First Solar (FSLR) 10-Q30 Jul 212021 Q2 Quarterly reportFinancial data

Company Profile

Document

Document - shares	6 Months Ended
Document - shares	Jun. 30, 2021	Jul. 23, 2021
Document Information [Line Items]
Document Type	10-Q
Document Quarterly Report	true
Document Period End Date	Jun. 30, 2021
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	001-33156
Entity Registrant Name	First Solar, Inc.
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Tax Identification Number	20-4623678
Entity Address, Address Line One	350 West Washington Street, Suite 600
Entity Address, City or Town	Tempe
Entity Address, State or Province	AZ
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	85281
City Area Code	602
Local Phone Number	414-9300
Title of 12(b) Security	Common stock, $0.001 par value
Trading Symbol	FSLR
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		106,319,302
Entity Central Index Key	0001274494
Amendment Flag	false
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2021
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q2
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31

Condensed Consolidated Statemen

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020
Net sales	$ 629,180	$ 642,411	$ 1,432,554	$ 1,174,535
Cost of sales	455,062	504,951	1,073,669	946,737
Gross profit	174,118	137,460	358,885	227,798
Operating expenses:
Selling, general and administrative	36,346	51,770	88,433	110,357
Research and development	23,935	22,483	43,808	48,096
Production start-up	1,715	6,311	13,069	10,793
Litigation loss	0	6,000	0	6,000
Total operating expenses	61,996	86,564	145,310	175,246
Gain on sales of businesses, net	(1,745)	0	149,150	0
Operating income	110,377	50,896	362,725	52,552
Foreign currency loss, net	(1,000)	(1,299)	(3,595)	(1,697)
Interest income	1,288	3,674	2,244	13,004
Interest expense, net	(4,623)	(3,254)	(7,619)	(10,043)
Other (expense) income, net	(3,247)	(3,195)	5,201	(5,417)
Income before taxes and equity in earnings	102,795	46,822	358,956	48,399
Income tax (expense) benefit	(20,346)	(10,214)	(66,836)	79,001
Equity in earnings, net of tax	0	303	0	215
Net income	$ 82,449	$ 36,911	$ 292,120	$ 127,615
Net income per share:
Basic	$ 0.78	$ 0.35	$ 2.75	$ 1.21
Diluted	$ 0.77	$ 0.35	$ 2.73	$ 1.20
Weighted-average number of shares used in per share calculations:
Basic	106,313	105,927	106,201	105,761
Diluted	106,836	106,473	106,866	106,429

Condensed Consolidated Statem_2

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020
Net income	$ 82,449	$ 36,911	$ 292,120	$ 127,615
Other comprehensive income, net of tax:
Foreign currency translation adjustments	290	5,374	(9,426)	(2,690)
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities and restricted marketable securities, net of tax of $(34), $(975), $1,087 and $(586)	115	11,826	(16,475)	14,678
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net of tax of $(61), $(7), $(698) and $(86)	784	(810)	4,166	86
Other comprehensive income (loss)	1,189	16,390	(21,735)	12,074
Comprehensive income	83,638	53,301	270,385	139,689
Supplemental Income Statement Elements [Abstract]
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities and restricted marketable securities, tax	(34)	(975)	1,087	(586)
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivative instruments, tax	$ (61)	$ (7)	$ (698)	$ (86)

Condensed Consolidated Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,346,888	$ 1,227,002
Marketable securities (amortized cost of $418,450 and $519,844 and allowance for credit losses of $87 and $121 at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively)	418,505	520,066
Accounts receivable trade	585,507	269,095
Accounts Receivable Trade, Allowance for credit losses	(2,479)	(3,009)
Accounts receivable trade, net	583,028	266,086
Accounts receivable, unbilled	14,633	26,673
Accounts receivable, unbilled, allowance for credit losses	(37)	(303)
Accounts receivable, unbilled, net	14,596	26,370
Inventories	603,057	567,587
Assets held for sale	0	155,685
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	189,402	251,739
Total current assets	3,155,476	3,014,535
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,396,641	2,402,285
PV solar power systems, net	233,370	243,396
Project assets	310,816	373,377
Deferred tax assets, net	107,450	104,099
Restricted marketable securities (amortized cost of $247,628 and allowance for credit losses of $13 at December 31, 2020)	0	265,280
Goodwill	14,462	14,462
Intangibles assets, net	50,669	56,138
Inventories	226,719	201,229
Other assets	752,870	434,130
Total assets	7,248,473	7,108,931
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	148,326	183,349
Income taxes payable	21,671	14,571
Accrued expenses	216,556	310,467
Current portion of long-term debt	3,239	41,540
Deferred revenue	237,244	188,813
Liabilities held for sale	0	25,621
Other current liabilities	33,887	83,037
Total current liabilities	660,923	847,398
Accrued solar module collection and recycling liability	129,726	130,688
Long-term debt	276,084	237,691
Other liabilities	398,105	372,226
Total liabilities	1,464,838	1,588,003
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock, $0.001 par value per share; 500,000,000 shares authorized; 106,318,905 and 105,980,466 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively	106	106
Additional paid-in capital	2,859,108	2,866,786
Accumulated earnings	3,007,882	2,715,762
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(83,461)	(61,726)
Total stockholders' equity	5,783,635	5,520,928
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 7,248,473	$ 7,108,931

Condensed Consolidated Balanc_2

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Common Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share	$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Common Stock, Shares Authorized	500,000,000	500,000,000
Common Stock, Shares Issued	106,318,905	105,980,466
Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	106,318,905	105,980,466
Marketable securities, Amortized Cost	$ 418,450	$ 519,844
Marketable Securities, Allowance for Credit Loss	87	121
Restricted Debt Securities [Member]
Marketable securities, Amortized Cost	0	247,628
Marketable Securities, Allowance for Credit Loss	$ 0	$ 13

Condensed Consolidated Statem_3

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity Statement - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Cumulative effect adjustment for the adoption of ASU 2016-13	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Accumulated Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Earnings [Member]Cumulative effect adjustment for the adoption of ASU 2016-13	Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income [Member]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest \| Accounting Standards Update 2016-13		$ (9,213)				$ (9,213)
Common stock, shares, beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2019			105,449,000
Stockholders' equity, beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2019	$ 5,096,767		$ 105	$ 2,849,376	$ 2,326,620		$ (79,334)
Net income	127,615				127,615
Other comprehensive loss	12,074						12,074
Common stock issued for share-based compensation, shares			789,000
Common stock issued for share-based compensation	1,363		$ 1	1,362
Tax withholding related to vesting of restricted stock, shares			(277,000)
Tax withholding related to vesting of restricted stock	(12,764)		$ 0	(12,764)
Share-based compensation expense	10,954			10,954
Common stock, shares, ending balance at Jun. 30, 2020			105,961,000
Stockholders' equity, ending balance at Jun. 30, 2020	5,226,796		$ 106	2,848,928	2,445,022		(67,260)
Common stock, shares, beginning balance at Mar. 31, 2020			105,906,000
Stockholders' equity, beginning balance at Mar. 31, 2020	5,168,622		$ 106	2,844,055	2,408,111		(83,650)
Net income	36,911				36,911
Other comprehensive loss	16,390						16,390
Common stock issued for share-based compensation, shares			56,000
Common stock issued for share-based compensation	1,362		$ 0	1,362
Tax withholding related to vesting of restricted stock, shares			(1,000)
Tax withholding related to vesting of restricted stock	(85)		$ 0	(85)
Share-based compensation expense	3,596			3,596
Common stock, shares, ending balance at Jun. 30, 2020			105,961,000
Stockholders' equity, ending balance at Jun. 30, 2020	$ 5,226,796		$ 106	2,848,928	2,445,022		(67,260)
Common stock, shares, beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2020	105,980,466		105,980,000
Stockholders' equity, beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2020	$ 5,520,928		$ 106	2,866,786	2,715,762		(61,726)
Net income	292,120				292,120
Other comprehensive loss	(21,735)						(21,735)
Common stock issued for share-based compensation, shares			546,000
Common stock issued for share-based compensation	0		$ 0	0
Tax withholding related to vesting of restricted stock, shares			(207,000)
Tax withholding related to vesting of restricted stock	(15,810)		$ 0	(15,810)
Share-based compensation expense	$ 8,132			8,132
Common stock, shares, ending balance at Jun. 30, 2021	106,318,905		106,319,000
Stockholders' equity, ending balance at Jun. 30, 2021	$ 5,783,635		$ 106	2,859,108	3,007,882		(83,461)
Common stock, shares, beginning balance at Mar. 31, 2021			106,311,000
Stockholders' equity, beginning balance at Mar. 31, 2021	5,694,780		$ 106	2,853,891	2,925,433		(84,650)
Net income	82,449				82,449
Other comprehensive loss	1,189						1,189
Common stock issued for share-based compensation, shares			10,000
Common stock issued for share-based compensation	0		$ 0	0
Tax withholding related to vesting of restricted stock, shares			(2,000)
Tax withholding related to vesting of restricted stock	(121)		$ 0	(121)
Share-based compensation expense	$ 5,338			5,338
Common stock, shares, ending balance at Jun. 30, 2021	106,318,905		106,319,000
Stockholders' equity, ending balance at Jun. 30, 2021	$ 5,783,635		$ 106	$ 2,859,108	$ 3,007,882		$ (83,461)

Condensed Consolidated Statem_4

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 292,120	$ 127,615
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	128,913	113,876
Impairments and net losses on disposal of long-lived assets	5,264	6,611
Share-based compensation	8,545	10,980
Deferred income taxes	(12,317)	(72,706)
Gain on sales of businesses, net	(149,150)	0
Gains on sales of marketable securities and restricted marketable securities	(11,696)	(15,337)
Other, net	(1,459)	16,465
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, trade and unbilled	(255,832)	303,030
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(43,993)	14,412
Inventories	(61,942)	(80,071)
Project assets and PV solar power systems	40,558	(43,074)
Other assets	(17,750)	(46,720)
Income tax receivable and payable	37,158	(8,533)
Accounts payable	(10,795)	(43,524)
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	(49,694)	(642,793)
Accrued solar module collection and recycling liability	(159)	2,674
Net cash used in operating activities	(102,229)	(357,095)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(180,782)	(220,952)
Purchases of marketable securities and restricted marketable securities	(389,352)	(541,266)
Proceeds from sales and maturities of marketable securities and restricted marketable securities	749,447	857,130
Proceeds from sales of businesses	297,403	0
Other investing activities	(6,628)	(13,625)
Net cash provided by investing activities	470,088	81,287
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of long-term debt	(38,471)	(9,101)
Proceeds from borrowings under long-term debt, net of discounts and issuance costs	45,191	0
Payments of tax withholdings for restricted shares	(15,810)	(12,764)
Other financing activities	0	(804)
Net cash used in financing activities	(9,090)	(22,669)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	906	(222)
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	359,675	(298,699)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of the period	1,273,594	1,446,510
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of the period	1,633,269	1,147,811
Supplemental disclosure of noncash investing and financing activities:
Property, plant and equipment acquisitions funded by liabilities	43,894	99,290
Proceeds to be received from sale of business	$ 4,482	$ 0

1. Basis of Presentation

1. Basis of Presentation	6 Months Ended
1. Basis of Presentation	Jun. 30, 2021
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	1. Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of First Solar, Inc. and its subsidiaries in this Quarterly Report have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and pursuant to the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Accordingly, these interim financial statements do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for annual financial statements. In the opinion of First Solar management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair statement have been included. Certain prior period balances have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Despite our intention to establish accurate estimates and reasonable assumptions, actual results could differ materially from such estimates and assumptions. Operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2021 or for any other period. The condensed consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2020 has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements at that date, but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. These interim financial statements and notes should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2020 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, which has been filed with the SEC. Unless expressly stated or the context otherwise requires, the terms “the Company,” “we,” “us,” “our,” and “First Solar” refer to First Solar, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, and the term “condensed consolidated financial statements” refers to the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contained in this Quarterly Report.

