Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$ 170,565	$ (60,917)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	58,375	63,260
Share-based compensation	11,478	12,079
Remeasurement of monetary assets and liabilities	(4,184)	11,829
Deferred income taxes	(1,829)	28,141
Excess tax benefits from share-based compensation arrangements	(13,716)	(14,449)
Gain on sales of marketable securities and restricted investments	(37,804)	0
Other, net	(2,961)	2,980
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, trade, unbilled and retainage	117,343	(125,066)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(27,536)	(1,985)
Inventories and balance of systems parts	(79,541)	9,433
Project assets and deferred project costs	(176,232)	(301,943)
Other assets	(12,644)	(347)
Accounts payable	(59,853)	3,595
Income taxes payable	22,418	(66,815)
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	83,251	21,570
Accrued solar module collection and recycling liability	3,364	(5,982)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	50,494	(424,617)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(51,754)	(55,342)
Purchases of marketable securities and restricted investments	(268,963)	(374,128)
Proceeds from sales and maturities of marketable securities and restricted investments	179,300	176,759
Purchases of equity and cost method investments	(5,409)	(1,508)
Distributions received from equity method investments	1,502	0
Investments in notes receivable, affiliates	0	(45,288)
Payments received on notes receivable, affiliate	0	11,671
Change in restricted cash	34,427	(2,109)
Other investing activities	250	(688)
Net cash used in investing activities	(110,647)	(290,633)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of long-term debt	(15,424)	(21,122)
Proceeds from borrowings under long-term debt, net of discounts and issuance costs	16,619	58,089
Repayment of sale-leaseback financing	(1,616)	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based compensation arrangements	13,716	14,449
Contingent consideration payments and other financing activities	(111)	(24,160)
Net cash provided by financing activities	13,184	27,256
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	6,423	(14,152)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(40,546)	(702,146)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the period	1,126,826	1,482,054
Cash and cash equivalents, end of the period	1,086,280	779,908
Supplemental disclosure of noncash investing and financing activities:
Equity interests retained from the partial sale of project assets	(25,921)	1,308
Property, plant and equipment acquisitions funded by liabilities	14,406	38,640
Acquisitions currently or previously funded by liabilities and contingent consideration	$ 24,813	$ 29,850