Joint Venture	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Joint Venture	JOINT VENTURE On December 28, 2013, the Company entered into a definitive agreement for the establishment of a joint venture with the Government of the Municipal City of Suqian in Jiangsu Province, China (“Suqian”). The agreement covers a multi-faceted, three-phase project. Completion of all three phases would involve an anticipated investment of up to $500 million over 6 years, comprised of equipment, intellectual property and cash funded by Suqian, the Company, and other supporting investors to be brought in by the Company. In the initial phase of the project, the Company and Suqian will form a joint venture entity (“JV”) in which Suqian will inject approximately $4.8 million in cash and have majority interest of 75%. The Company will inject approximately $1.6 million in cash and hold a minority interest of 25%. Near the end of 2014 or early in 2015, Suqian will further inject the balance of the committed $32.5 million while the Company will contribute its proprietary technology and intellectual property, as well as certain equipment from its Colorado facility, thereby increasing the Company's shareholdings progressively up to an 80% ownership. Under the terms of the definitive agreement, in phase 1 and phase 2 of the project, the Company is required to contribute to the JV manufacturing equipment, intellectual property assets, proprietary technology and know-how, and cash for its ownership share, and Suqian is required to contribute cash for its ownership share. Pursuant to the terms of the Definitive Agreement, the Company's total contribution for phase 1 and phase 2 is required to be approximately $130 million. Suqian's total contribution for phase 1 and phase 2 is required to be approximately $32 million. Pursuant to the terms of the Definitive Agreement, Ascent and Suqian are required to ascribe a dollar value to the Company's non-cash contributions. The major milestone was the agreement by the Suqian government to credit approximately $77 million to the Company's contribution of its proprietary technology, which represents 60% towards Ascent's total required contribution of $130 million. In order to value the Company's intellectual property assets, the parties jointly agreed to hire an independent appraisal company located in China. The appraisal company has now completed that review and has submitted the valuation report to each of the JV partners. This report valued the Company's intellectual property assets at approximately $65 million, plus 20% premium added by Suqian government to bring the total value to $77 million. The remaining 40% of the Company's contribution will be in the form of some equipment from its Colorado plant and/or cash. The exact amounts of cash and equipment will be determined at a later date. These amounts of cash and equipment will depend, among other things, on an assessment of the contributed equipment by a Chinese appraisal firm mutually selected by the Company and Suqian. The actual contributions of cash and other assets into the JV by the Company and Suqian will happen incrementally over time. In addition, under the Definitive Agreement, Suqian has agreed to provide rent-free use of the 331,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and office space that is currently being built for the Company in the Suqian Economic and Industrial Development Science Park. The JV will build a factory to manufacture the Company's proprietary photovoltaic modules. The Company is committed to purchase this factory within the first 5 years at the initial construction cost, and will also purchase Suqian's ownership interest in the JV at a cost of 1.5 times Suqian's cash investment. The implementation of the agreement, including the formation of the JV entity, is subject to a number of contractual conditions and governmental approvals. Such conditions and approvals must be obtained in order for the Suqian factory to be built and become operational. On September 17, 2014, the Company was officially granted the Certificate of Approval for Establishment with Foreign Investment in the People's Republic of China, and on September 24, 2014, the Company was officially granted the Business License to operate the JV. Several activities, including the cash injection by Suqian into the JV and the transfer of equipment by the Company, will begin during the forth quarter of 2014. In December 2013, the Company established a wholly owned legal entity in Singapore (Ascent Solar (Asia) PTE. LTD. "Ascent Asia"). Ascent Asia was established initially to manage the Company's contract manufacturing partners in Asia. In the longer term, this entity will serve as the Company's sales headquarters in Asia, in addition to providing management of regional warehousing operations. Any activity for Ascent Asia will be consolidated into the Company's financial statements.

JOINT VENTURE

On December 28, 2013, the Company entered into a definitive agreement for the establishment of a joint venture with the Government of the Municipal City of Suqian in Jiangsu Province, China (“Suqian”).

The agreement covers a multi-faceted, three-phase project. Completion of all three phases would involve an anticipated investment of up to $500 million over 6 years, comprised of equipment, intellectual property and cash funded by Suqian, the Company, and other supporting investors to be brought in by the Company.

In the initial phase of the project, the Company and Suqian will form a joint venture entity (“JV”) in which Suqian will inject approximately $4.8 million in cash and have majority interest of 75%. The Company will inject approximately $1.6 million in cash and hold a minority interest of 25%. Near the end of 2014 or early in 2015, Suqian will further inject the balance of the committed $32.5 million while the Company will contribute its proprietary technology and intellectual property, as well as certain equipment from its Colorado facility, thereby increasing the Company's shareholdings progressively up to an 80% ownership.

Under the terms of the definitive agreement, in phase 1 and phase 2 of the project, the Company is required to contribute to the JV manufacturing equipment, intellectual property assets, proprietary technology and know-how, and cash for its ownership share, and Suqian is required to contribute cash for its ownership share. Pursuant to the terms of the Definitive Agreement, the Company's total contribution for phase 1 and phase 2 is required to be approximately $130 million. Suqian's total contribution for phase 1 and phase 2 is required to be approximately $32 million.

Pursuant to the terms of the Definitive Agreement, Ascent and Suqian are required to ascribe a dollar value to the Company's non-cash contributions. The major milestone was the agreement by the Suqian government to credit approximately $77 million to the Company's contribution of its proprietary technology, which represents 60% towards Ascent's total required contribution of $130 million. In order to value the Company's intellectual property assets, the parties jointly agreed to hire an independent appraisal company located in China. The appraisal company has now completed that review and has submitted the valuation report to each of the JV partners. This report valued the Company's intellectual property assets at approximately $65 million, plus 20% premium added by Suqian government to bring the total value to $77 million. The remaining 40% of the Company's contribution will be in the form of some equipment from its Colorado plant and/or cash. The exact amounts of cash and equipment will be determined at a later date. These amounts of cash and equipment will depend, among other things, on an assessment of the contributed equipment by a Chinese appraisal firm mutually selected by the Company and Suqian.

The actual contributions of cash and other assets into the JV by the Company and Suqian will happen incrementally over time. In addition, under the Definitive Agreement, Suqian has agreed to provide rent-free use of the 331,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and office space that is currently being built for the Company in the Suqian Economic and Industrial Development Science Park.

The JV will build a factory to manufacture the Company's proprietary photovoltaic modules. The Company is committed to purchase this factory within the first 5 years at the initial construction cost, and will also purchase Suqian's ownership interest in the JV at a cost of 1.5 times Suqian's cash investment.

The implementation of the agreement, including the formation of the JV entity, is subject to a number of contractual conditions and governmental approvals. Such conditions and approvals must be obtained in order for the Suqian factory to be built and become operational. On September 17, 2014, the Company was officially granted the Certificate of Approval for Establishment with Foreign Investment in the People's Republic of China, and on September 24, 2014, the Company was officially granted the Business License to operate the JV. Several activities, including the cash injection by Suqian into the JV and the transfer of equipment by the Company, will begin during the forth quarter of 2014.

In December 2013, the Company established a wholly owned legal entity in Singapore (Ascent Solar (Asia) PTE. LTD. "Ascent Asia"). Ascent Asia was established initially to manage the Company's contract manufacturing partners in Asia. In the longer term, this entity will serve as the Company's sales headquarters in Asia, in addition to providing management of regional warehousing operations. Any activity for Ascent Asia will be consolidated into the Company's financial statements.