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SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES - Warranty cost (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands |  |  |  | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
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Aug. 01, 2016 | Jan. 01, 2015 | May 31, 2009 | Jun. 30, 2015 | Aug. 31, 2011 | Jun. 30, 2009 | Dec. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty accrual rate for sales of solar modules as a percentage of revenue |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1.00% |  |
Term of insurance policy over which the insurance premium will be amortized |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 year |  |
Unamortized carrying amount of insurance premium |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2,531 | $ 1,921 |
Term of warranty obligation over which the assets is expected to be realized |  |  |  |  |  |  | 25 years |  |
Insurance receivable |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 61,879 | 56,605 |
Downward adjustment of warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  | 16,869 |  |
Downward adjustment of other non-current assets |  |  |  |  |  |  | 15,189 |  |
Warranty costs (net effect of adjustment) included in cost of revenues |  |  |  |  |  |  | 9,817 | 15,876 | $ 18,570
Foreign currency risk |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash denominated in RMB, USD equivalent |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 538,788 | $ 722,734 |
Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Guarantee of solar modules for defects in materials and engineering design, installation and construction |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5 years |  |
Standard solar modules |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Guarantee of solar modules for defects in materials and engineering design, installation and construction |  |  | 2 years |  |  |  |  |  |
Minimum percentage of decline in initial minimum power generation capacity for 10 years |  |  | 10.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
Minimum percentage of decline in initial minimum power generation capacity for 25 years |  |  | 20.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
Extended warranty of solar modules and products for defects in materials and workmanship |  |  |  |  | 10 years | 6 years |  |  |
Period for which the entity warrants for maintaining the performance levels |  |  |  |  | 25 years |  |  |  |
Standard solar modules | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty period of solar modules and products against decline of more than 10% of initial power generation capacity |  |  | 10 years |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty period of solar modules and products against decline of more than 20% of initial power generation capacity |  |  | 25 years |  |  |  |  |  |
Polycrystalline modules |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Period for which the entity warrants for maintaining the performance levels |  |  |  | 25 years |  |  |  |  |
Monocrystalline modules |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Period for which the entity warrants for maintaining the performance levels |  |  |  | 25 years |  |  |  |  |
Dymond Modules |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Term of warranty obligation over which the assets is expected to be realized |  | 30 years |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Dymond polycrystalline modules |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Term of warranty obligation over which the assets is expected to be realized | 30 years |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Dymond monocrystalline modules |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Period for which the entity warrants for maintaining the performance levels | 30 years |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
First year of guaranteed performance period | Standard solar modules | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Actual power output of module as a percentage of labeled power output |  |  |  |  | 97.00% |  |  |  |
First year of guaranteed performance period | Polycrystalline modules | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Actual power output of module as a percentage of labeled power output |  |  |  |  |  |  | 97.50% |  |
First year of guaranteed performance period | Monocrystalline modules | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Actual power output of module as a percentage of labeled power output |  |  |  |  |  |  | 97.00% |  |
First year of guaranteed performance period | Dymond Modules | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Actual power output of module as a percentage of labeled power output |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 97.50% |
First year of guaranteed performance period | Dymond polycrystalline modules | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Actual power output of module as a percentage of labeled power output |  |  |  |  |  |  | 97.50% |  |
First year of guaranteed performance period | Dymond monocrystalline modules | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Actual power output of module as a percentage of labeled power output |  |  |  |  |  |  | 97.00% |  |
Second year to 24th year of guaranteed performance period | Standard solar modules | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of decline in actual annual power output of module |  |  |  |  | 0.70% |  |  |  |
Second year to 24th year of guaranteed performance period | Polycrystalline modules | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of decline in actual annual power output of module |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0.70% |  |
Second year to 24th year of guaranteed performance period | Monocrystalline modules | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of decline in actual annual power output of module |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0.70% |  |
25th year of guaranteed performance period | Standard solar modules | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Actual power output of module as a percentage of labeled power output |  |  |  |  | 80.00% |  |  |  |
25th year of guaranteed performance period | Polycrystalline modules | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Actual power output of module as a percentage of labeled power output |  |  |  |  |  |  | 80.70% |  |
25th year of guaranteed performance period | Monocrystalline modules | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Actual power output of module as a percentage of labeled power output |  |  |  |  |  |  | 80.20% |  |
Second year to 29th year of guaranteed performance period | Dymond Modules | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of decline in actual annual power output of module |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0.50% |
Second year to 29th year of guaranteed performance period | Dymond polycrystalline modules | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of decline in actual annual power output of module |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0.50% |  |
Second year to sixth year of guaranteed performance period | Dymond monocrystalline modules | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of decline in actual annual power output of module |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0.70% |  |
Seventh year to 29th year of guaranteed performance period | Dymond monocrystalline modules | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of decline in actual annual power output of module |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0.50% |  |
30th year of guaranteed performance period | Dymond Modules | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Actual power output of module as a percentage of labeled power output |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 83.00% |
30th year of guaranteed performance period | Dymond polycrystalline modules | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Actual power output of module as a percentage of labeled power output |  |  |  |  |  |  | 83.00% |  |
30th year of guaranteed performance period | Dymond monocrystalline modules | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warranty cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Actual power output of module as a percentage of labeled power output |  |  |  |  |  |  | 81.50% |  |

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- Definition Represents the percentage of revenue which the entity uses as an estimate of warranty expense for sales of solar modules, which is included in cost of revenues. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the minimum percentage of decline in power generation capacity from the time of delivery which the entity warrants for a ten year period. + References No definition available. + Details
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