2. Sales of Businesses

2. Sales of Businesses	6 Months Ended
2. Sales of Businesses	Jun. 30, 2021
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Disposal Groups, Disclosure	2. Sales of Businesses Sale of North American O&M operations Following an evaluation of the long-term cost structure, competitiveness, and risk-adjusted returns of our O&M services business, we received an offer to purchase certain portions of the business and determined it was in the best interest of our stockholders to pursue the transaction. Accordingly, in August 2020, we entered into an agreement with a subsidiary of Clairvest Group, Inc. (“Clairvest”) for the sale of our North American O&M operations. On March 31, 2021, we completed the transaction for a closing purchase price of $151.5 million, subject to certain customary post-closing adjustments, of which $146.0 million was received on March 31, 2021. As a result of this transaction, we recognized a gain of $119.2 million, net of transaction costs, during the three months ended March 31, 2021, which was included in “Gain on sales of businesses, net” in our condensed consolidated statements of operations. During the three months ended June 30, 2021, we recorded certain post-closing adjustments that reduced the gain by $1.4 million. The assets and liabilities associated with this business were classified as held for sale in our condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2020. Sale of U.S. project development business Following a separate evaluation of the long-term cost structure, competitiveness, and risk-adjusted returns of our U.S. project development business, we determined it was also in the best interest of our stockholders to pursue the sale of this business. In January 2021, we entered into an agreement with Leeward Renewable Energy Development, LLC (“Leeward”), a subsidiary of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, for the sale of our U.S. project development business, which included developing, contracting for the construction of, and selling utility-scale photovoltaic (“PV”) solar power systems in the United States. The transaction included our approximately 10 GW AC utility-scale solar project pipeline, including the advanced-stage Horizon, Madison, Ridgely, Rabbitbrush, and Oak Trail projects, which are expected to commence construction in the next two years; the 30MW AC Barilla Solar project, which is operational; and certain other equipment. In addition, Leeward agreed to certain module purchase commitments. On March 31, 2021, we completed the transaction for an aggregate purchase price of $284.0 million, subject to certain customary post-closing adjustments. Such purchase price included $151.4 million for the sale of the U.S. project development business; $117.8 million for the sale of 349 MW DC of solar modules, which is presented in “Net sales” on our condensed consolidated statements of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2021; and $14.8 million of advanced payments for 43 MW DC of solar modules not yet delivered, which is included in “Deferred revenue” in our condensed consolidated balance sheet as of June 30, 2021. Proceeds from the transaction were received in early April 2021. During the three months ended March 31, 2021, we recognized a gain of $31.8 million, net of transaction costs, from the sale of our U.S. project development business, which is included in “Gain on sales of businesses, net” in our condensed consolidated statements of operations. During the three months ended June 30, 2021, we recorded certain post-closing adjustments that reduced the gain by $0.3 million. The assets and liabilities associated with this business were classified as held for sale in our condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2020.

