Represents information to the number of customers of the entity which have concentration risk as of balance sheet date.

No definition available.

Name:	plug_ConcentrationRiskNumberOfCustomers
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
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- Details

Name:	plug_RentalExpenseAndRentalIncomeForAllOperatingLeasesAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Sublease rental income

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plug_SubleaseRentalIncome
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	plug_SummaryOfFutureMinimumLeasepaymentsUnderNonCancelableOperatingLeasesAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of rent expense incurred for leased assets, including but not limited to, furniture and equipment, that is not directly or indirectly associated with the manufacture, sale or creation of a product or product line.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plug_TotalRentalExpense
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

For an entity that discloses a concentration risk in relation to quantitative amount, which serves as the "benchmark" (or denominator) in the equation, this concept represents the concentration percentage derived from the division.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 825

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 21

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35750535&loc=d3e13537-108611

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 275

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 20

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6927468&loc=d3e6404-108592

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 825

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 20

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35750535&loc=d3e13531-108611

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 275

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 18

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6927468&loc=d3e6351-108592

+ Details

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Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19, 22

-Article 5

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41502-112717

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 10

-Section 55

-Paragraph 40

-Subparagraph (Note 3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due after the fifth rolling twelve months following the latest balance sheet. For interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the fifth rolling twelve months following the latest balance sheet. For interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the fourth rolling twelve months following the latest balance sheet. For interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the third rolling twelve months following the latest balance sheet. For interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the second rolling twelve months following the latest balance sheet. For interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the next rolling twelve months following the latest balance sheet. For interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

This element represents the payments that the lessee is obligated to make or can be required to make in connection with a property under the terms of an agreement classified as an operating lease, excluding contingent rentals and a guarantee by the lessee of the lessor's debt and the lessee's obligation to pay (apart from the rental payments) executory costs such as insurance, maintenance, and taxes.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41499-112717

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 10

-Section 55

-Paragraph 40

-Subparagraph (Note 3)

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 10

-Section 25

-Paragraph 5

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7661868&loc=d3e34039-112682

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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- Details

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Commitment and Contingencies (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Commitment and Contingencies (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2011
Commitments and Contingencies.
Letter of credit with Silicon Valley Bank			$ 525,000
Rental Expense And Rental Income For All Operating Leases Abstract
Minimum rentals	1,538,513	769,000
Sublease rental income	(63,242)plug_SubleaseRentalIncome	(76,104)plug_SubleaseRentalIncome
Total Rental expense	1,475,271plug_TotalRentalExpense	692,896plug_TotalRentalExpense
Summary Of Future Minimum LeasePayments Under Non Cancelable Operating Leases Abstract
2015	2,984,131
2016	3,005,307
2017	3,061,674
2018	3,122,828
2019	2,877,155
2020 and thereafter	2,526,699
Total future minimum lease payments	$ 17,577,794
Accounts receivable \| Credit risk \| Customers
Customer Concentration
Number of customers	4	5
Concentration risk (as a percent)	69.90%	78.30%
Accounts receivable \| Credit risk \| Customer one
Customer Concentration
Concentration risk (as a percent)	30.20%	30.80%
Accounts receivable \| Credit risk \| Customer two
Customer Concentration
Concentration risk (as a percent)	16.00%	26.90%
Accounts receivable \| Credit risk \| Customer three
Customer Concentration
Concentration risk (as a percent)	13.40%	10.20%
Accounts receivable \| Credit risk \| Customer four
Customer Concentration
Concentration risk (as a percent)	10.30%	5.80%
Accounts receivable \| Credit risk \| Customer five
Customer Concentration
Concentration risk (as a percent)		4.60%
Revenues. \| Customer concentration \| Customers
Customer Concentration
Number of customers	2	3
Concentration risk (as a percent)	37.20%	33.20%
Revenues. \| Customer concentration \| Customer one
Customer Concentration
Concentration risk (as a percent)	24.10%	11.60%
Revenues. \| Customer concentration \| Customer two
Customer Concentration
Concentration risk (as a percent)	13.10%	11.20%
Revenues. \| Customer concentration \| Customer three
Customer Concentration
Concentration risk (as a percent)		10.40%