Commitments and Contingencies - Purchase Commitment (Details) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
Sep. 27, 2020 USD ($) vendor
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Purchase commitments supply and price, term	2 years
Purchase commitments, number of vendors \| vendor	1
Purchase Obligation, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
Fiscal 2020 (remaining three months)	$ 155,486
Fiscal 2021	205,998
Fiscal 2022	94,686
Fiscal 2023	33,148
Fiscal 2024	1,710
Thereafter	6,082
Total	497,110
Future purchase obligations related to non-cancellable purchase orders	47,900
Future purchase obligations related to long-term supply agreements	$ 449,200

Purchase Commitments, Number Of Vendors

No definition available.

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Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
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- Definition

Purchase Commitments Supply And Price Period

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	spwr_PurchaseCommitmentsSupplyAndPricePeriod
Namespace Prefix:	spwr_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Purchase Obligation, to be Paid, after Year Four

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	spwr_PurchaseObligationToBePaidAfterYearFour
Namespace Prefix:	spwr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CommitmentsAndContingenciesDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The minimum amount the entity agreed to spend under the long-term purchase commitment.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Minimum amount of purchase arrangement in which the entity has agreed to expend funds to procure goods or services from a supplier.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PurchaseObligation
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of purchase arrangement to be paid in fourth fiscal year following current fiscal year. Includes, but is not limited to, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, long-term purchase commitment, and short-term purchase commitment. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PurchaseObligationDueInFourthYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of purchase arrangement to be paid in next fiscal year following current fiscal year. Includes, but is not limited to, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, long-term purchase commitment, and short-term purchase commitment. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PurchaseObligationDueInNextTwelveMonths
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of purchase arrangement to be paid in second fiscal year following current fiscal year. Includes, but is not limited to, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, long-term purchase commitment, and short-term purchase commitment. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PurchaseObligationDueInSecondYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of purchase arrangement to be paid in third fiscal year following current fiscal year. Includes, but is not limited to, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, long-term purchase commitment, and short-term purchase commitment. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PurchaseObligationDueInThirdYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PurchaseObligationFiscalYearMaturityAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of purchase arrangement to be paid in remainder of current fiscal year. Includes, but is not limited to, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, long-term purchase commitment, and short-term purchase commitment.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PurchaseObligationFutureMinimumPaymentsRemainderOfFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of the unrecorded obligation to transfer funds in the future for fixed or minimum amounts or quantities of goods or services at fixed or minimum prices (for example, as in take-or-pay contracts or throughput contracts).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 440
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121559207&loc=d3e25336-109308

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant