Debt and Credit Sources (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended					3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended			6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended																																					6 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Jul. 01, 2012	Jul. 03, 2011	Jul. 01, 2012	Jul. 03, 2011	Jan. 01, 2012		Feb. 28, 2012 Total [Member]	Jul. 01, 2012 Bond Hedge [Member]		Jul. 03, 2011 Bond Hedge [Member]	Jul. 01, 2012 Bond Hedge [Member]		Jul. 03, 2011 Bond Hedge [Member]	Apr. 01, 2012 Bond Hedge [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Bond Hedge [Member]	Jul. 01, 2012 Embedded Cash Conversion Option [Member]	Jul. 03, 2011 Embedded Cash Conversion Option [Member]	Jul. 01, 2012 Embedded Cash Conversion Option [Member]	Jul. 03, 2011 Embedded Cash Conversion Option [Member]	Jul. 01, 2012 4.50% Debentures [Member]	Jul. 01, 2012 4.50% Debentures [Member] Embedded Cash Conversion Option [Member]		Jan. 01, 2012 4.50% Debentures [Member] Embedded Cash Conversion Option [Member]		Jul. 01, 2012 4.75% Debentures [Member]	Feb. 16, 2012 1.25% Debentures [Member]	Jul. 01, 2012 1.25% Debentures [Member]		Jan. 01, 2012 1.25% Debentures [Member]		Jul. 01, 2012 0.75% Debentures [Member]	Jul. 01, 2012 Other Long-term Debt [Member]		Jan. 01, 2012 Other Long-term Debt [Member]		Jul. 01, 2012 Convertible Debt [Member]		Jan. 01, 2012 Convertible Debt [Member]		Jul. 01, 2012 Convertible Debt [Member] 4.50% Debentures [Member]		Jan. 01, 2012 Convertible Debt [Member] 4.50% Debentures [Member]		Apr. 01, 2010 Convertible Debt [Member] 4.50% Debentures [Member]	Jul. 01, 2012 Convertible Debt [Member] 4.75% Debentures [Member]		Jan. 01, 2012 Convertible Debt [Member] 4.75% Debentures [Member]		Jul. 01, 2012 Convertible Debt [Member] 1.25% Debentures [Member]		Jan. 01, 2012 Convertible Debt [Member] 1.25% Debentures [Member]	Feb. 28, 2007 Convertible Debt [Member] 1.25% Debentures [Member]	Jul. 01, 2012 Convertible Debt [Member] 0.75% Debentures [Member]		Jan. 01, 2012 Convertible Debt [Member] 0.75% Debentures [Member]		Jul. 01, 2012 Mortgages [Member] IFC Mortgage Loan [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Mortgages [Member] IFC Mortgage Loan [Member]	May 06, 2010 Mortgages [Member] IFC Mortgage Loan [Member]	Jul. 01, 2012 Loans Payable [Member] CEDA Loan [Member]	Jul. 01, 2012 Letter of Credit [Member] Deutsche Bank Letter of Credit Facility August 2011 [Member]	Jul. 01, 2012 Letter of Credit [Member] Deutsche Bank Trust [Member]	Jul. 01, 2012 Line of Credit [Member] Credit Agricole Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Line of Credit [Member] Credit Agricole Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Apr. 09, 2012 Issuance of Debt [Member] Line of Credit [Member] Credit Agricole Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Feb. 28, 2012 New Contract [Member] Total [Member]
Maturities of Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Face Value	$ 874,998,000		$ 874,998,000																										$ 198,608,000	[1]		$ 14,919,000	[2],[3]			$ 480,079,000		$ 678,687,000		$ 250,000,000		$ 250,000,000		$ 220,000,000	$ 230,000,000		$ 230,000,000		$ 0	[1]	$ 198,600,000	$ 200,000,000	$ 79,000		$ 79,000					$ 30,000,000			$ 275,000,000
2012	13,861,000		13,861,000																													13,861,000	[2],[3]							0					0								0				0			0			0
2013	287,500,000		287,500,000																													0	[2],[3]							0					0								0				12,500,000			0			275,000,000
2014	245,000,000		245,000,000																													0	[2],[3]							0					230,000,000								0				15,000,000			0			0
2015	266,147,000		266,147,000																													0	[2],[3]							250,000,000					0								79,000				15,000,000			0			0
2016	15,000,000		15,000,000																													0	[2],[3]							0					0								0				15,000,000			0			0
Beyond 2016	48,558,000		48,558,000																													1,058,000	[2],[3]	1,233,000	[2],[3]					0					0								0				17,500,000			30,000,000			0
Carrying Value																											0	[1]	196,710,000	[1]						430,633,000		619,978,000		200,554,000		193,189,000			230,000,000		230,000,000						79,000		79,000
Fair Value																											0	[1],[4]	197,615,000	[1],[4]						413,732,000	[4]	604,566,000	[4]	207,803,000	[4]	205,905,000	[4]		205,850,000	[4]	200,967,000	[4]					79,000	[4]	79,000	[4]
Gain (loss) on mark-to-market derivatives	(9,000)	(97,000)	4,000	(141,000)	343,000
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Price																					22.53	[5]	22.53	[5]
Repayments of Long-term Debt			101,132,000	226,136,000																						199,800,000
Amortization of Debt Discount (Premium)			15,346,000	14,332,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage																				4.50%					4.75%		1.25%				0.75%
Debt Instrument, Maximum Borrowing Amount																																																											75,000,000
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents																																																									1,400,000	1,300,000
Stock price								$ 4.80	[6]		$ 4.80	[6]			$ 6.23						$ 4.80	[5]	$ 6.23
Long-term debt, short and long-term																																																									75,000,000	75,000,000
Long-term debt in short-term																																																									5,000,000
Long-term debt	383,585,000		383,585,000		364,273,000	[7]																																																			70,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity																																																														200,000,000	275,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding																																																													699,000,000	1,400,000	275,000,000	250,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Increase, Additional Borrowings																																																																	125,000,000
Letter of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity, 2012																																																													725,000,000
Letter of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity, 2013																																																													771,000,000
Letter of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity, 2014																																																													878,000,000
Letter of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity, 2015																																																													936,000,000
Letter of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity, 2016																																																													1,000,000,000
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate																																																											3.00%				1.50%
Debt Instrument, Borrowing Fee, Percent of Principal																																																											1.00%
Debt Instrument, Commitment Fee																																																											0.50%
Debt Instrument, Prepayment Premium																																																											1.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Basis Spread on Base Loan Rate																																																															0.50%
Line of Credit Facility, Basis Spread on Federal Funds Rate																																																															0.50%
Line of Credit Facility, Basis Spread on LIBOR Rate																																																															1.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Commitment Fee Percentage																																																															0.25%
Line of Credit Facility, Upfront Fee																																																															0.125%
Embedded Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Embedded Derivative, Net								100,000		9,600,000	1,700,000		31,500,000			100,000	9,700,000	1,700,000	31,600,000
Liquidity Support Facility, Maximum Capacity							600,000,000																																																											600,000,000
Liquidity Support Facility, Unrestricted Cash, Cash Equivalents and Unused Borrowing Capacity, Threshold for Liquidity Support							100,000,000
Embedded Derivative, Fair Value of Embedded Derivative Liability																					2,500,000		800,000
Embedded Derivative, Fair Value of Embedded Derivative Asset														2,500,000	800,000
Liquidity Support Facility, Warrant Issued, Number of Common Stock Shares							9,531,677																																																											9,531,677
Liquidity Support Facility, Warrant Issued, Exercise Price Per Share							$ 7.8685																																																											$ 7.8685
Liquidity Support Facility, Warrant Issued, Fair Value							$ 50,300,000

