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

Represents the installment amount of cash receipts for goods and services needed to trigger a vesting of warrants in a warrant transaction agreement.

No definition available.

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

Represents the cash receipts for goods and services to be received pursuant to a warrant transaction agreement.

No definition available.

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

Exercise price calculation per share or per unit of warrants or rights outstanding.

No definition available.

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

Number of securities into which the class of warrant or right may be converted that have vested.

No definition available.

Name:	plug_ClassOfWarrantOrRightNumberOfSecuritiesVestedByWarrantsOrRights
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Number of securities into which the class of warrant or right may be converted that vest in a given installment.

No definition available.

Name:	plug_ClassOfWarrantOrRightNumberOfSecuritiesVestedPerInstallment
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Represents the number of installments in an agreement.

No definition available.

Name:	plug_NumberOfInstallments
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Represents the provision for common stock warrants as a reduction of revenue.

No definition available.

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

Exercise price per share or per unit of warrants or rights outstanding.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(i)(4))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Name:	us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightExercisePriceOfWarrantsOrRights1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

No definition available.

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

Number of securities into which the class of warrant or right may be converted. For example, but not limited to, 500,000 warrants may be converted into 1,000,000 shares.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(i)(2))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Name:	us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightNumberOfSecuritiesCalledByWarrantsOrRights
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Name:	us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightAxis=plug_WarrantIssuedWithWalmartStoresIncTransactionAgreementInJuly2017Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightAxis=plug_TrancheOneOfWarrantIssuedWithWalmartStoresIncTransactionAgreementInJuly2017Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightAxis=plug_TrancheTwoOfWarrantIssuedWithWalmartStoresIncTransactionAgreementInJuly2017Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightAxis=plug_TrancheThreeOfWarrantIssuedWithAmazon.comIncTransactionAgreementInJuly2017Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: