Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The fee, expressed as a percentage of the line of credit facility, for available but unused credit capacity under the credit facility.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityUnusedCapacityCommitmentFeePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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Convertible and Long-term Debt Obligations - Term Loan - Additional Information (Detail) - SolarCity [Member] - Non-recourse debt [Member] - USD ($)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016
March 31, 2016 Agreement [Member] \| Term Loan due in December 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum amount to be borrowed			$ 50,000,000
Line of credit, additional interest rate		3.25%
Line of credit, fee for undrawn commitments		0.85%
January 2016, Agreement [Member] \| Term Loan due in January 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum amount to be borrowed	$ 160,000,000
Line of credit, additional interest rate	3.50%