Balance Sheet Components (Details) - USD ($)			3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 10, 2018	Dec. 30, 2018	Apr. 01, 2018	Dec. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Jan. 01, 2017
Accounts receivable, net:
Accounts receivable, gross			$ 193,980,000		$ 193,980,000	$ 242,327,000
Less: allowance for doubtful accounts			(16,906,000)		(16,906,000)	(35,387,000)
Less: allowance for sales returns			(1,469,000)		(1,469,000)	(1,974,000)
Accounts receivable, net			175,605,000		175,605,000	204,966,000
Short-term financing receivable			1,282,000		1,282,000	19,095,000
Pledged assets separately reported, finance receivables pledged as collateral, at fair value			0		0	1,700,000
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Raw materials			58,378,000		58,378,000	59,288,000
Work-in-process			86,639,000		86,639,000	111,164,000
Finished goods			163,129,000		163,129,000	182,377,000
Inventories			308,146,000		308,146,000	352,829,000
Prepaid Expense and Other Assets, Current [Abstract]
Deferred project costs			30,394,000		30,394,000	33,534,000
VAT receivables, current portion			9,506,000		9,506,000	11,561,000
Deferred costs for solar power systems to be leased			17,805,000		17,805,000	25,076,000
Derivative financial instruments			729,000		729,000	2,612,000
Other receivables			48,062,000		48,062,000	49,015,000
Prepaid taxes			853,000		853,000	426,000
Other prepaid expenses			23,568,000		23,568,000	23,434,000
Other current assets			266,000		266,000	551,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	[1]		131,183,000		131,183,000	146,209,000
Pledged deferred project costs			0		0	2,900,000
Project Assets [Abstract]
Project assets — plants			10,334,000		10,334,000	90,879,000
Project assets — land			666,000		666,000	12,184,000
Project assets — plants and land			11,000,000		11,000,000	103,063,000
Project assets — plants and land, current portion	[1]		10,796,000		10,796,000	103,063,000
Project assets — plants and land, net of current portion			204,000		$ 204,000	0
Solar development assets write off				$ 24,700,000
Gross profit recognized from sale of power plant development portfolio					21.1
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Manufacturing equipment			112,904,000		$ 112,904,000	406,026,000
Land and buildings			161,299,000		161,299,000	197,084,000
Leasehold improvements			119,597,000		119,597,000	297,522,000
Solar power systems			544,139,000		544,139,000	451,678,000
Computer equipment			98,274,000		98,274,000	111,183,000
Furniture and fixtures			10,594,000		10,594,000	12,621,000
Construction-in-process			9,678,000		9,678,000	14,166,000
Property, plant and equipment, gross			1,056,485,000		1,056,485,000	1,490,280,000
Less: accumulated depreciation			(216,614,000)		(216,614,000)	(342,435,000)
Property, plant and equipment, net			839,871,000		839,871,000	1,147,845,000
Impairment of property, plant and equipment					369,168,000	0	$ 0
Solar power systems, sale leaseback			$ 519,600,000		519,600,000	419,000,000
Sale leaseback transaction, lease term			25 years
Other Assets, Noncurrent [Abstract]
Equity investments with readily determinable fair value			$ 36,225,000		36,225,000	0
Equity investments without readily determinable fair value			8,810,000		8,810,000	35,840,000
Equity method investments			43,659,000		43,659,000	450,000,000
Other			73,339,000		73,339,000	60,858,000
Other long-term assets	[1]		162,033,000		162,033,000	546,698,000
Collateralized Equipment			0		0	6,400,000
Accrued Liabilities, Current [Abstract]
Employee compensation and employee benefits			44,337,000		44,337,000	53,225,000
Deferred revenue			4,251,000		4,251,000	5,805,000
Interest payable			11,786,000		11,786,000	15,396,000
Short-term warranty reserves			38,161,000		38,161,000	25,222,000
Restructuring reserve			6,310,000		6,310,000	3,886,000
VAT payables			8,325,000		8,325,000	8,691,000
Derivative financial instruments			1,161,000		1,161,000	1,452,000
Legal expenses			12,442,000		12,442,000	48,503,000
Taxes payable			19,146,000		19,146,000	21,307,000
Liability due to supply agreement			28,045,000		28,045,000	21,389,000
Other			61,288,000		61,288,000	26,895,000
Accrued liabilities			235,252,000		235,252,000	231,771,000
Other Liabilities, Noncurrent [Abstract]
Deferred revenue			55,764,000		55,764,000	105,221,000
Long-term warranty reserves			134,105,000		134,105,000	156,082,000
