Restatement of Previously Issues Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements - Consolidates Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2020		Dec. 31, 2019		Jun. 30, 2019
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 144,072	[1]	$ 202,823	[1]	$ 308,009
Restricted cash, current	40,393	[1]	30,804	[1]	23,706
Accounts receivable	49,614	[1]	37,828	[1]	40,038
Inventories	112,479		109,606		106,889
Deferred cost of revenue	68,233		58,470		80,307
Customer financing receivable	5,254	[1]	5,108	[1]	5,817
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	20,747	[1]	28,068	[1]	26,483
Current assets	440,792		472,707		591,249
Property, plant and equipment, net	601,566	[1]	607,059	[1]	641,259
Customer financing receivable, non-current	48,111	[1]	50,747	[1]	64,146
Restricted cash, non-current	139,664	[1]	143,761	[1]	39,351
Deferred cost of revenue, non-current	6,421		6,665		3,846
Other long-term assets	40,989	[1]	41,652	[1]	72,836
Total assets	1,277,543		1,322,591		1,412,687
Accounts payable	64,896	[1]	55,579	[1]	61,427
Accrued warranty	10,175		10,333		10,240
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	88,052	[1]	70,284	[1]	105,393
Financing obligations	11,603		10,993		10,027
Deferred revenue and customer deposits	102,944	[1]	89,192	[1]	118,738
Current portion of recourse debt	14,697		304,627		15,681
Current portion of non-recourse debt	11,367	[1]	8,273	[1]	7,654
Current portion of non-recourse debt from related parties	0	[1]	3,882	[1]	2,889
Total current liabilities	303,734		573,964		332,049
Derivative liabilities	22,281	[1]	17,551	[1]	18,175
Deferred revenue and customer deposits, net of current portion	114,684	[1]	125,529	[1]	110,750
Financing obligations, non-current	440,444		446,165		400,078
Long-term portion of recourse debt	347,664		75,962		362,424
Long-term portion of non-recourse debt	218,316	[1]	192,180	[1]	219,182
Long-term portion of recourse debt from related parties	53,675		0		27,734
Long-term portion of non-recourse debt from related parties	0	[1]	31,087	[1]	32,643
Other long-term liabilities	27,276	[1]	28,013	[1]	29,979
Total liabilities	1,528,074		1,490,451		1,533,014
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	118		443		505
Preferred stock	0		0		0
Common stock	13		12		11
Additional paid-in capital	2,747,890		2,686,759		2,604,034
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(9)		19		(148)
Accumulated deficit	(3,064,845)		(2,946,384)		(2,828,801)
Total stockholders’ deficit	(316,951)		(259,594)		(224,904)
Noncontrolling interest	66,302		91,291		104,072
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interest, stockholders' deficit and noncontrolling interest	$ 1,277,543		$ 1,322,591		$ 1,412,687
6% Notes | Convertible promissory notes | Affiliated entity
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Interest rate percentage					6.00%
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, current					0
Accounts receivable					(2,430)
Inventories					0
Deferred cost of revenue					0
Customer financing receivable					0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets					143
Current assets					(2,287)
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					2,743
Total assets					456
Accounts payable					0
Accrued warranty					(999)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities					0
Financing obligations					0
Deferred revenue and customer deposits					3,264
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					2,265
Derivative liabilities					0
Deferred revenue and customer deposits, net of current portion					25,369
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					27,634
Redeemable noncontrolling interest					0
Preferred stock					0
Common stock					0
Additional paid-in capital					0
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)					0
Accumulated deficit					(27,178)
Total stockholders’ deficit					(27,178)
Noncontrolling interest					0
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interest, stockholders' deficit and noncontrolling interest					456
As Previously Reported
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents					308,009
Restricted cash, current					23,706
Accounts receivable					38,296
Inventories					104,934
Deferred cost of revenue					86,434
Customer financing receivable					5,817
Prepaid expenses and other current assets					25,088
Current assets					592,284
Property, plant and equipment, net					406,610
Customer financing receivable, non-current					64,146
Restricted cash, non-current					39,351
Deferred cost of revenue, non-current					59,213
Other long-term assets					60,975
Total assets					1,222,579
Accounts payable					61,427
Accrued warranty					12,393
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities					109,722
Financing obligations					0
Deferred revenue and customer deposits					129,321
Current portion of recourse debt					15,681
Current portion of non-recourse debt					7,654
Current portion of non-recourse debt from related parties					2,889
Total current liabilities					339,087
Derivative liabilities					13,079
Deferred revenue and customer deposits, net of current portion					181,221
Financing obligations, non-current					0
Long-term portion of recourse debt					362,424
Long-term portion of non-recourse debt					219,182
Long-term portion of recourse debt from related parties					27,734
Long-term portion of non-recourse debt from related parties					32,643
Other long-term liabilities					58,417
Total liabilities					1,233,787
Redeemable noncontrolling interest					505
Preferred stock					0
Common stock					11
Additional paid-in capital					2,603,279
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)					(148)
Accumulated deficit					(2,718,927)
Total stockholders’ deficit					(115,785)
Noncontrolling interest					104,072
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interest, stockholders' deficit and noncontrolling interest					1,222,579
Restatement Impacts
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents					0
Restricted cash, current					0
Accounts receivable					4,172
Inventories					1,955
Deferred cost of revenue					(6,127)
Customer financing receivable					0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets					1,252
Current assets					1,252
Property, plant and equipment, net					234,649
Customer financing receivable, non-current					0
Restricted cash, non-current					0
Deferred cost of revenue, non-current					(55,367)
Other long-term assets					9,118
Total assets					189,652
Accounts payable					0
Accrued warranty					(1,154)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities					(4,329)
Financing obligations					10,027
Deferred revenue and customer deposits					(13,847)
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					(9,303)
Derivative liabilities					5,096
Deferred revenue and customer deposits, net of current portion					(95,840)
Financing obligations, non-current					400,078
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					(28,438)
Total liabilities					271,593
Redeemable noncontrolling interest					0
Preferred stock					0
Common stock					0
Additional paid-in capital					755
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)					0
Accumulated deficit					(82,696)
Total stockholders’ deficit					(81,941)
Noncontrolling interest					0
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interest, stockholders' deficit and noncontrolling interest					189,652
Restatement Impacts | Reclassification Of Lease Arrangements
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Deferred cost of revenue					(7,400)
Deferred cost of revenue, non-current					(55,400)
Restatement Impacts | Capitalized Stock-Based Compensation
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Inventories					2,000
Deferred cost of revenue					3,700
Property, plant and equipment, net					3,700
Restatement Impacts | Immaterial Misstatements
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Deferred cost of revenue					(2,500)
Restatement Impacts | Transfer Of Ownership
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, net					230,900
Restatement Impacts | Change In Policy
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Accrued warranty					200
Restatement Impacts | Grid Pricing Escalation
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Accrued warranty					900
Restatement Impacts | Valuation Adjustment
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Additional paid-in capital					$ (800)

[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).