Nature of the Business and Operations and Liquidity	12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature of the Business and Operations and Liquidity	Nature of the Business and Operations and Liquidity Nature of the Business and Operations American Superconductor Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, “AMSC” or the “Company”) was founded on April 9, 1987. The Company is a leading provider of megawatt-scale solutions that lower the cost of wind power and enhance the performance of the power grid. In the wind power market, the Company enables manufacturers to field wind turbines through its advanced engineering, support services and power electronics products. In the power grid market, the Company enables electric utilities and renewable energy project developers to connect, transmit and distribute power through its transmission planning services and power electronics and superconductor-based products. The Company’s wind and power grid products and services provide exceptional reliability, security, efficiency and affordability to its customers. The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) instructions to Form 10-K. The going concern basis of presentation assumes that the Company will continue operations and will be able to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. Liquidity The Company has experienced recurring operating losses and as of March 31, 2018, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $988.3 million. In addition, the Company has experienced recurring negative operating cash flows. At March 31, 2018, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $34.1 million. Cash used in operations for the year ended March 31, 2018 was $24.8 million. From April 1, 2011 through the date of this filing, the Company has reduced its global workforce substantially. In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018 the Company announced an 8% reduction in force, primarily affecting employees in its Devens, Massachusetts facility, effective April 4, 2017 which led to a $1.5 million restructuring charge during the year ended March 31, 2018. See Note 17 "Restructuring" for further discussion of this action. The Company continues to consolidate certain business operations to reduce facility costs. As of March 31, 2018, the Company had a global workforce of 247 persons. The Company plans to closely monitor its expenses and, if required, expects to further reduce operating costs and capital spending to enhance liquidity. Over the last several years, the Company has entered into several debt and equity financing arrangements in order to raise capital. Since April 1, 2012, the Company has generated aggregate cash flows from financing activities of $85.2 million, including net proceeds of $2.5 million during the three months ended March 31, 2017 from the Company's At Market Issuance Sales Agreement ("ATM") with FBR Capital Markets & Co. In addition, on May 10, 2017, the Company completed an additional equity offering, which generated net proceeds of approximately $17.0 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses payable by the Company. The Company terminated the ATM in conjunction with this equity offering. See Note 11, “Debt”, and Note 14 “Stockholders’ Equity” for further discussion of these financing arrangements. On February 5, 2018, the Company entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement (the “PSA”) with 64 Jackson, LLC (the “Purchaser”) and Stewart Title Guaranty Company (“Escrow Agent”), to effectuate the sale of certain real property located at 64 Jackson Road, Devens, Massachusetts, including the building that has served as the Company’s headquarters (collectively, the “Property”), in exchange for total consideration of $23.0 million, composed of (i) cash consideration of $17.0 million, and (ii) a $6.0 million subordinated secured commercial promissory note payable to the Company (the "Seller Note"). Subsequently, the Seller, the Purchaser and Jackson 64 MGI, LLC (“Assignee”) entered into an Assignment of Purchase and Sale Agreement (the “Assignment Agreement”), pursuant to which the Purchaser assigned all of its rights and interests in the PSA to the Assignee and the Assignee agreed to assume all of the Purchaser’s obligations and liabilities under the PSA. The transaction closed on March 28, 2018, at which time the Company received, from the Assignee, cash consideration, net of certain agreed upon closing costs, of $16.9 million, and the Seller Note at an interest rate of 1.96%. The Seller Note is secured by a subordinated second mortgage on the Property and a subordinated second assignment of leases and rents. In December 2015, the Company entered into a set of strategic agreements valued at approximately $210.0 million with Inox, which includes a multi-year supply contract pursuant to which the Company will supply electric control systems to Inox Wind Ltd. (“Inox”) and a license agreement allowing Inox to manufacture a limited number of electrical control systems until Inox purchases the specified number of electrical control systems required under the terms of the supply contract. After Inox purchases the specified number of electrical control systems required under the terms of the supply contract, Inox agreed that the Company will continue as Inox’s preferred supplier and Inox will be required to purchase from the Company a majority of its electric control systems requirements for an additional three-year period. The Company believes based on the information presented above, and its annual management assessment, that it has sufficient liquidity to fund its operations and capital expenditures for the next twelve months following the issuance of the financial statements. The Company’s liquidity is highly dependent on its ability to increase revenues, its ability to control its operating costs, and its ability to raise additional capital, if necessary. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to continue to raise additional capital from other sources or execute on any other means of improving liquidity described above.

