Restatement of Previously Issued Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	$ 17,876	$ 56,777	$ 147,496	$ 252,455
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization			38,888	64,948
Write-off of property, plant and equipment, net			36	2,987
Write-off of PPA II and PPA IIIb decommissioned assets			0	25,613
Debt make-whole expense				5,934
Revaluation of derivative contracts			(2,339)	2,955
Stock-based compensation			57,385	160,233
Loss on long-term REC purchase contract			72	61
Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs				16,295
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			(12,654)	63,426
Inventories			(22,772)	(1,775)
Deferred cost of revenue			1,562	(2,344)
Customer financing receivable and other			3,790	4,142
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			(2,647)	8,071
Other long-term assets			(3,217)	1,294
Accounts payable			8,704	14,171
Accrued warranty			(525)	(4,074)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities			3,866	5,191
Deferred managed services revenue				0
Deferred revenue and customer deposits			(15,658)	22,252
Other long-term liabilities			(2,811)	4,560
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities			(79,990)	141,485
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property, plant and equipment			(33,066)	(39,690)
Payments for acquisition of intangible assets			0	(1,478)
Proceeds from maturity of marketable securities			0	104,500
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities			(33,066)	63,332
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of debt				(93,263)
Repayment of debt to related parties			(2,105)	(1,691)
Debt make-whole payment			0	(5,934)
Proceeds from financing obligations			14,807	20,333
Repayment of financing obligations			(7,828)	(6,419)
Payments to noncontrolling and redeemable noncontrolling interests			0	(43,713)
Distributions to noncontrolling and redeemable noncontrolling interests			(6,103)	(9,363)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock			12,745	12,623
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities			240,037	(127,427)
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash			126,981	77,390
Beginning of period			377,388	280,485
End of period	$ 504,369	357,875	504,369	357,875
Cash paid during the period for interest			56,607	53,772
Cash paid during the period for taxes			$ 353	715
Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net income (loss)		11,045		20,228
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization				0
Write-off of property, plant and equipment, net				0
Write-off of PPA II and PPA IIIb decommissioned assets				0
Debt make-whole expense				0
Revaluation of derivative contracts				0
Stock-based compensation				0
Loss on long-term REC purchase contract				0
Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs				0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable				5,594
Inventories				0
Deferred cost of revenue				0
Customer financing receivable and other				0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets				(33)
Other long-term assets				(758)
Accounts payable				0
Accrued warranty				(242)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities				0
Deferred managed services revenue				0
Deferred revenue and customer deposits				15,667
Other long-term liabilities				0
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities				0
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property, plant and equipment				0
Payments for acquisition of intangible assets				0
Proceeds from maturity of marketable securities				0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities				0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of debt				0
Repayment of debt to related parties				0
Debt make-whole payment				0
Proceeds from financing obligations				0
Repayment of financing obligations				0
Payments to noncontrolling and redeemable noncontrolling interests				0
Distributions to noncontrolling and redeemable noncontrolling interests				0
Proceeds from issuance of common stock				0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities				0
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash				0
Beginning of period				0
End of period		0		0
Cash paid during the period for interest				0
Cash paid during the period for taxes				0
As Previously Reported
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net income (loss)		39,930		195,434
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization				55,816
Write-off of property, plant and equipment, net				2,987
Write-off of PPA II and PPA IIIb decommissioned assets				25,613
Debt make-whole expense				5,934
Revaluation of derivative contracts				1,335
Stock-based compensation				154,955
Loss on long-term REC purchase contract				61
Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs				16,295
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable				58,150
Inventories				(7,896)
Deferred cost of revenue				56,854
Customer financing receivable and other				4,142
Prepaid expenses and other current assets				7,928
Other long-term assets				3,281
Accounts payable				14,171
Accrued warranty				(3,941)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities				5,029
Deferred managed services revenue				0
Deferred revenue and customer deposits				(68,180)
Other long-term liabilities				2,083
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities				139,183
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property, plant and equipment				(23,474)
Payments for acquisition of intangible assets				(1,478)
Proceeds from maturity of marketable securities				104,500
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities				79,548
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of debt				(93,263)
Repayment of debt to related parties				(1,691)
Debt make-whole payment				(5,934)
Proceeds from financing obligations				0
Repayment of financing obligations				0
Payments to noncontrolling and redeemable noncontrolling interests				(43,713)
Distributions to noncontrolling and redeemable noncontrolling interests				(9,363)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock				12,623
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities				(141,341)
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash				77,390
Beginning of period				280,485
End of period		357,875		357,875
Cash paid during the period for interest				35,894
Cash paid during the period for taxes				715
Restatement Impacts
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net income (loss)		5,802		36,793
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization				9,132
Write-off of property, plant and equipment, net				0
Write-off of PPA II and PPA IIIb decommissioned assets				0
Debt make-whole expense				0
Revaluation of derivative contracts				1,620
Stock-based compensation				5,278
Loss on long-term REC purchase contract				0
Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs				0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable				(318)
Inventories				6,121
Deferred cost of revenue				(59,198)
Customer financing receivable and other				0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets				176
Other long-term assets				(1,229)
Accounts payable				0
Accrued warranty				109
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities				162
Deferred managed services revenue				0
Deferred revenue and customer deposits				74,765
Other long-term liabilities				2,477
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities				2,302
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property, plant and equipment				(16,216)
Payments for acquisition of intangible assets				0
Proceeds from maturity of marketable securities				0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities				(16,216)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of debt				0
Repayment of debt to related parties				0
Debt make-whole payment				0
Proceeds from financing obligations				20,333
Repayment of financing obligations				(6,419)
Payments to noncontrolling and redeemable noncontrolling interests				0
Distributions to noncontrolling and redeemable noncontrolling interests				0
Proceeds from issuance of common stock				0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities				13,914
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash				0
Beginning of period				0
End of period		$ 0		0
Cash paid during the period for interest				17,878
Cash paid during the period for taxes				0
Restatement Impacts | Capitalized Stock-Based Compensation
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Stock-based compensation				5,900
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Deferred cost of revenue				(1,400)
Restatement Impacts | Capitalized Stock-Based Compensation, Managed Services Program
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Stock-based compensation				(600)
Restatement Impacts | Reclassification Of Lease Arrangements
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Deferred cost of revenue				60,600
Restatement Impacts | Change In Policy
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accrued warranty				$ 400