Long-term Contract, Period

No definition available.

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- Definition

Warranty, Parts And Services, Date Of Energization, Period

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	powl_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Warranty, Parts And Services, Date Of Shipment, Period

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	powl_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount billed to customers under long-term contracts or programs that have been withheld because of retainage provisions in a contract.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 910
-SubTopic 310
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68065756&loc=d3e49370-109356

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.3(c)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount billed to customers under long-term contracts or programs that have been withheld because of retainage provisions in a contract to be collected in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 910
-SubTopic 310
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68065756&loc=d3e49370-109356

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.3(c)(4))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount billed to customers under long-term contracts or programs that have been withheld because of retainage provisions in a contract to be collected in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 910
-SubTopic 310
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68065756&loc=d3e49370-109356

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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The aggregate costs incurred (1) in a planned search or critical investigation aimed at discovery of new knowledge with the hope that such knowledge will be useful in developing a new product or service, a new process or technique, or in bringing about a significant improvement to an existing product or process; or (2) to translate research findings or other knowledge into a plan or design for a new product or process or for a significant improvement to an existing product or process whether intended for sale or the entity's use, during the reporting period charged to research and development projects, including the costs of developing computer software up to the point in time of achieving technological feasibility, and costs allocated in accounting for a business combination to in-process projects deemed to have no alternative future use.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 985
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6501960&loc=d3e128462-111756

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-Section 50
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6420194&loc=d3e21568-108373

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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Retention amounts included in accounts receivable	$ 4,200	$ 2,100
Warranty for parts and services date of shipment	18 months
Warranty parts and services date of energization	12 months
Research and development expenses	$ 6,717	$ 6,906	$ 6,731
Minimum
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Long-term contract beginning	1 month
Accounts Receivable
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Retention amounts expected to be collected in next fiscal year	$ 3,800
Other Assets
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Retention amounts expected to be collected in Fiscal 2020	$ 400