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Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]      
Unrecognized tax benefits $ 0us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits   $ 0us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Increase in valuation allowances 10,657,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount 10,270,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount  
Tax liabilities 0us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxLiabilities    
Tax related interest 0us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationInterestExpense    
Tax related penalties 0us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationPenaltiesExpense    
Domestic Tax Authority [Member]      
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]      
Net operating loss carry forward 158,465,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember
   
Operating loss carryforward expiration period description 2018 through 2034    
Excess deductions from exercise of stock option 1,792,000stem_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalReclassificationExcerciseOfStockOption
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember
   
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]      
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]      
Net operating loss carry forward 40,241,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember
   
Operating loss carryforward expiration period description 2015 through 2034    
Operating loss carry forward for the exercise of stock 1,362,000stem_OperatingLossCarryforwardsExerciseOfStockOptions
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember
   
Foreign Tax Authority [Member]      
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]      
Net operating loss carry forward 8,208,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember
   
Capital Loss Carryforward [Member] | Domestic And State [Member]      
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]      
Operating loss carryforward expiration period description 2015 through 2016    
Capital loss carry forward for federal and state income tax purposes 746,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= stem_DomesticAndStateMember
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= us-gaap_CapitalLossCarryforwardMember
   
Research and Development [Member] | Domestic Tax Authority [Member]      
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]      
Operating loss carryforward expiration period description 2018 through 2034    
Capital loss carry forward for federal and state income tax purposes 6,178,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= us-gaap_ResearchMember
   
Research and Development [Member] | State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]      
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]      
Capital loss carry forward for federal and state income tax purposes 5,484,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= us-gaap_ResearchMember
   
State research and development tax credits net of federal tax effect $ 3,619,000stem_TaxCreditCarryForwardNet
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= us-gaap_ResearchMember