. 30, 2012 Other Long-term Debt [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 Combined Other Long-term Debt [Member]	Feb. 16, 2012 1.25% Debentures [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 1.25% Debentures [Member]	Feb. 28, 2007 1.25% Debentures [Member] Convertible Debt [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 0.75% Debentures [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 0.75% Debentures [Member] Convertible Debt [Member]	Dec. 30, 2012 0.75% Debentures [Member] Convertible Debt [Member]		Sep. 29, 2013 Debt Restructuring Date [Member] July 2013 Credit Agricole Revolving Credit Facility [Domain] Line of Credit [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 Debt Restructuring Date [Member] July 2013 Credit Agricole Revolving Credit Facility [Domain] Line of Credit [Member] Minimum [Member]	Sep. 29, 2013 Debt Restructuring Date [Member] July 2013 Credit Agricole Revolving Credit Facility [Domain] Line of Credit [Member] Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity																																																							$ 250,000,000
Short-term Debt																																														15,000,000	12,500,000																				60,855,000		134,000
Long-term Debt																																																47,500,000	62,500,000		30,000,000	30,000,000										275,000,000					9,928,000		1,234,000
Maturities of Long-term Debt [Abstract]
2013	30,027,000																									0										0					0							0			0																30,027,000	[1]							0
2014	276,077,000																									0										0					230,000,000							15,000,000			0																31,077,000	[1]							0
2015	265,661,000																									0										250,000,000					0							15,000,000			0										0						582,000	[1]							79,000
2016	15,567,000																									0										0					0							15,000,000			0																567,000	[1]							0
2017	15,548,000																									0										0					0							15,000,000			0																548,000	[1]							0
Face Value	943,362,000																		780,079,000	480,079,000				300,000,000		300,000,000	0									250,000,000	250,000,000		250,000,000		230,000,000	230,000,000						62,500,000			30,000,000																70,783,000						200,000,000		79,000	79,000
Beyond 2017	340,482,000																									300,000,000										0					0							2,500,000			30,000,000																7,982,000	[1]							0
Carrying Value																			751,372,000	438,629,000						300,000,000	0									221,293,000	208,550,000				230,000,000	230,000,000																																	79,000	79,000
Fair Value																			946,319,000	447,789,000	[2]					354,303,000	0	[2]								328,815,000	228,750,000	[2]			263,127,000	218,960,000	[2]																																74,000	79,000	[2]
Option Indexed to Issuer's Equity, Shares																									15,633,957
Gain (loss) on mark-to-market derivatives	(30,000)	4,000	[3]
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Price																						24.95	24.95							22.53	[4]	22.53	[4]	22.53	[4]										26.40
Option Indexed to Issuer's Equity, Indexed Shares							11,100,000			11,100,000												8,017,420	8,017,420																					8,700,000
Repayments of Long-term Debt																																																																							199,800,000
Proceeds from Convertible Debt	296,283,000	0	[3]
Proceeds from Bank Debt	0	125,000,000	[3]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage																						0.75%	0.75%						4.50%											4.75%													8.50%																			1.25%		0.75%
Debt Instrument, Maximum Borrowing Amount																																																		75,000,000
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents																																																9,200,000	6,400,000		3,000,839	3,000,688,000
Stock price							$ 26.17	[4]		$ 26.17	[4]		$ 5.49	[4]
Long-term debt	93,154,000			375,661,000
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity																																																										200,000,000			275,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Basis Spread																																																						0.60%							0.60%																		1.50%	2.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding																																																								758,900,000	725,300,000	2,000,000	17,500,000
Line of Credit Facility, Increase, Additional Borrowings																																																												25,000,000.0
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount				32,000,000
Letter of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity, 2012																																																									725,000,000
Letter of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity, 2013																																																									771,000,000
Letter of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity, 2014																																																									878,000,000
Letter of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity, 2015																																																									936,000,000
Letter of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity, 2016																																																									1,000,000,000
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate																																																		3.00%
Liquidity Support Facility, Available Capacity						350,000,000
Debt Instrument, Commitment Fee																																																		0.50%
Debt Instrument, Borrowing Fee, Percent of Principal																																																		1.00%
Debt Instrument, Prepayment Premium																																																		1.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Basis Spread on Base Loan Rate																																																						0.25%							0.25%																		0.50%	1.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Basis Spread on Federal Funds Rate																																																						0.50%							0.50%																	0.50%
Line of Credit Facility, Basis Spread on LIBOR Rate																																																						1.00%							1.00%																	1.00%
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate, Period Two																																																		4.25%
debt instruments, basis spread on variable rate, period three																																																		5.00%
Embedded Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Embedded Derivative, Net							35,900,000		(900,000)	94,300,000		800,000			(36,000,000)	900,000	(94,300,000)	(800,000)
Proceeds from sale of claim in connection with share lending arrangement		50,645,000	[3]
Liquidity Support Agreement, Maximum Capacity						600,000,000
Liquidity Support Agreement, Unrestricted Cash, Cash Equivalents and Unused Borrowing Capacity, Threshold for Liquidity Support					100,000,000	100,000,000
Liquidity Support Facility, Warrant Issued, Number of Common Stock Shares					9,531,677
Liquidity Support Facility, Warrant Issued, Exercise Price Per Share					$ 7.8685
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage																																																						0.06%							0.06%																		0.25%	0.35%
Line of Credit Facility, Upfront Fee																																																						0.20%
Liquidity Support Facility, Guarantee Fee, Percent of Average Guaranteed Debt						2.75%
Proceeds from issuance of project loans, net of issuance costs	68,225,000	27,617,000	[3]
Face Value	943,362,000																		780,079,000	480,079,000				300,000,000		300,000,000	0									250,000,000	250,000,000		250,000,000		230,000,000	230,000,000						62,500,000			30,000,000																70,783,000						200,000,000		79,000	79,000
Debt, Long-term and Short-term, Combined Amount																																														$ 62,500,000	$ 75,000,000	$ 62,500,000															$ 60,400,000	$ 9,100,000	$ 1,100,000	[1]			$ 1,368,000	$ 200,000

[1] The balance of Other debt excludes payments related to capital leases which are disclosed in Note 7. "Commitments and Contingencies" to these condensed consolidated financial statements.

[2] The fair value of the convertible debt was determined using Level 1 inputs based on quarterly market prices as reported by an independent pricing source.

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

[4] The valuation model utilizes these inputs to value the right but not the obligation to purchase one share at $22.53. The Company utilized a Black-Scholes valuation model to value the 4.50% Bond Hedge and embedded cash conversion option. The underlying input assumptions were determined as follows:(i)Stock price. The closing price of the Company's common stock on the last trading day of the quarter.(ii)Exercise price. The exercise price of the 4.50% Bond Hedge and the embedded cash conversion option.(iii)Interest rate. The Treasury Strip rate associated with the life of the 4.50% Bond Hedge and the embedded cash conversion option.(iv)Stock volatility. The volatility of the Company's common stock over the life of the 4.50% Bond Hedge and the embedded cash conversion option.(v)Credit risk adjustment. Represents the weighted average of the credit default swap rate of the counterparties.