Restricted Cash (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
Jul. 31, 2015	Oct. 31, 2014
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	$ 27,600	$ 25,100
Restricted cash and cash equivalents - long-term	$ 20,600	19,600
Letter of Credit Date of Expiration	Apr. 01, 2019
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	$ 9,200	$ 7,400
Dominion Bridgeport FuelCell Park [Member]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Restricted cash and cash equivalents - long-term	$ 15,000
Debt Instrument, Term	15 years

Letter of Credit Date of Expiration

No definition available.

Name:	fcel_LetterOfCreditDateOfExpiration
Namespace Prefix:	fcel_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Restricted cash balance, term

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fcel_Restrictedcashbalanceterm
Namespace Prefix:	fcel_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The total amount of the contingent obligation under letters of credit outstanding as of the reporting date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalent items which are restricted as to withdrawal or usage. Restrictions may include legally restricted deposits held as compensating balances against borrowing arrangements, contracts entered into with others, or entity statements of intention with regard to particular deposits; however, time deposits and short-term certificates of deposit are not generally included in legally restricted deposits. Excludes compensating balance arrangements that are not agreements which legally restrict the use of cash amounts shown on the balance sheet. This element is for unclassified presentations; for classified presentations there is a separate and distinct element.

+ 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 210.5-02.1)

-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:	debit
Period Type:	instant

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

- Definition

Cash and equivalents whose use in whole or in part is restricted for the long-term, generally by contractual agreements or regulatory requirements.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis=fcel_DominionBridgeportFuelcellParkMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: