The Company and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	6 Months Ended
Jul. 01, 2012
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
The Company and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]	THE COMPANY AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES The Company SunPower Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, the "Company" or "SunPower") is a vertically integrated solar products and services company that designs, manufactures and delivers high-performance solar electric systems worldwide for residential, commercial, and utility-scale power plant customers. In December 2011, the Company announced a reorganization to align its business and cost structure with a regional focus in order to support the needs of its customers and improve the speed of decision-making processes. As a result, in the first quarter of fiscal 2012, the Company changed its segment reporting from its Utility and Power Plants ("UPP") Segment and Residential and Commercial ("R&C") Segment to three regional segments: (i) the Americas Segment, (ii) the EMEA Segment, and (iii) the APAC Segment. The Americas Segment includes both North and South America. The EMEA Segment includes European countries, as well as the Middle East and Africa. The APAC segment includes all Asia-Pacific countries. The Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, as the chief operating decision maker ("CODM"), has organized the Company, manages resource allocations and measures performance of the Company's activities among these three regional segments. Historically, the UPP Segment referred to the Company's large-scale solar products and systems business, which included power plant project development and project sales, turn-key engineering, procurement and construction ("EPC") services for power plant construction, and power plant operations and maintenance ("O&M") services. The UPP Segment also sold components, including large volume sales of solar panels and mounting systems, to third parties, sometimes on a multi-year, firm commitment basis. The Company's former R&C Segment focused on solar equipment sales into the residential and small commercial market through its third-party global dealer network, as well as direct sales and EPC and O&M services in the United States and Europe for rooftop and ground-mounted solar power systems for the new homes, commercial, and public sectors. On June 21, 2011, the Company became a majority owned subsidiary of Total Gas & Power USA, SAS, a French société par actions simplifiée ("Total"), a subsidiary of Total S.A., a French société anonyme ("Total S.A."), through a tender offer and Total's purchase of 60% of the outstanding former class A common stock and former class B common stock of the Company as of June 13, 2011. On January 31, 2012, Total purchased an additional 18.6 million shares of the Company's common stock in a private placement, thereby increasing Total's ownership to approximately 66% of the Company's outstanding common stock as of that date (see Note 2). Basis of Presentation and Preparation Principles of Consolidation The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("United States" or "U.S.") and include the accounts of the Company, all of its subsidiaries and special purpose entities, as appropriate under consolidation accounting guidelines. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. The assets of the special purpose entities that the Company sets up related to project financing for customers are not designed to be available to service the general liabilities and obligations of the Company in certain circumstances. Reclassifications Certain prior period balances have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying notes. Such reclassifications had no effect on previously reported results of operations or accumulated deficit. Fiscal Years The Company reports on a fiscal-year basis and ends its quarters on the Sunday closest to the end of the applicable calendar quarter, except in a 53-week fiscal year, in which case the additional week falls into the fourth quarter of that fiscal year. Both fiscal 2012 and 2011 consist of 52 weeks. The second quarter of fiscal 2012 ended on July 1, 2012, while the second quarter in fiscal 2011 ended on July 3, 2011. Management Estimates The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Significant estimates in these condensed consolidated financial statements include percentage-of-completion for construction projects, allowances for doubtful accounts receivable and sales returns, inventory and project asset write-downs, stock-based compensation, estimates for future cash flows and economic useful lives of property, plant and equipment, goodwill, valuations for business combinations, other intangible assets and other long-term assets, asset impairments, fair value of financial instruments, certain accrued liabilities including accrued warranty, restructuring, and termination of supply contracts reserves, valuation of debt without the conversion feature, valuation of share lending arrangements, income taxes, and tax valuation allowances. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") amended its fair value principles and disclosure requirements. The amended fair value guidance states that the concepts of highest and best use and valuation premise are only relevant when measuring the fair value of nonfinancial assets and prohibits the grouping of financial instruments for purposes of determining their fair values when the unit of account is specified in other guidance. The amendment became effective for the Company on January 2, 2012 and did not have a material impact on its financial statements. In June 2011, the FASB amended its disclosure guidance related to the presentation of comprehensive income. This amendment eliminates the option to report other comprehensive income and its components in the statement of changes in equity and requires presentation and reclassification adjustments on the face of the income statement. In December, 2011, the FASB further amended its guidance to defer changes related to the presentation of reclassification adjustments indefinitely as a result of concerns raised by stakeholders that the new presentation requirements would be difficult for preparers and add unnecessary complexity to financial statements. The amendment (other than the portion regarding the presentation of reclassification adjustments which, as noted above, has been deferred indefinitely) became effective for the Company on January 2, 2012 and did not have any impact on its financial position, however, the Company now reports other comprehensive income and its components in a separate statement of comprehensive income for all presented periods. In September 2011, the FASB amended its goodwill guidance by providing entities an option to use a qualitative approach to test goodwill for impairment. An entity will be able to first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If it is concluded that this is the case, it is necessary to perform the currently prescribed two step goodwill impairment test. Otherwise, the two-step goodwill impairment test is not required. The amendment became effective for the Company on January 2, 2012 and did not have a material impact on its financial statements. There have been no significant changes in the Company's significant accounting policies for the three and six months ended July 1, 2012, as compared to the significant accounting policies described in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 1, 2012 ("2011 Form 10-K"). Further, there has been no issued accounting guidance not yet adopted by the Company that it believes is material, or is potentially material to its condensed consolidated financial statements.

