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Accounting Policies, by Policy (Policies)
9 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Dec. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]    
Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]  
These financial statements consist of the consolidated financial positions and results of operations of both the parent, ABCO Energy, Inc. and the subsidiary companies.  In the opinion of Management, all adjustments necessary for a fair statement of results for the fiscal years presented have been included.  These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) generally accepted in the United States of America.
Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Use of estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Significant estimates include, but are not limited to the estimated useful lives of equipment for purposes of depreciation and the valuation of common shares issued for services, equipment and the liquidation of liabilities.
GAAP requires the Company to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets. On an on-going basis, the Company evaluates its estimates and judgments, including those related to revenue recognition, inventories, adequacy of allowances for doubtful accounts, valuation of long-lived assets, income taxes, equity-based compensation, litigation and warranties.  The Company bases its estimates on historical and anticipated results and trends and on various other assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable under the circumstances, including assumptions as to future events.

The policies discussed below are considered by management to be critical to an understanding of the Company’s financial statements.  These estimates form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent for other sources.  By their nature, estimates are subject to an inherent degree of uncertainty.  Actual results may differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]  
Cash and Cash Equivalents

There are only cash accounts included in our cash equivalents in these statements.  For purposes of the statement of cash flows, the Company considers all short-term securities with a maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. There are no short term cash equivalents reported in these financial statements.
Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]  
Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are to be stated at cost less accumulated depreciation.  Depreciation is recorded on the straight-line basis according to IRS guidelines over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which range from three to ten years.  Maintenance and repairs are charged to operations as incurred.
Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]  
Revenue Recognition

The Company generates revenue from sales of solar products, LED lighting, installation services and leasing fees. During the last fiscal year the company had product sales as follows:

Sales Product and Services Description
 
2015
   
2014
 
Solar PV residential and commercial sales
 
$
1,827,361
     
97
%
 
$
1,160,296
     
           88
%
Solar thermal residential -commercial
   
0
     
0
%
   
   11,112
     
1
%
ABCO LED & energy efficient lighting
   
59,964
     
3
%
   
  143,783
     
11
%
Interest Income
   
2,110
     
0
%
   
      469
     
0
%
 Total revenue
 
$
1,889,435
     
100
%
 
$
  1,315,660
     
100
%

The Company recognizes product revenue, net of sales discounts, returns and allowances, in accordance Securities and Exchange Commission Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 104, “Revenue Recognition” (“SAB No. 104”) and ASC 605. These statements establish that revenue can be recognized when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred and all significant contractual obligations have been satisfied, the fee is fixed or determinable, and collection is considered probable.  

Our revenue recognition is recorded on the percentage of completion method for sales and installation revenue and on the accrual basis for fees and interest income.  We recognize and record income when the customer has a legal obligation to pay.  All of our revenue streams are acknowledged by written contracts for any of the revenue we record.  There are no differences between major classes of customers or customized orders.  We record discounts, product returns, rebates and other related accounting issues in the normal business manner and experience very small number of adjustments to our written contractual sales.  There are no post-delivery obligations because warranties are maintained by our suppliers. Our lease fees are earned by providing services to contractors for financing of solar systems.  Normally we will acquire the promissory note (lease) on a leased system that will provide cash flow for up to 20 years.  Interest is recorded on the books when earned on amortized leases.
Receivables, Policy [Policy Text Block]  
Accounts Receivable and work-in-progress

The Company recognizes revenue upon delivery of product to customers and does not make bill-and-hold sales.  Contracts spanning reporting periods are recorded on the percentage of completion method, based on the ratio of total costs to total estimated costs by project, for recognition of revenue and expenses.  Accounts receivable includes fully completed and partially completed projects and partially billed statements for completed work and product delivery.
Inventory, Policy [Policy Text Block]  
Inventory

The Company records inventory of construction supplies at cost using the first in first out method.
Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]  
Income Taxes

The company has net operating loss carryforwards as of December 31, 2015 totaling approximately $1,950,745. A deferred tax benefit of approximately $663,000 has been offset by a valuation allowance of the same amount as its realization is not assured.

Due to the current uncertainty of realizing the benefits of the tax NOL carry-forward, a valuation allowance equal to the tax benefits for the deferred taxes has not been established. The full realization of the tax benefit associated with the carry-forward depends predominately upon the Company's ability to generate taxable income during future periods, which is not assured.

The NOL carryforward expires according to the following schedule:

Year Ending
December 31:
 
Amount
 
2035
  $
214,823
 
2034
  $ 635,517  
2033
  $ 622,474  
2032
  $ 164,119  
2031
  $ 182,908  
2030
  $
130,897
 
Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company measures assets and liabilities at fair value based on expected exit price as defined by the authoritative guidance on fair value measurements, which represents the amount that would be received on the sale date of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value may be based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. The authoritative guidance on fair value measurements establishes a consistent framework for measuring fair value on either a recurring or nonrecurring basis whereby inputs, used in valuation techniques, are assigned a hierarchical level.

The following are the hierarchical levels of inputs to measure fair value:

Level 1:  Observable inputs that reflect quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.

Level 2:  Inputs reflect quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in markets that are not active; quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets; inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the assets or liabilities; or inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means.

Level 3:  Unobservable inputs reflecting the Company’s assumptions incorporated in valuation techniques used to determine fair value. These assumptions are required to be consistent with market participant assumptions that are reasonably available.    

The carrying amounts of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities, such as cash, accounts payable and accrued expenses, approximate their fair values because of the current nature of these instruments. Debt approximates fair value based on interest rates available for similar financial arrangements. Derivative liabilities which have been bifurcated from host convertible debt agreements are presented at fair value.
Fair Values of Financial Instruments

ASC 825 requires the Corporation to disclose estimated fair value for its financial instruments.  Fair value estimates, methods, and assumptions are set forth as follows for the Corporation’s financial instruments.  The carrying amounts of cash, receivables, other current assets, payables, accrued expenses and notes payable are reported at cost but approximate fair value because of the short maturity of those instruments.
Share-based Compensation, Option and Incentive Plans Policy [Policy Text Block]  
Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for employee and non-employee stock awards under ASC 718, whereby equity instruments issued to employees for services are recorded based on the fair value of the instrument issued and those issued to non-employees are recorded based on the fair value of the consideration received or the fair value of the equity instrument, whichever is more reliably measurable.
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Effects of Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30) - Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. ASU 2015-03 amends previous guidance to require that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by the amendments in this ASU. The standard is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted for financial statements that have not been previously issued. The Company plans to adopt ASU No.2015-03 regarding the presentation of debt issuance cost from fiscal year 2016.
Effects of Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

The Company has reviewed all recently issued accounting pronouncements noting that they do not affect the financial statements.
Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Income (Loss) per Share

Basic earnings per share amounts are calculated based on the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during each period. Diluted earnings per share is based on the weighted average numbers of shares of common stock outstanding for the periods, including dilutive effects of stock options, warrants granted and convertible preferred stock. Dilutive options and warrants that are issued during a period or that expire or are canceled during a period are reflected in the computations for the time they were outstanding during the periods being reported. Since ABCO Energy has incurred losses for all periods except the current period, the impact of the common stock equivalents would be anti-dilutive and therefore are not included in the calculation.  In addition, there are no common stock equivalents outstanding at the time of this report.
Per Share Computations

Basic net earnings per share are computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding.  Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted-average number of common shares and the dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period.
Reclassification, Policy [Policy Text Block]  
Reclassification

Certain reclassifications have been made to conform to prior periods’ data to the current presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on reported income.
Derivatives, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Derivative Financial Instruments

Fair value accounting requires bifurcation of embedded derivative instruments such as convertible features in convertible debts or equity instruments, and measurement of their fair value for accounting purposes. In determining the appropriate fair value, the Company uses the binomial option-pricing model. In assessing the convertible debt instruments, management determines if the convertible debt host instrument is conventional convertible debt and further if these is a beneficial conversion feature requiring measurement. If the instrument is not considered conventional convertible debt, the Company will continue its evaluation process of these instruments as derivative financial instruments.  

Once determined, derivative liabilities are adjusted to reflect fair value at each reporting period end, with any increase or decrease in the fair value being recorded in results of operations as an adjustment to fair value of derivatives. In addition, the fair value of freestanding derivative instruments, such as warrants, are also valued using the binomial option-pricing model.