Restatement of Previously Issued Consolidated Financial Statements - Consolidated Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2020		Dec. 31, 2019		Mar. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 180,307	[1]	$ 202,823	[1]	$ 320,414
Restricted cash	29,730	[1]	30,804	[1]	18,419
Accounts receivable	35,691	[1]	37,828	[1]	85,647
Inventories	107,204		109,606		119,871
Deferred cost of revenue	79,799		58,470		52,911
Customer financing receivable	5,170	[1]	5,108	[1]	5,717
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	24,994	[1]	28,068	[1]	30,073
Total current assets	462,895		472,707		633,052
Property, plant and equipment, net	606,850	[1]	607,059	[1]	711,631
Customer financing receivable, non-current	49,446	[1]	50,747	[1]	65,620
Restricted cash, non-current	143,882	[1]	143,761	[1]	31,101
Deferred cost of revenue, non-current	4,939		6,665		1,933
Other long-term assets	44,596	[1]	41,652	[1]	45,447
Total assets	1,312,608		1,322,591		1,488,784
Accounts payable	60,401	[1]	55,579	[1]	64,425
Accrued warranty	11,014		10,333		14,237
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	77,809	[1]	70,284	[1]	64,073
Financing obligations	11,248		10,993		8,819
Deferred revenue and customer deposits	99,046	[1]	89,192	[1]	75,069
Current portion of recourse debt	15,117		304,627		15,683
Current portion of non-recourse debt	8,670	[1]	8,273	[1]	19,486
Current portion of non-recourse debt from related parties	2,439	[1]	3,882	[1]	2,341
Total current liabilities	285,744		573,964		264,133
Derivative liabilities	23,377	[1]	17,551	[1]	15,722
Deferred revenue and customer deposits, net of current portion	120,927	[1]	125,529	[1]	103,751
Financing obligations, non-current	443,407		446,165		394,037
Long-term portion of recourse debt	396,097		75,962		357,876
Long-term portion of non-recourse debt	190,295	[1]	192,180	[1]	284,541
Long-term portion of recourse debt from related parties	52,786		0		27,734
Long-term portion of non-recourse debt from related parties	30,597	[1]	31,087	[1]	33,417
Other long-term liabilities	28,543		28,013		28,970
Total liabilities	1,571,773		1,490,451		1,510,181
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	67		443		58,802
Total stockholders’ deficit	(333,099)		(259,594)		(194,863)
Noncontrolling interest	73,867		91,291		114,664
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interest, stockholders' deficit and noncontrolling interest	$ 1,312,608		$ 1,322,591		1,488,784
Previously Reported
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents					320,414
Restricted cash					18,419
Accounts receivable					84,070
Inventories					116,544
Deferred cost of revenue					66,316
Customer financing receivable					5,717
Prepaid expenses and other current assets					28,362
Total current assets					639,842
Property, plant and equipment, net					475,385
Customer financing receivable, non-current					65,620
Restricted cash, non-current					31,101
Deferred cost of revenue, non-current					72,516
Other long-term assets					34,386
Total assets					1,318,850
Accounts payable					64,425
Accrued warranty					16,736
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities					67,966
Financing obligations					0
Deferred revenue and customer deposits					89,557
Current portion of recourse debt					15,683
Current portion of non-recourse debt					19,486
Current portion of non-recourse debt from related parties					2,341
Total current liabilities					276,194
Derivative liabilities					11,166
Deferred revenue and customer deposits, net of current portion					201,863
Financing obligations, non-current					0
Long-term portion of recourse debt					357,876
Long-term portion of non-recourse debt					284,541
Long-term portion of recourse debt from related parties					27,734
Long-term portion of non-recourse debt from related parties					33,417
Other long-term liabilities					58,032
Total liabilities					1,250,823
Redeemable noncontrolling interest					58,802
Total stockholders’ deficit					(105,439)
Noncontrolling interest					114,664
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interest, stockholders' deficit and noncontrolling interest					1,318,850
Restatement Adjustment
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents					0
Restricted cash					0
Accounts receivable					3,995
Inventories					3,327
Deferred cost of revenue					(13,405)
Customer financing receivable					0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets					1,582
Total current assets					(4,501)
Property, plant and equipment, net					236,246
Customer financing receivable, non-current					0
Restricted cash, non-current					0
Deferred cost of revenue, non-current					(70,583)
Other long-term assets					8,486
Total assets					169,648
Accounts payable					0
Accrued warranty					(1,219)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities					(3,893)
Financing obligations					8,819
Deferred revenue and customer deposits					(16,153)
Current portion of recourse debt					0
Current portion of non-recourse debt					0
Current portion of non-recourse debt from related parties					0
Total current liabilities					(12,446)
Derivative liabilities					4,556
Deferred revenue and customer deposits, net of current portion					(115,432)
Financing obligations, non-current					394,037
Long-term portion of recourse debt					0
Long-term portion of non-recourse debt					0
Long-term portion of recourse debt from related parties					0
Long-term portion of non-recourse debt from related parties					0
Other long-term liabilities					(29,062)
Total liabilities					241,653
Redeemable noncontrolling interest					0
Total stockholders’ deficit					(72,005)
Noncontrolling interest					0
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interest, stockholders' deficit and noncontrolling interest					169,648
Additional paid-in capital						$ 800
Capitalized Stock-Based Compensation | Restatement Adjustment
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Inventories					3,800
Deferred cost of revenue					2,100
Property, plant and equipment, net					3,600
Capitalized Stock-Based Compensation, Managed Services Program | Restatement Adjustment
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Inventories					(500)
Immaterial Misstatements | Restatement Adjustment
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Deferred cost of revenue, current and non-current					(1,700)
Change In Policy | Restatement Adjustment
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Accrued warranty					400
Grid Pricing Escalation | Restatement Adjustment
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Accrued warranty					800
Transfer Of Ownership | Restatement Adjustment
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, net					232,600
Reclassification Of Lease Arrangements | Restatement Adjustment
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Deferred cost of revenue					(13,900)
Deferred cost of revenue, non-current					(70,600)
Valuation Adjustment | Restatement Adjustment
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Total stockholders’ deficit					(72,800)
Additional paid-in capital					755	$ 755
Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents					0
Restricted cash					0
Accounts receivable					(2,418)
Inventories					0
Deferred cost of revenue					0
Customer financing receivable					0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets					129
Total current assets					(2,289)
Property, plant and equipment, net					0
Customer financing receivable, non-current					0
Restricted cash, non-current					0
Deferred cost of revenue, non-current					0
Other long-term assets					2,575
Total assets					286
Accounts payable					0
Accrued warranty					(1,280)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities					0
Financing obligations					0
Deferred revenue and customer deposits					1,665
Current portion of recourse debt					0
Current portion of non-recourse debt					0
Current portion of non-recourse debt from related parties					0
Total current liabilities					385
Derivative liabilities					0
Deferred revenue and customer deposits, net of current portion					17,320
Financing obligations, non-current					0
Long-term portion of recourse debt					0
Long-term portion of non-recourse debt					0
Long-term portion of recourse debt from related parties					0
Long-term portion of non-recourse debt from related parties					0
Other long-term liabilities					0
Total liabilities					17,705
Redeemable noncontrolling interest					0
Total stockholders’ deficit					(17,419)
Noncontrolling interest					0
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interest, stockholders' deficit and noncontrolling interest					$ 286

[1] We have variable interest entities which represent a portion of the consolidated balances recorded within these financial statement line items in the condensed consolidated balance sheets (see Note 13, Power Purchase Agreement Programs).