Note 20. Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]
U.S. income			$ (361,231)	$ 126,958	$ 139,137
Non-U.S. income			(110,459)	392,877	292,964
(Loss) income before taxes and equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates			(471,690)	519,835	432,101
Current (Benefit) Expense [Abstract]
Federal			(7,689)	20,208	15,492
State			1,877	4,172	1,699
Foreign			(29,009)	23,215	8,123
Total current (benefit) expense			(34,821)	47,595	25,314
Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations [Abstract]
Federal			115,905	(716)	2,926
State			(7,343)	3,118	5,133
Foreign			(15,522)	(56,153)	(2,185)
Total deferred expense (benefit)			93,040	(53,751)	5,874
Total income tax expense (benefit)			58,219	(6,156)	31,188
Adjustments to Additional Paid in Capital, Income Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation				14,567	24,505
Investment Tax Credit				19,200
Increase (Decrease) in Income Tax Expense			(64,400)	37,300
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Percent [Abstract]
Statutory income tax (benefit) expense ($)			$ (165,091)	$ 181,936	$ 151,235
Statutory income tax (benefit) expense (%)			35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
Foreign dividend income ($)			$ 248,013	$ 0	$ 0
Foreign dividend income (%)			(52.60%)	0.00%	0.00%
Change in tax contingency ($)			$ (34,541)	$ 0	$ 0
Change in tax contingency (%)			7.30%	0.00%	0.00%
Goodwill ($)			$ 22,468	$ 0	$ 0
Goodwill (%)			(4.80%)	0.00%	0.00%
Share-based compensation ($)			$ (23,283)	$ 0	$ 0
Share-based compensation (%)			5.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Return to provision adjustments ($)			$ 11,757	$ 6,596	$ (3,163)
Return to provision adjustments (%)			(2.50%)	1.30%	(0.70%)
Non-deductible expenses ($)			$ 324	$ 4,161	$ 3,001
Non-deductible expenses (%)			(0.10%)	0.80%	0.70%
State tax, net of federal tax ($)			$ (5,065)	$ 5,437	$ 4,549
State tax, net of federal tax (%)			1.10%	1.00%	1.00%
Effect of tax holiday ($)			$ (4,640)	$ 126,324	$ 80,049
Effect of tax holiday (%)			(1.00%)	(24.30%)	(18.50%)
Foreign tax rate differential ($)			$ 6,833	$ (9,637)	$ (7,524)
Foreign tax rate differential (%)			(1.40%)	(1.90%)	(1.70%)
Effect of private letter ruling ($)			$ 0	$ (41,694)	$ 0
Effect of private letter ruling (%)			(0.00%)	(8.00%)	(0.00%)
Tax credits ($)			$ (15,435)	$ (2,566)	$ (3,014)
Tax credits (%)			3.30%	(0.50%)	(0.70%)
Other ($)			$ 5,187	$ (16,266)	$ (2,206)
Other (%)			(1.10%)	(3.10%)	(0.50%)
Impact of changes in valuation allowance ($)			$ 2,412	$ (7,799)	$ (31,641)
Impact of changes in valuation allowance (%)			(0.50%)	(1.50%)	(7.40%)
Reported income tax expense (benefit) (%)			(12.30%)	(1.20%)	7.20%
Income Taxes Paid, Net			$ 1,900	$ 30,800	$ 17,000
Deferred tax assets [Abstract]
Goodwill			42,168	32,022
Compensation			18,289	38,938
Accrued expenses			83,349	74,432
Tax credits			62,254	211,066
Net operating losses			86,328	95,562
Inventory			6,830	5,961
Deferred expenses			3,276	8,559
Property, plant and equipment			64,150	38,869
Long-term contracts			48,364	2,522
Other			10,034	8,622
Deferred tax assets, gross			425,042	516,553
Valuation allowance			(123,936)	(121,524)	$ (129,323)	$ (160,965)
Deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowance			301,106	395,029
Deferred tax liabilities [Abstract]
Capitalized interest			(6,821)	(4,270)
Acquisition accounting / basis difference			(6,848)	(3,527)
Restricted investments and derivatives			(12,429)	(14,128)
Investment in foreign subsidiaries			(582)	(379)
Equity in earnings			(38,650)	(21,895)
Other			(322)	(2,388)
Deferred tax liabilities			(65,652)	(46,587)
Net deferred tax assets and liabilities			$ 235,454	$ 348,442
Foreign Tax Authority
Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations [Abstract]
Tax Adjustments, Settlements, and Unusual Provisions	$ (35,400)	$ (41,700)
Malaysia
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Percent [Abstract]
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation Foreign Statutory Tax Rate			24.00%	25.00%	25.00%
First Solar Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. [Member]
Deferred tax liabilities [Abstract]
Royalty prepayments			$ 59,000	$ 96,600