Nature of the Business and Operations and Liquidity

Nature of the Business and Operations

American Superconductor Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, “AMSC” or the “Company”) was founded on April 9, 1987. The Company is a leading provider of megawatt-scale solutions that lower the cost of wind power and enhance the performance of the power grid. In the wind power market, the Company enables manufacturers to field wind turbines through its advanced engineering, support services and power electronics products. In the power grid market, the Company enables electric utilities and renewable energy project developers to connect, transmit and distribute power through its transmission planning services and power electronics and superconductor-based products. The Company’s wind and power grid products and services provide exceptional reliability, security, efficiency and affordability to its customers.

The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) instructions to Form 10-K. The going concern basis of presentation assumes that the Company will continue operations and will be able to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business.

Liquidity

The Company has experienced recurring operating losses and as of March 31, 2018, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $988.3 million. In addition, the Company has experienced recurring negative operating cash flows. At March 31, 2018, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $34.1 million. Cash used in operations for the year ended March 31, 2018 was $24.8 million.

From April 1, 2011 through the date of this filing, the Company has reduced its global workforce substantially. In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018 the Company announced an 8% reduction in force, primarily affecting employees in its Devens, Massachusetts facility, effective April 4, 2017 which led to a $1.5 million restructuring charge during the year ended March 31, 2018. See Note 17 "Restructuring" for further discussion of this action. The Company continues to consolidate certain business operations to reduce facility costs. As of March 31, 2018, the Company had a global workforce of 247 persons. The Company plans to closely monitor its expenses and, if required, expects to further reduce operating costs and capital spending to enhance liquidity.

Over the last several years, the Company has entered into several debt and equity financing arrangements in order to raise capital. Since April 1, 2012, the Company has generated aggregate cash flows from financing activities of $85.2 million, including net proceeds of $2.5 million during the three months ended March 31, 2017 from the Company's At Market Issuance Sales Agreement ("ATM") with FBR Capital Markets & Co. In addition, on May 10, 2017, the Company completed an additional equity offering, which generated net proceeds of approximately $17.0 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses payable by the Company. The Company terminated the ATM in conjunction with this equity offering. See Note 11, “Debt”, and Note 14 “Stockholders’ Equity” for further discussion of these financing arrangements.

On February 5, 2018, the Company entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement (the “PSA”) with 64 Jackson, LLC (the “Purchaser”) and Stewart Title Guaranty Company (“Escrow Agent”), to effectuate the sale of certain real property located at 64 Jackson Road, Devens, Massachusetts, including the building that has served as the Company’s headquarters (collectively, the “Property”), in exchange for total consideration of $23.0 million, composed of (i) cash consideration of $17.0 million, and (ii) a $6.0 million subordinated secured commercial promissory note payable to the Company (the "Seller Note"). Subsequently, the Seller, the Purchaser and Jackson 64 MGI, LLC (“Assignee”) entered into an Assignment of Purchase and Sale Agreement (the “Assignment Agreement”), pursuant to which the Purchaser assigned all of its rights and interests in the PSA to the Assignee and the Assignee agreed to assume all of the Purchaser’s obligations and liabilities under the PSA. The transaction closed on March 28, 2018, at which time the Company received, from the Assignee, cash consideration, net of certain agreed upon closing costs, of $16.9 million, and the Seller Note at an interest rate of 1.96%. The Seller Note is secured by a subordinated second mortgage on the Property and a subordinated second assignment of leases and rents.

In December 2015, the Company entered into a set of strategic agreements valued at approximately $210.0 million with Inox, which includes a multi-year supply contract pursuant to which the Company will supply electric control systems to Inox Wind Ltd. (“Inox”) and a license agreement allowing Inox to manufacture a limited number of electrical control systems until Inox purchases the specified number of electrical control systems required under the terms of the supply contract. After Inox purchases the specified number of electrical control systems required under the terms of the supply contract, Inox agreed that the Company will continue as Inox’s preferred supplier and Inox will be required to purchase from the Company a majority of its electric control systems requirements for an additional three-year period.

The Company believes based on the information presented above, and its annual management assessment, that it has sufficient liquidity to fund its operations and capital expenditures for the next twelve months following the issuance of the financial statements. The Company’s liquidity is highly dependent on its ability to increase revenues, its ability to control its operating costs, and its ability to raise additional capital, if necessary. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to continue to raise additional capital from other sources or execute on any other means of improving liquidity described above.