Financial Statement Schedule I (Details 2) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 549,543,359	$ 228,249,512	$ 141,968,182	$ 343,994,679
Accounts receivable trade, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $5,209,909 and $4,302,411 at December 31, 2013 and 2014, respectively	366,938,857us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetCurrent	280,693,762us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetCurrent
Inventories	432,325,119us-gaap_InventoryNet	231,157,811us-gaap_InventoryNet
Amounts due from related parties - current	4,216,925us-gaap_DueFromRelatedPartiesCurrent	4,688,692us-gaap_DueFromRelatedPartiesCurrent
Advances to suppliers, net	47,172,491us-gaap_AdvancesOnInventoryPurchases	42,028,270us-gaap_AdvancesOnInventoryPurchases
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	142,650,572	71,108,921
Total current assets	2,315,886,821us-gaap_AssetsCurrent	1,719,355,606us-gaap_AssetsCurrent
Deferred tax assets, net	66,855,860us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNetNoncurrent	62,950,243us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNetNoncurrent
Other non-current assets	56,629,648us-gaap_OtherAssetsNoncurrent	43,978,760us-gaap_OtherAssetsNoncurrent
TOTAL ASSETS	3,072,423,650us-gaap_Assets	2,453,735,356us-gaap_Assets
Current liabilities:
Short-term borrowings	725,512,738us-gaap_DebtCurrent	778,512,504us-gaap_DebtCurrent
Accounts payable	412,937,350us-gaap_AccountsPayableCurrent	280,806,420us-gaap_AccountsPayableCurrent
Amounts due to related parties	17,592,403us-gaap_DueToRelatedPartiesCurrent	19,871,718us-gaap_DueToRelatedPartiesCurrent
Other current liabilities	85,456,179us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesCurrent	105,489,622us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesCurrent
Total current liabilities	1,949,265,280us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent	1,778,358,864us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent
Accrued warranty costs	54,644,261	40,604,652	58,334,424	47,021,352
Convertible notes	150,000,000us-gaap_ConvertibleLongTermNotesPayable
Long-term borrowings	134,299,521us-gaap_LongTermDebtNoncurrent	151,391,572us-gaap_LongTermDebtNoncurrent
Liability for uncertain tax positions	15,578,988	17,191,672
TOTAL LIABILITIES	2,340,338,972us-gaap_Liabilities	2,041,289,252us-gaap_Liabilities
Equity:
Common shares - no par value: unlimited authorized shares, 51,034,343 and 55,161,856 shares issued and outstanding at December 31,2013 and 2014, respectively	675,236,489us-gaap_CommonStockValue	561,241,785us-gaap_CommonStockValue
Additional paid-in capital	(25,682,022)	(32,121,269)
Retained earnings (Accumulated deficit)	46,998,469	(192,502,848)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	20,058,063	53,911,113
Total Canadian Solar Inc. shareholders' equity	716,610,999us-gaap_StockholdersEquity	390,528,781us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
TOTAL LIABILITIES, REDEEMABLE NON-CONTROLLING INTERESTS AND EQUITY	3,072,423,650	2,453,735,356
Parent Company
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	3,454,972	29,585,498	11,247,306	7,924,686
Accounts receivable trade, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $5,209,909 and $4,302,411 at December 31, 2013 and 2014, respectively	4,005,689	351,207
Inventories	442,606	156,179
Amounts due from related parties - current	252,569,838	128,261,643
Advances to suppliers, net	1,991,396
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	5,852,442	2,240,692
Total current assets	268,316,943	160,595,219
Investment in subsidiaries	534,848,697	252,177,589
Deferred tax assets, net	3,655,138	4,863,395
Amount due from related parties- non-current	150,000,000	150,000,000
Other non-current assets	48,219,119	28,491,395
TOTAL ASSETS	1,005,039,897	596,127,598
Current liabilities:
Short-term borrowings		12,246,050
Accounts payable	4,560	13,127
Amounts due to related parties	99,011,445	141,139,539
Other current liabilities	6,824,785	3,936,495
Total current liabilities	105,840,790	157,335,211
Accrued warranty costs	18,272,826	18,188,694
Convertible notes	150,000,000
Long-term borrowings		16,393,089
Liability for uncertain tax positions	14,315,282	13,681,821
TOTAL LIABILITIES	288,428,898	205,598,815
Equity:
Common shares - no par value: unlimited authorized shares, 51,034,343 and 55,161,856 shares issued and outstanding at December 31,2013 and 2014, respectively	675,236,489	561,241,785
Additional paid-in capital	(25,682,022)	(32,121,269)
Retained earnings (Accumulated deficit)	46,998,469	(192,502,847)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	20,058,063	53,911,114
Total Canadian Solar Inc. shareholders' equity	716,610,999	390,528,783
TOTAL LIABILITIES, REDEEMABLE NON-CONTROLLING INTERESTS AND EQUITY	$ 1,005,039,897	$ 596,127,598

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of liabilities incurred (and for which invoices have typically been received) and payable to vendors for goods and services received that are used in an entity's business. Used to reflect the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19

-Subparagraph a

-Article 5

Reference 2: 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(a))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682