THE COMPANY AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The Company

SunPower Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, the "Company" or "SunPower") is a vertically integrated solar products and services company that designs, manufactures and delivers high-performance solar electric systems worldwide for residential, commercial, and utility-scale power plant customers.

In December 2011, the Company announced a reorganization to align its business and cost structure with a regional focus in order to support the needs of its customers and improve the speed of decision-making processes. As a result, in the first quarter of fiscal 2012, the Company changed its segment reporting from its Utility and Power Plants ("UPP") Segment and Residential and Commercial ("R&C") Segment to three regional segments: (i) the Americas Segment, (ii) the EMEA Segment, and (iii) the APAC Segment. The Americas Segment includes both North and South America. The EMEA Segment includes European countries, as well as the Middle East and Africa. The APAC segment includes all Asia-Pacific countries. The Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, as the chief operating decision maker ("CODM"), has organized the Company, manages resource allocations and measures performance of the Company's activities among these three regional segments.

Historically, the UPP Segment referred to the Company's large-scale solar products and systems business, which included power plant project development and project sales, turn-key engineering, procurement and construction ("EPC") services for power plant construction, and power plant operations and maintenance ("O&M") services. The UPP Segment also sold components, including large volume sales of solar panels and mounting systems, to third parties, sometimes on a multi-year, firm commitment basis. The Company's former R&C Segment focused on solar equipment sales into the residential and small commercial market through its third-party global dealer network, as well as direct sales and EPC and O&M services in the United States and Europe for rooftop and ground-mounted solar power systems for the new homes, commercial, and public sectors.

On June 21, 2011, the Company became a majority owned subsidiary of Total Gas & Power USA, SAS, a French société par actions simplifiée ("Total"), a subsidiary of Total S.A., a French société anonyme ("Total S.A."), through a tender offer and Total's purchase of 60% of the outstanding former class A common stock and former class B common stock of the Company as of June 13, 2011. On January 31, 2012, Total purchased an additional 18.6 million shares of the Company's common stock in a private placement, thereby increasing Total's ownership to approximately 66% of the Company's outstanding common stock as of that date (see Note 2).

Basis of Presentation and Preparation

Principles of Consolidation

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("United States" or "U.S.") and include the accounts of the Company, all of its subsidiaries and special purpose entities, as appropriate under consolidation accounting guidelines. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. The assets of the special purpose entities that the Company sets up related to project financing for customers are not designed to be available to service the general liabilities and obligations of the Company in certain circumstances.

Reclassifications

Certain prior period balances have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying notes. Such reclassifications had no effect on previously reported results of operations or accumulated deficit.

Fiscal Years

The Company reports on a fiscal-year basis and ends its quarters on the Sunday closest to the end of the applicable calendar quarter, except in a 53-week fiscal year, in which case the additional week falls into the fourth quarter of that fiscal year. Both fiscal 2012 and 2011 consist of 52 weeks. The second quarter of fiscal 2012 ended on July 1, 2012, while the second quarter in fiscal 2011 ended on July 3, 2011.

Management Estimates

The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Significant estimates in these condensed consolidated financial statements include percentage-of-completion for construction projects, allowances for doubtful accounts receivable and sales returns, inventory and project asset write-downs, stock-based compensation, estimates for future cash flows and economic useful lives of property, plant and equipment, goodwill, valuations for business combinations, other intangible assets and other long-term assets, asset impairments, fair value of financial instruments, certain accrued liabilities including accrued warranty, restructuring, and termination of supply contracts reserves, valuation of debt without the conversion feature, valuation of share lending arrangements, income taxes, and tax valuation allowances. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") amended its fair value principles and disclosure requirements. The amended fair value guidance states that the concepts of highest and best use and valuation premise are only relevant when measuring the fair value of nonfinancial assets and prohibits the grouping of financial instruments for purposes of determining their fair values when the unit of account is specified in other guidance. The amendment became effective for the Company on January 2, 2012 and did not have a material impact on its financial statements.

In June 2011, the FASB amended its disclosure guidance related to the presentation of comprehensive income. This amendment eliminates the option to report other comprehensive income and its components in the statement of changes in equity and requires presentation and reclassification adjustments on the face of the income statement. In December, 2011, the FASB further amended its guidance to defer changes related to the presentation of reclassification adjustments indefinitely as a result of concerns raised by stakeholders that the new presentation requirements would be difficult for preparers and add unnecessary complexity to financial statements. The amendment (other than the portion regarding the presentation of reclassification adjustments which, as noted above, has been deferred indefinitely) became effective for the Company on January 2, 2012 and did not have any impact on its financial position, however, the Company now reports other comprehensive income and its components in a separate statement of comprehensive income for all presented periods.

In September 2011, the FASB amended its goodwill guidance by providing entities an option to use a qualitative approach to test goodwill for impairment. An entity will be able to first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If it is concluded that this is the case, it is necessary to perform the currently prescribed two step goodwill impairment test. Otherwise, the two-step goodwill impairment test is not required. The amendment became effective for the Company on January 2, 2012 and did not have a material impact on its financial statements.

There have been no significant changes in the Company's significant accounting policies for the three and six months ended July 1, 2012, as compared to the significant accounting policies described in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 1, 2012 ("2011 Form 10-K"). Further, there has been no issued accounting guidance not yet adopted by the Company that it believes is material, or is potentially material to its condensed consolidated financial statements.