Commitments and Contingencies (Details) - USD ($)		3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Mar. 19, 2014	Jul. 02, 2017		Jul. 03, 2016	Jul. 02, 2017		Jul. 03, 2016	Jan. 01, 2017
Leases, Operating [Abstract]
Operating leases, future minimum payments due		$ 47,800,000			$ 47,800,000
Operating lease, term					9 years
Capital Lease Obligations [Abstract]
Capital lease obligations		4,300,000			$ 4,300,000
Capital leases, maximum term					7 years
Purchase commitments supply and price, term					4 years
Purchase Obligation, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
2015		579,475,000			$ 579,475,000
2016		200,647,000			200,647,000
2017		175,694,000			175,694,000
2018		161,846,000			161,846,000
2019		1,000,000			1,000,000
Thereafter		2,000,000			2,000,000
Total		1,120,662,000			1,120,662,000
Future purchase obligations related to non-cancellable purchase orders		206,700,000			206,700,000
Future purchase obligations related to long-term supply agreements					900,000,000
Prepaid inventory		31,991,000			31,991,000			$ 83,943,000
Advances to Suppliers [Abstract]
Advances to suppliers		252,000,000			252,000,000			284,800,000
Advances to suppliers, current portion		106,820,000			106,820,000			111,479,000
Advances From Customer, Maturity Profile [Abstract]
2015		10,388,000			10,388,000
2016		37,531,000			37,531,000
2017		37,288,000			37,288,000
2018		30,385,000			30,385,000
2019		0			0
Thereafter		0			0
Total		115,592,000			115,592,000
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Customer Advances and Deposits, Related Party		175,000			175,000			57,000
Customer advances, current portion		41,261,000	[1]		41,261,000	[1]		10,138,000
Movement in Standard Product Warranty Accrual [Roll Forward]
Product Warranties, beginning		168,113,000		$ 166,440,000	161,209,000		$ 164,127,000	164,127,000
Accruals for warranties issued during the period		(5,776,000)		(3,235,000)	(15,436,000)		(9,114,000)
Settlements and adjustments during the period		(1,423,000)		(4,891,000)	(4,179,000)		(8,457,000)
Product Warranties, end		172,466,000		$ 164,784,000	172,466,000		$ 164,784,000	161,209,000
Future Financing Commitments [Line Items]
Future financing obligation, year one		18,190,000			18,190,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued		32,500,000			32,500,000			47,200,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits Including Income Tax Penalties And Interest Accrued		32,523,000			32,523,000			47,203,000
Long-term pension liability		3,875,000			3,875,000			$ 3,381,000
Liabilities Associated with Uncertain Tax Positions [Abstract]
Net gain (loss) on long-term pension liability adjustment					0
Loss Contingency [Abstract]
Gain Contingency, Unrecorded Amount		7,500,000.0			7,500,000.0
Loss Contingency Accrual		43,900,000			43,900,000
Future Financing Obligation		31,256,000			31,256,000
First Philec Arbitration [Member]
Loss Contingency [Abstract]
Loss Contingency Accrual		50,500,000			50,500,000
Solar power systems [Member] | NRG Solar Inc. [Member] | Pending Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingency [Abstract]
Damages sought	$ 75,000,000
Total [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Customer Advances and Deposits, Related Party		88,500,000			88,500,000
Customer Advances and Deposits		85,680,000.000			85,680,000.000
Customer advances, current portion		11,600,000			11,600,000
other unconsolidated investees [Member]
Loss Contingency [Abstract]
Future Financing Obligations, Year two		$ 13,066,000			$ 13,066,000
Supplier Concentration Risk [Member] | Supplier One [Member]
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Concentration risk, percentage					95.00%			90.00%
Supplier Concentration Risk [Member] | Supplier Two [Member]
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Concentration risk, percentage					5.00%			10.00%

[1] The Company has related-party balances for transactions made with Total S.A. and its affiliates as well as unconsolidated entities in which the Company has a direct equity investment. These related-party balances are recorded within the "Accounts receivable, net," "Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings," "Project assets - plants and land, current portion," "Prepaid expenses and other current assets," "Other long-term assets," "Accounts payable," "Accrued liabilities," "Customer advances, current portion," "Convertible debt, current portion," "Convertible debt, net of current portion," "Customer advances, net of current portion," and "Other long-term liabilities" financial statement line items in the Consolidated Balance Sheets (see Note 2, Note 6, Note 9, Note 10, and Note 11).