Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$ (259,489)	$ (281,265)	$ (336,316)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and Amortization	43,459	46,105	43,100
Write-off of property, plant and equipment, net	939	48	140
Impairment of assets, net	0	0	2,092
PPA I decommissioning, net	0	0	617
Revaluation of derivative contracts	28,471	14,754	1,343
Stock-based compensation	180,284	30,479	28,157
Loss (gain) on long-term REC purchase contract	200	(70)	124
Revaluation of stock warrants	(9,108)	(2,975)	8,373
Amortization of interest expense from preferred stock warrants	1,066	1,060	1,083
Amortization of debt issuance cost	3,868	3,263	2,802
Amortization of debt discount from embedded derivatives	20,503	42,989	28,925
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(54,570)	4,849	(701)
Inventories	(42,216)	(7,105)	(209)
Deferred cost of revenue	88,324	(70,979)	(84,660)
Customer financing receivable and other	4,878	5,459	(211,659)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(7,064)	(2,175)	(8,433)
Other long-term assets	1,897	4,625	(1,020)
Accounts payable	18,307	7,076	4,807
Accrued warranty	2,426	(7,045)	(2,986)
Accrued other current liabilities	(6,800)	8,599	11,258
Deferred revenue and customer deposits	(91,996)	91,893	183,564
Other long-term liabilities	18,204	43,239	46,773
Net cash used in operating activities	(58,417)	(67,176)	(282,826)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property, plant and equipment	(14,659)	(5,140)	(8,979)
Payments for acquisition of intangible assets	(3,256)	0	0
Purchase of marketable securities	(103,914)	(29,043)	0
Proceeds from maturity of marketable securities	27,000	2,250	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(94,829)	(31,933)	(8,979)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings from issuance of debt	0	100,000	123,489
Borrowings from issuance of debt to related parties	0	0	25,000
Repayment of debt	(18,770)	(20,507)	(32,192)
Repayment of debt to related parties	(1,390)	(912)	(966)
Debt issuance costs	0	(6,108)	(218)
Proceeds from noncontrolling and redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	13,652	209,860
Distributions to noncontrolling and redeemable noncontrolling interests	(15,250)	(23,659)	(45,828)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	1,521	432	1,238
Proceeds from issuance of convertible preferred stock	0	0	3,000
Proceeds from public offerings, net of underwriting discounts and commissions	292,529	0	0
Payments of initial public offering issuance costs	(5,521)	(1,092)	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	253,119	61,806	283,383
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	99,873	(37,303)	(8,422)
Beginning of period	180,612	217,915	226,337
End of period	280,485	180,612	217,915
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid during the period for interest	39,465	21,948	20,549
Cash paid during the period for taxes	1,748	616	635
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
Transfer of inventory to Energy Servers	0	0	217,205
Liabilities recorded for property, plant and equipment	12,236	975	992
Liabilities recorded for intangible assets	3,180	2,138	0
Exercise of warrants	0	0	3,336
Issuance of common stock warrant	0	9,410	0
Reclassification of redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant liability to additional paid-in capital	882	0	0
Conversion of redeemable convertible preferred stock into additional paid-in capital	1,465,841	0	0
Conversion of 8% convertible promissory notes into additional paid-in capital	221,579	0	0
Reclassification of derivative liability into additional paid-in capital	177,208	0	0
Reclassification of prior year prepaid initial public offering costs to additional paid-in capital	4,732	0	0
Issuance of common stock	0	1,981	1,816
Issuance of restricted stock	0	1,254	0
Accrued distributions to Equity Investors	576	576	7,287
Accrued interest and issuance for notes	19,041	29,705	23,987
Accrued interest and issuance for notes to related parties	2,733	4,368	3,856
Issuance of 6% convertible promissory notes	$ 0	$ 0	$ 25,000