Equity Method Investments (Details) - USD ($) shares in Millions							1 Months Ended				3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 21, 2018	Nov. 30, 2018	Nov. 05, 2018	Aug. 09, 2018	Apr. 01, 2018	Feb. 01, 2018	Feb. 28, 2017	Nov. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Jan. 01, 2017	Aug. 31, 2018	Jun. 19, 2018	Apr. 30, 2018	Apr. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Ownership percentage in equity method investment				7.70%
Proceeds from sale of equity method investments												$ 420,306,000	$ 5,954,000	$ 0
Realized gain (loss) on equity method investment											$ 5,300,000	54,196,000	5,346,000	0
Dividend from equity method investees												3,947,000	30,091,000	6,949,000
Long-term debt											430,634,000	40,528,000	430,634,000
Equity method investments:											450,000,000	43,659,000	450,000,000
Equity investments with readily determinable fair value											0	36,225,000	0
Equity investments without readily determinable fair value:												8,810,000	35,840,000
Total equity investments												88,694,000	485,840,000
Accounts receivable											1,275,000	19,062,000	1,275,000
Accounts payable											3,764,000	7,982,000	3,764,000
Accrued liabilities											4,161,000	22,364,000	4,161,000
Contract liabilities											175,000	0	175,000
Other long-term liabilities											29,245,000	0	29,245,000
Payments made to investees for products/services												80,150,000	0	337,831,000
Revenues and fees received from investees for products/services												9,717,000	31,459,000	$ 317,314,000
CCPV
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Payments to acquire equity method investments									$ 16,400,000
Ownership percentage in equity method investment									25.00%
Diamond Energy
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Payments to acquire equity method investments										$ 3,000,000
Ownership percentage in equity method investment										25.00%
Proceeds from sale of equity method investments	$ 2,500,000
Realized gain (loss) on equity method investment												(2,200,000)
Equity method investments:											4,256,000	0	4,256,000
8Point3 Energy
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Dividend from equity method investees												16,200,000	30,100,000
Equity method investments:											382,700,000	0	382,700,000
8point3
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Realized gain (loss) on equity method investment												34,400,000
Merger proceeds from sale of 8point3																$ 359,900,000
Equity method investments:											382,678,000	0	382,678,000
DongFang
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Payments to acquire equity method investments							$ 7,700,000
Ownership percentage in equity method investment																	20.00%
Cost method investment, original cost																			$ 9,200,000
Cost method investment, ownership percentage																			15.00%
Equity method investment, aggregate cost							9,000,000
Dividends							$ 1,300,000
Capital injection					$ 7,000,000	$ (6,300,000)
Proceeds from dividends received					$ 700,000
Equity method investments:											24,562,000	32,784,000	24,562,000
SunStrong Capital Holdings, LLC
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity method investments:											0	8,831,000	0
Equity investments without readily determinable fair value:			$ 9,649,000
Tendril Networks Inc
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Additional cost method investment																		$ 3,000,000
Equity investments without readily determinable fair value:												0	22,922,000
Boulder power plant
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Realized gain (loss) on equity method investment												15,600,000
Project Entities
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity method investments:											$ 38,504,000	2,044,000	38,504,000
Equity investments without readily determinable fair value:												2,951,000	7,059,000
Other Equity Investments
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity investments without readily determinable fair value:												5,859,000	$ 5,859,000
Preferred Stock | Tendril Networks Inc
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Cost method investment, original cost								$ 20,000,000
Additional cost method investment																		$ 1,500,000
Common Stock | Tendril Networks Inc
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Warrants acquired in Tendril (in shares)								14.0
Tendril Networks Inc
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of equity method investments		$ 28,800,000
Realized gain (loss) on equity method investment												$ 5,800,000
Tendril Networks Inc | SunPower Inc | Master Services Agreement and Statement of Works
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Joint investment in development project with Tendril								$ 13,000,000
SunStrong Residential Lease Portfolio, Portion Of Interest | Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Dividend from equity method investees	$ 3,200,000
Ownership interest sold			49.00%
Disposal consideration			$ 10,000,000
Mezzanine Loan
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Long-term debt															$ 106,958,000
Enphase shares
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Shares issuable to the Company at closing of agreement				7.5