[1] On February 16, 2012, the Company repurchased 100% of the outstanding principal amount of the 1.25% debentures plus accrued and unpaid interest.

[2] As of July 1, 2012, Other debt included a non-recourse project loan of $13.9 million taken in the second quarter of fiscal 2012 for a utility and power plant project under construction, classified as "Short-term debt" and $1.1 million of project loans related to Tenesol, classified as "Long-term debt" on the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. On January 31, 2012, the Company completed its acquisition of Tenesol. In fiscal 2003 and fiscal 2008 Tenesol entered into three non-recourse project loans which are scheduled to mature through 2028. As of January 1, 2012 the other debt balance consisted of outstanding borrowings of $1.2 million which is classified as "Long-term debt" in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

[3] The balance of Other long-term debt excludes payments related to capital leases which are disclosed in Note 8. "Commitments and Contingencies" to these condensed consolidated financial statements.

[4] The fair value of the convertible debt was determined using Level 1 inputs based on quoted market prices as reported by an independent pricing source.

[5] The valuation model utilizes these inputs to value the right but not the obligation to purchase one share at $22.53. The Company utilized a Black-Scholes valuation model to value the embedded cash conversion option. The underlying input assumptions were determined as follows:(i)Stock price. The closing price of the Company's common stock on the last trading day of the quarter.(ii)Exercise price. The exercise price of the embedded conversion option.(iii)Interest rate. The Treasury Strip rate associated with the life of the embedded conversion option.(iv)Stock volatility. The volatility of the Company's common stock over the life of the embedded conversion option.

[6] The valuation model utilizes these inputs to value the right but not the obligation to purchase one share at $22.53 for the 4.50% Bond Hedge. The Company utilized a Black-Scholes valuation model to value the 4.50% Bond Hedge. The underlying input assumptions were determined as follows:(i)Stock price. The closing price of the Company's common stock on the last trading day of the quarter.(ii)Exercise price. The exercise price of the 4.50% Bond Hedge.(iii)Interest rate. The Treasury Strip rate associated with the life of the 4.50% Bond Hedge.(iv)Stock volatility. The volatility of the Company's common stock over the life of the 4.50% Bond Hedge.(v)Credit risk adjustment. Represents the weighted average of the credit default swap rate of the counterparties.

[7] As adjusted to reflect the balances of Tenesol S.A. ("Tenesol") beginning October 10, 2011, as required under the accounting guidelines for a transfer of an entity under common control (see Note 3).