SEGMENT REPORTING (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	$ 4,982	$ 4,713	$ 15,931	$ 14,623
Intersegment Revenue	0	0	39	0
Segment gross profit (loss)	1,059	1,488	4,456	4,174
Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment	5,615	0	6,731	0
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	0		594
Segment depreciation and amortization	364	370	1,096	1,026
Segment share based compensation expense	77	282	145	282
Segment net income (loss) before income taxes	(10,016)	(4,003)	(18,430)	(9,678)
Energy & Security Sonar Solutions Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	2,537	2,988	8,723	9,170
Intersegment Revenue	0	0	0	0
Segment gross profit (loss)	852	984	3,187	3,281
Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment	0		0
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	0		0
Segment depreciation and amortization	65	57	182	173
Segment share based compensation expense	44	0	44	0
Segment net income (loss) before income taxes	(204)	38	110	619
GridSense segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	1,069	977	3,543	2,884
Intersegment Revenue	0	0	0	0
Segment gross profit (loss)	448	423	1,498	1,240
Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment	0		0
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	0		594
Segment depreciation and amortization	77	99	266	288
Segment share based compensation expense	0	0	0	0
Segment net income (loss) before income taxes	(812)	(1,499)	(3,549)	(3,556)
USSI segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	513	234	1,148	1,317
Intersegment Revenue	0	0	39	0
Segment gross profit (loss)	(688)	(168)	(1,538)	(773)
Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment	0		0
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	0		0
Segment depreciation and amortization	106	85	275	238
Segment share based compensation expense	33	282	101	282
Segment net income (loss) before income taxes	(2,668)	(2,230)	(6,838)	(6,032)
Power Generation Monitoring segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	411	186	1,215	301
Intersegment Revenue	0	0	0	0
Segment gross profit (loss)	177	82	616	53
Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment	4,225		5,341
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	0		0
Segment depreciation and amortization	75	89	252	221
Segment share based compensation expense	0	0	0	0
Segment net income (loss) before income taxes	(4,854)	(332)	(6,686)	(639)
All Other Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	452	328	1,302	951
Intersegment Revenue	0	0	0	0
Segment gross profit (loss)	270	167	693	373
Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment	1,390		1,390
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	0		0
Segment depreciation and amortization	41	40	121	106
Segment share based compensation expense	0	0	0	0
Segment net income (loss) before income taxes	$ (1,478)	$ 20	$ (1,467)	$ (70)

Segment depreciation and amortization

No definition available.

Name:	acfn_SegmentDepreciationAndAmortization
Namespace Prefix:	acfn_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Segment gross profit (loss)

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	acfn_SegmentGrossProfitLoss
Namespace Prefix:	acfn_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Segment net income (loss) before income taxes

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	acfn_SegmentNetIncomeLossBeforeIncomeTaxes
Namespace Prefix:	acfn_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Segment share based compensation expense

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	acfn_SegmentShareBasedCompensationExpense
Namespace Prefix:	acfn_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Total loss recognized during the period from the impairment of goodwill plus the loss recognized in the period resulting from the impairment of the carrying amount of intangible assets, other than goodwill.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GoodwillAndIntangibleAssetImpairment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount expected to be charged against earnings in the current and future periods for the specified restructuring cost.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 146

-Paragraph 20

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF)

-Number 95-3

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 420

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6394359&loc=d3e17939-110869

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)

-Number Topic 5

-Section P

-Subsection 3, 4

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 420

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 5.P.4(b))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6394695&loc=d3e140904-122747

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostExpectedCost
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of revenue from external customers for the reportable segment. Such disclosure is presented if the amount is: (a) included in the measure of segment profit or loss reviewed by the chief operating decision maker or (b) otherwise regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker, even if not included in that measure of segment profit or loss.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 131

-Paragraph 27

-Subparagraph a

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RevenuesFromExternalCustomers
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of revenue from transactions with other operating segments of the same entity.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 131

-Paragraph 27

-Subparagraph b

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RevenuesFromTransactionsWithOtherOperatingSegmentsOfSameEntity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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