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BORROWINGS - Long term narrative and interest expense (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands |  |  |  |  |  | 12 Months Ended |  |  |  |  |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Jul. 08, 2016 | Mar. 23, 2016 | Jan. 28, 2016 | Nov. 25, 2015 | Jun. 25, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Jan. 06, 2016 | Dec. 11, 2015 | Oct. 26, 2015 | Apr. 30, 2015 | Aug. 28, 2013 | Jun. 20, 2013
Interest expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest capitalized - project assets |  |  |  |  |  | $ 47,881 | $ 102 | $ 10,304 |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest capitalized - solar power systems |  |  |  |  |  | 3,113 | 23,328 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest capitalized - property, plant, and equipment |  |  |  |  |  | 819 | 912 | 203 |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  |  |  |  |  | 69,723 | 54,148 | 48,906 |  |  |  |  |  |
Total interest incurred |  |  |  |  |  | 121,536 | $ 78,490 | $ 59,413 |  |  |  |  |  |
Credit facility |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maximum borrowing capacity |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2,889,031 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Credit facility | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Floating interest rate (as a percent) |  |  |  |  |  | 0.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Credit facility | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Floating interest rate (as a percent) |  |  |  |  |  | 5.65% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Credit facility | Repayment due in 2017 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Outstanding balance of credit facility |  |  |  |  |  | $ 712,726 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Syndicated loan agreement arranged by Credit Suisse | Senior secured term loan |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maximum number of common stock could be purchased by Warrants |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 940,171 | 1,348,040 |  |  |
Exercise price of warrant (in dollars per share) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 28.08 | $ 24.48 |  |  |
China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd. | Loan agreement for acquisitions | Credit facility |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maximum borrowing capacity |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 210,000 |  |
Outstanding balance of credit facility |  |  |  |  |  | 200,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd. | Loan agreement for acquisitions | Credit facility | Repayment due in 2017 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Repayment of credit facility |  |  |  |  |  | 10,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd. | Loan agreement for acquisitions | Credit facility | Repayment due in 2018 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Repayment of credit facility |  |  |  |  |  | 190,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Canadian Solar New Energy (Tumushuke) Co. Ltd. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of ownership interest |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 100.00%
Canadian Solar New Energy (Tumushuke) Co. Ltd. | China Development Bank, Suzhou Branch | Loan agreement for payment of the project costs | Credit facility |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maximum borrowing capacity |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 26,236
Outstanding balance of credit facility |  |  |  |  |  | 26,236 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
SZSP | China Development Bank, Suzhou Branch | Loan agreement for construction of solar power projects | Credit facility |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maximum borrowing capacity |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 4,613 |
Outstanding balance of credit facility |  |  |  |  |  | $ 4,613 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tida Holdings 3 GK | Private placement agreement with Prudential Capital Group | Credit facility | Nonrecourse notes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maximum borrowing capacity | $ 53,261 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Outstanding balance of credit facility | 52,407 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tida Holdings 3 GK | Private placement agreement with Prudential Capital Group | Credit facility | Nonrecourse notes | Repayment due in 2017 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Repayment of credit facility | 2,640 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tida Holdings 3 GK | Private placement agreement with Prudential Capital Group | Credit facility | Nonrecourse notes | Repayment due in 2018 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Repayment of credit facility | $ 49,767 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CSI-GCL (Yancheng) Solar Manufacturing Co., Ltd. | Local Chinese state-owned company (companies) | Loan agreement for construction of solar power projects | Credit facility |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maximum borrowing capacity |  |  |  |  | $ 56,989 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Outstanding balance of credit facility |  |  |  |  | 48,340 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CSI-GCL (Yancheng) Solar Manufacturing Co., Ltd. | Local Chinese state-owned company (companies) | Loan agreement for construction of solar power projects | Credit facility | Repayment due in 2017 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Repayment of credit facility |  |  |  |  | 11,367 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CSI-GCL (Yancheng) Solar Manufacturing Co., Ltd. | Local Chinese state-owned company (companies) | Loan agreement for construction of solar power projects | Credit facility | Repayment due in 2018 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Repayment of credit facility |  |  |  |  | 16,720 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CSI-GCL (Yancheng) Solar Manufacturing Co., Ltd. | Local Chinese state-owned company (companies) | Loan agreement for construction of solar power projects | Credit facility | Repayment due in 2019 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Repayment of credit facility |  |  |  |  | $ 20,253 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CSI-GCL (Yancheng) Solar Manufacturing Co., Ltd. | Local Chinese state-owned company (companies) | Loan agreement for long-term working capital financing | Credit facility |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maximum borrowing capacity |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 7,955 |  |  |  |  |
Outstanding balance of credit facility |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 7,955 |  |  |  |  |
Canadian Solar Solutions Inc. and Canadian Solar Manufacturing Vietnam Co., Ltd. | International Finance Corporation (IFC) | Loan agreement for construction of company's solar cell and module production facilities | Credit facility |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maximum borrowing capacity |  |  | $ 60,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Outstanding balance of credit facility |  |  | 20,032 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Canadian Solar Solutions Inc. and Canadian Solar Manufacturing Vietnam Co., Ltd. | International Finance Corporation (IFC) | Loan agreement for construction of company's solar cell and module production facilities | Credit facility | Repayment due in 2017 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Repayment of credit facility |  |  | 4,444 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Canadian Solar Solutions Inc. and Canadian Solar Manufacturing Vietnam Co., Ltd. | International Finance Corporation (IFC) | Loan agreement for construction of company's solar cell and module production facilities | Credit facility | Repayment due in 2020 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Repayment of credit facility |  |  | $ 15,588 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CSI Cells Co, Ltd | Local Chinese state-owned company (companies) | Loan agreement for long-term working capital financing | Credit facility |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maximum borrowing capacity |  | $ 28,831 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Outstanding balance of credit facility |  | 23,892 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CSI Cells Co, Ltd | Local Chinese state-owned company (companies) | Loan agreement for long-term working capital financing | Credit facility | Repayment due in 2017 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Repayment of credit facility |  | 7,821 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CSI Cells Co, Ltd | Local Chinese state-owned company (companies) | Loan agreement for long-term working capital financing | Credit facility | Repayment due in 2019 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Repayment of credit facility |  | $ 16,071 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Recurrent | Ping An Bank | Loan agreement for project development and operation | Credit facility |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maximum borrowing capacity |  |  |  | $ 150,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Outstanding balance of credit facility |  |  |  | $ 150,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Recurrent | CSI Solar Power Inc. | Loan agreement for project development and operation | Credit facility |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
BORROWINGS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loan secured percentage |  |  |  | 100.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

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