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Equity Method Investments (Details) (USD $)
1 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Oct. 31, 2012
Dec. 28, 2014
Dec. 29, 2013
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]        
Equity method investments     $ 210,898,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments $ 131,739,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
CCPV [Member]        
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]        
Equity method investment, ownership percentage       25.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= spwr_CCPVMember
Payments to acquire equity method investments 16,400,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= spwr_CCPVMember
     
Diamond Energy [Member]        
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]        
Equity method investment, ownership percentage   25.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= spwr_DiamondEnergyMember
   
Payments to acquire equity method investments   3,000,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= spwr_DiamondEnergyMember
   
AUOSP [Member]        
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]        
Equity method investments     191,700,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= spwr_AUOSPMember
112,600,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= spwr_AUOSPMember
Equity method investment, ownership percentage     50.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= spwr_AUOSPMember
 
Joint venture, energy output committed to purchase, percentage     80.00%spwr_JointVentureEnergyOutputCommittedToPurchase
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= spwr_AUOSPMember
 
Future financing obligation, year one     169,000,000spwr_FutureFinancingObligationYearOne
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= spwr_AUOSPMember
 
Additional cash contributions     50,000,000spwr_PotentialAdditionalFinancingObligationIfRequestedByJointVenture
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= spwr_AUOSPMember
 
Contributions paid to joint ventures     $ 72,000,000spwr_PaymentsOfContributionsToJointVentures
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= spwr_AUOSPMember