Long-term sale-leaseback financing			583,418,000		583,418,000	479,597,000
Unrecognized tax benefits			16,815,000		16,815,000	19,399,000
Long-term pension liability			2,567,000		2,567,000	4,465,000
Derivative financial instruments			152,000		152,000	1,174,000
Long-term liability due to supply agreement			28,198,000		28,198,000	57,611,000
Other			18,117,000		18,117,000	18,793,000
Other long-term liabilities	[1]		839,136,000		839,136,000	842,342,000
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]
Cumulative translation adjustment			(11,121,000)		(11,121,000)	(6,631,000)
Net unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives			(145,000)		(145,000)	(541,000)
Net gain on long-term pension liability adjustment			7,066,000		7,066,000	4,164,000
Deferred taxes			50,000		50,000	0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss			(4,150,000)		(4,150,000)	(3,008,000)
Allowance for credit loss					4,700,000	5,800,000
United States
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, plant and equipment, net			575,451,000		575,451,000	488,970,000
Philippines
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, plant and equipment, net			104,639,000		104,639,000	325,601,000
Malaysia
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, plant and equipment, net			126,056,000		126,056,000	233,824,000
Mexico
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, plant and equipment, net			21,566,000		21,566,000	80,560,000
Europe
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, plant and equipment, net			12,043,000		12,043,000	18,767,000
Other
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Property, plant and equipment, net			116,000		116,000	123,000
Allowance for doubtful accounts:
SEC Schedule, 12-09, Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Balance at Beginning of Period				28,895,000	28,895,000	20,380,000	15,505,000
Charges (Releases) to Expenses / Revenues					12,519,000	15,609,000	7,319,000
Deductions					(24,508,000)	(7,094,000)	(2,445,000)
Balance at End of Period			16,906,000		16,906,000	28,895,000	20,380,000
Allowance for sales returns:
SEC Schedule, 12-09, Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Balance at Beginning of Period				1,974,000	1,974,000	2,433,000	1,907,000
Charges (Releases) to Expenses / Revenues					(505,000)	(459,000)	526,000
Deductions					0	0	0
Balance at End of Period			1,469,000		1,469,000	1,974,000	2,433,000
Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets:
SEC Schedule, 12-09, Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Balance at Beginning of Period				$ 448,723,000	448,723,000	297,530,000	83,370,000
Charges (Releases) to Expenses / Revenues					(43,800,000)	151,193,000	214,160,000
Deductions					0	0	0
Balance at End of Period			404,923,000		404,923,000	448,723,000	$ 297,530,000
8Point3 Energy
Other Assets, Noncurrent [Abstract]
Equity method investments			$ 0		0	$ 382,700,000
Cost of Sales
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Impairment of property, plant and equipment					355,100,000
Research and Development Expense
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Impairment of property, plant and equipment					12,800,000
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Property, plant and equipment, net:
Impairment of property, plant and equipment					1,200,000
BPI France
Accounts receivable, net:
Factoring agreement, term		1 year
Accounts receivable factored		$ 26,300,000
Cost to factor receivables					100,000
Uncollectable accounts receivables that have been factored					$ 21,000,000

[1] We have related-party balances for transactions made with Total S.A. and its affiliates as well as unconsolidated entities in which we have a direct equity investment. These related-party balances are recorded within the "Accounts receivable, net," "Contract assets," "Project assets - plants and land, current portion," "Prepaid expenses and other current assets," "Other long-term assets," "Accounts payable," "Accrued liabilities," "Contract liabilities, current portion," "Convertible debt, current portion," "Convertible debt, net of current portion," "Contract liabilities, net of current portion," and "Other long-term liabilities" financial statement line items in our Consolidated Balance Sheets (see Note 2, Note 8, Note 10, Note 11, Note 12, and Note 13).