Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of presentation	Basis of presentation The condensed consolidated financial statements (“financial statements”) include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiary Energy Focus Europe, Ltd. located in the United Kingdom, which is not active. The results of operations and financial position of EFLS, CLL, and the pool products business are included in the condensed consolidated financial statements as discontinued operations and previously reported financial information for the current and prior year have been adjusted. Unless indicated otherwise, the information in the Notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements relates to our continuing operations. We have prepared the accompanying financial data for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 pursuant to the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. The accompanying financial data and information should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as amended (“2015 Annual Report”). In the opinion of management, the accompanying financial statements contain all normal and recurring adjustments necessary to present fairly our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive (Loss) Income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, Condensed Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity for the nine months ended September 30, 2016, and Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015. During the quarter ended June 30, 2016, we recorded an adjustment to reduce revenue by $814 thousand to reflect the return of products and related discounts on sales of products sold during the fourth quarter of 2015 and the first quarter of 2016, as we determined that certain shipments did not comply with our process to assemble finished products with the applicable standard for those orders. This operational error did not relate to the safety or quality of the products, but instead to conformity with the manufacturing standard represented with respect to the products. This adjustment was recorded in the results for the quarter ended June 30, 2016, and is included in the results for the nine months ended September 30, 2016. We also recorded an adjustment to inventory to write-down the value of the products remaining in inventory at June 30, 2016. These adjustments also increased accounts payable by $814 thousand and increased net inventories by $221 thousand at June 30, 2016, and reduced cost of sales by $221 thousand, and increased the net loss by $593 thousand for the three months ended June 30, 2016 and the nine months ended September 30, 2016. We have received the returned products and provided credits for the impacted customers and have evaluated and are continuing to implement improvements to our sales, supply chain, and manufacturing processes. We have also enhanced our communications with our customers to fully understand their purchasing requirements and implemented internal processes to ensure that our inventory fulfillment processing and procedures are in line with those needs.
Use of estimates	Use of estimates The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our financial statements and accompanying notes. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions believed to be reasonable. Although these estimates are based on management’s best knowledge of current events and actions that may impact us in the future, actual results may vary from the estimates. Estimates include, but are not limited to, the establishment of reserves for accounts receivable, sales returns, inventory obsolescence and warranty claims; the useful lives of property and equipment; valuation allowance for net deferred taxes; and stock-based compensation. In addition, estimates and assumptions associated with the determination of the fair value of financial instruments and evaluation of long-lived assets for impairment requires considerable judgment. Actual results could differ from those estimates and such differences could be material.
Certain risks and concentrations	Certain risks and concentrations We have certain customers whose net sales individually represented 10 percent or more of our total net sales, or whose net trade accounts receivable balance individually represented 10 percent or more of our total net trade accounts receivable
Recent accounting pronouncements	Recent accounting pronouncements In August 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which is intended to reduce diversity in practice by making eight targeted changes to how cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and will require adoption on a retrospective basis. We are in the process of evaluating the impact of the standard. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which significantly changes the accounting for credit losses on instruments within its scope. The new guidance introduces an approach based on expected losses to estimate credit losses on certain financial instruments, including trade receivables, and requires an entity to recognize an allowance based on its estimate of expected credit losses rather than incurred losses. This standard will be effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and will generally require adoption on a modified retrospective basis. We are in the process of evaluating the impact of the standard. In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, which was intended to address implementation issues raised by stakeholders regarding collectability, non-cash consideration, presentation of sales tax, and transition. The amendments clarify the requirement to assess the collectability of contract consideration, specify that non-cash consideration should be measured at contract inception, allow entities to present sales net of sales taxes collected from customers, and provide a practical expedients related to completed contracts and contracts modified prior to adopting the new standard. These amendments are to be adopted concurrently with ASU No. 2014-09. We are in the process of evaluating the impact of the standard. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation–Stock Compensation: Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which changes the accounting for employee share-based payments. This standard addresses several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment award transactions, including: (a) income tax consequences; (b) classification of awards as either equity or liabilities; and (c) classification on the statement of cash flows. This standard, which will be required to be adopted on a modified retrospective basis, will be effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and early adoption is permitted. We are in the process of evaluating the impact of the standard. