Description of Business and Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
May 31, 2011
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation [Abstract]
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation	1. Description of Business and Basis of Presentation Acuity Brands, Inc. (“Acuity Brands”) is the parent company of Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. (“ABL”), and other subsidiaries (collectively referred to herein as “the Company”). The Company designs, produces, and distributes a broad array of indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures and related products, including lighting controls, and services for commercial and institutional, industrial, infrastructure, and residential applications for various markets throughout North America and select international markets. The Company has one operating segment. On May 12, 2011, the Company acquired for cash all of the ownership interests in Healthcare Lighting, Inc. (“Healthcare Lighting”), a leading provider of specialized, high-performance lighting products for healthcare facilities based in Fairview, Pennsylvania. The operating results for Healthcare Lighting have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition. On February 23, 2011, the Company acquired for cash all of the ownership interests in Washoe Equipment, Inc., d/b/a Sunoptics Prismatic Skylights, and CBC Plastics LLC (collectively, “Sunoptics”), a premier designer, manufacturer, and marketer of high-performance, prismatic daylighting solutions based in Sacramento, California. The operating results for Sunoptics have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition. On October 14, 2010, the Company acquired for cash all of the outstanding capital stock of Winona Lighting, Inc. (“Winona Lighting”), a premier provider of architectural and high-performance indoor and outdoor lighting products headquartered in Winona, Minnesota. The operating results for Winona Lighting have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition. On July 26, 2010, the Company acquired for cash the remaining outstanding capital stock of Renaissance Lighting, Inc. (“Renaissance”), a privately-held innovator of solid-state light-emitting diode (“LED”) architectural lighting based in Herndon, Virginia. Previously, the Company entered into a strategic partnership with Renaissance, which included a noncontrolling interest in Renaissance and a license to Renaissance’s intellectual property estate. The operating results of Renaissance have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition. The Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared by the Company in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and present the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of Acuity Brands and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. References made to years are for fiscal year periods. The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by the Company in accordance with U.S. GAAP and present the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of the Company. These interim consolidated financial statements reflect all normal and recurring adjustments which are, in the opinion of management, necessary to present fairly the Company’s consolidated financial position as of May 31, 2011, the consolidated results of operations for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2011 and 2010, and the consolidated cash flows for the nine months ended May 31, 2011 and 2010. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in the Company’s annual financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted. However, the Company believes that the disclosures included herein are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company as of and for the three years ended August 31, 2010 and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on October 29, 2010 (File No. 001-16583) (“Form 10-K”). The results of operations for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2011 and 2010 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year because the net sales and net income of the Company historically have been higher in the second half of its fiscal year and because of the continued uncertainty of general economic conditions that may impact the key end markets of the Company for the remainder of fiscal 2011.

1. Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

Acuity Brands, Inc. (“Acuity Brands”) is the parent company of Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. (“ABL”), and other subsidiaries (collectively referred to herein as “the Company”). The Company designs, produces, and distributes a broad array of indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures and related products, including lighting controls, and services for commercial and institutional, industrial, infrastructure, and residential applications for various markets throughout North America and select international markets. The Company has one operating segment.

On May 12, 2011, the Company acquired for cash all of the ownership interests in Healthcare Lighting, Inc. (“Healthcare Lighting”), a leading provider of specialized, high-performance lighting products for healthcare facilities based in Fairview, Pennsylvania. The operating results for Healthcare Lighting have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition.

On February 23, 2011, the Company acquired for cash all of the ownership interests in Washoe Equipment, Inc., d/b/a Sunoptics Prismatic Skylights, and CBC Plastics LLC (collectively, “Sunoptics”), a premier designer, manufacturer, and marketer of high-performance, prismatic daylighting solutions based in Sacramento, California. The operating results for Sunoptics have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition.

On October 14, 2010, the Company acquired for cash all of the outstanding capital stock of Winona Lighting, Inc. (“Winona Lighting”), a premier provider of architectural and high-performance indoor and outdoor lighting products headquartered in Winona, Minnesota. The operating results for Winona Lighting have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition.

On July 26, 2010, the Company acquired for cash the remaining outstanding capital stock of Renaissance Lighting, Inc. (“Renaissance”), a privately-held innovator of solid-state light-emitting diode (“LED”) architectural lighting based in Herndon, Virginia. Previously, the Company entered into a strategic partnership with Renaissance, which included a noncontrolling interest in Renaissance and a license to Renaissance’s intellectual property estate. The operating results of Renaissance have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition.

The Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared by the Company in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and present the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of Acuity Brands and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. References made to years are for fiscal year periods.

The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by the Company in accordance with U.S. GAAP and present the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of the Company. These interim consolidated financial statements reflect all normal and recurring adjustments which are, in the opinion of management, necessary to present fairly the Company’s consolidated financial position as of May 31, 2011, the consolidated results of operations for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2011 and 2010, and the consolidated cash flows for the nine months ended May 31, 2011 and 2010. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in the Company’s annual financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted. However, the Company believes that the disclosures included herein are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company as of and for the three years ended August 31, 2010 and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on October 29, 2010 (File No. 001-16583) (“Form 10-K”).

The results of operations for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2011 and 2010 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year because the net sales and net income of the Company historically have been higher in the second half of its fiscal year and because of the continued uncertainty of general economic conditions that may impact the key end markets of the Company for the remainder of fiscal 2011.