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net), which amends the guidance in ASU No. 2014-09 on assessing whether an entity is a principal or an agent in a revenue transaction (i.e., whether an entity reports revenue on a gross or net basis). This amendment retains the guidance that the principal in an arrangement controls a good or service before it is transferred to a customer and clarifies the indicators for principal versus agent assessment in an arrangement. This amendment is to be adopted concurrently with ASU No. 2014-09. We are in the process of evaluating the impact of the standard. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases, which impacts the accounting for leasing transactions. This standard requires a lessee to record on the balance sheet the assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by leases with lease terms of more than 12 months. For lessors, the guidance modifies the classification criteria and the accounting for sales-type and direct financing leases. In addition, this standard requires both lessees and lessors to disclose certain key information about lease transactions. This standard will be effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and will require adoption on a modified retrospective basis. We are in the process of evaluating the impact of the standard. In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities, which amends certain aspects of the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments. This amendment requires all equity investments to be measured at fair value with changes in the fair value recognized through net income (other than those accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those that result in the consolidation of the investee). This standard will be effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and will require adoption on a prospective basis with a cumulative-effect adjustment to the beginning balance sheet. We are in the process of evaluating the impact of the standard. In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes, which requires entities to present deferred tax assets ("DTAs") and deferred tax liabilities ("DTLs") as noncurrent in a classified balance sheet. This presentation simplifies the current guidance, which requires entities to separately present DTAs and DTLs as current or noncurrent in a classified balance sheet. The netting of DTAs and DTLs by tax jurisdiction is still required under the new guidance. The standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and early adoption is permitted. We expect to adopt this ASU on January 1, 2017, as required. The adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a material impact on our disclosures as a result of the full valuation allowance we have recorded against our DTAs. In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330), which requires entities to measure most inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value. This measure simplifies the current guidance, which requires entities to measure inventory at the lower of cost or market, where market is defined as one of three different measures, including net realizable value. The ASU does not apply to inventories measured by using either the last-in, first-out method or the retail inventory method. The ASU is effective prospectively for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and early adoption is permitted. We expect to adopt the new standard on January 1, 2017, as required, and do not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations, cash flows, or financial position. In May 2014, the FASB issued No. ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which supersedes previous revenue recognition guidance. This standard requires an entity to recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in amounts that reflect the consideration the entity expects for receive in exchange for those goods or services. Entities will need to use more judgments and estimates than under the current guidance, including estimated the amount of variable revenue to recognize for each performance obligation. Additional disclosures regarding the nature, amount, and timing of revenues and cash flows from contracts will also be required. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date. This ASU defers the effective date of ASU No. 2014-09 for all entities by one year. As a result, all entities will be required to apply the provisions of ASU 2014-09 to annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period, using either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach. Early adoption is permitted only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. We are currently assessing the adoption date and impact the guidance in this ASU will have, if any, on our consolidated results of operations, cash flows, or financial position.
Net (loss) income per share	Net (loss) income per share Basic (loss) earnings per share is computed by dividing net (loss) income available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period, excluding the effects of any potentially dilutive securities. Diluted (loss) earnings per share gives effect to all dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period. Dilutive potential common shares consist of incremental shares upon the exercise or release of stock options, restricted stock units, and warrants, unless the effect would be anti-dilutive.
Product warranties	Product warranties Through March 31, 2016, we warranted finished goods against defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service for periods generally between one and five years. Beginning April 1, 2016, we warrant our commercial LED tubes, globes, and troffer luminaires for a period of ten years. Warranty settlement costs consist of actual amounts expensed for warranty, which are largely a result of the cost of replacement products provided to our customers. A liability for the estimated future costs under product warranties is maintained for products outstanding under warranty based on estimated of claims incurred to date and the nature, frequency, and costs of future claims.