3. Cash, Cash Equivalents, and

3. Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Marketable Securities	6 Months Ended
3. Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Marketable Securities	Jun. 30, 2021
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Short-term Investments [Abstract]
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Marketable Securities	3. Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Marketable Securities Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Cash and cash equivalents: Cash $ 1,346,886 $ 1,227,000 Money market funds 2 2 Total cash and cash equivalents 1,346,888 1,227,002 Marketable securities: Foreign debt 166,612 214,254 U.S. debt 18,917 14,543 Time deposits 232,976 291,269 Total marketable securities 418,505 520,066 Total cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities $ 1,765,393 $ 1,747,068 The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within our condensed consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 to the total of such amounts as presented in the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows (in thousands): Balance Sheet Line Item June 30, December 31, Cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,346,888 $ 1,227,002 Restricted cash – current Prepaid expenses and other current assets 864 1,745 Restricted cash – noncurrent Other assets 285,517 44,847 Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash $ 1,633,269 $ 1,273,594 During the six months ended June 30, 2021, we sold marketable securities for proceeds of $5.5 million and realized gains of less than $0.1 million on such sales. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, we sold marketable securities for proceeds of $29.7 million and $160.5 million, respectively, and realized gains of $0.2 million on such sales. See Note 8. “Fair Value Measurements” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for information about the fair value of our marketable securities. The following tables summarize the unrealized gains and losses related to our available-for-sale marketable securities, by major security type, as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): As of June 30, 2021 Amortized Unrealized Unrealized Allowance for Credit Losses Fair Foreign debt $ 166,377 $ 242 $ 4 $ 3 $ 166,612 U.S. debt 19,015 19 115 2 18,917 Time deposits 233,058 — — 82 232,976 Total $ 418,450 $ 261 $ 119 $ 87 $ 418,505 As of December 31, 2020 Amortized Unrealized Unrealized Allowance for Credit Losses Fair Foreign debt $ 213,949 $ 367 $ 46 $ 16 $ 214,254 U.S. debt 14,521 22 — — 14,543 Time deposits 291,374 — — 105 291,269 Total $ 519,844 $ 389 $ 46 $ 121 $ 520,066 The following table presents the change in the allowance for credit losses related to our available-for-sale marketable securities for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands): Six Months Ended 2021 2020 Allowance for credit losses, beginning of period $ 121 $ — Cumulative-effect adjustment for the adoption of ASU 2016-13 — 207 Provision for credit losses, net 201 204 Sales and maturities of marketable securities (235) (287) Allowance for credit losses, end of period $ 87 $ 124 The contractual maturities of our marketable securities as of June 30, 2021 were as follows (in thousands): Fair One year or less $ 356,279 One year to two years 52,343 Two years to three years — Three years to four years — Four years to five years 4,974 More than five years 4,909 Total $ 418,505

4. Restricted Marketable Securi

4. Restricted Marketable Securities	6 Months Ended
4. Restricted Marketable Securities	Jun. 30, 2021
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Restricted [Abstract]
Restricted marketable securities	4. Restricted Marketable Securities Restricted marketable securities consisted of the following as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Foreign government obligations $ — $ 149,700 U.S. government obligations — 115,580 Total restricted marketable securities $ — $ 265,280 Our restricted marketable securities represent long-term marketable securities held in custodial accounts to fund the estimated future cost of collecting and recycling modules covered under our solar module collection and recycling program. As of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, such custodial accounts also included noncurrent restricted cash balances of $257.0 million and $0.7 million, respectively, which were reported within “Other assets.” As necessary, we fund any incremental amounts for our estimated collection and recycling obligations on an annual basis based on the estimated costs of collecting and recycling covered modules, estimated rates of return on our restricted marketable securities, and an estimated solar module life of 25 years, less amounts already funded in prior years. We have established a trust under which estimated funds are put into custodial accounts with an established and reputable bank, for which First Solar, Inc.; First Solar Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.; and First Solar Manufacturing GmbH are grantors. Trust funds may be disbursed for qualified module collection and recycling costs (including capital and facility related recycling costs), payments to customers for assuming collection and recycling obligations, and reimbursements of any overfunded amounts. Investments in the trust must meet certain investment quality criteria comparable to highly rated government or agency bonds. During the six months ended June 30, 2021, we sold all our restricted marketable securities for proceeds of $258.9 million and realized gains of $11.7 million on such sales. We intend to reinvest such proceeds and continue to evaluate investments that support the estimated costs of our solar module collection and recycling program. During the six months ended June 30, 2020, we sold certain restricted marketable securities for proceeds of $115.2 million, realized gains of $15.1 million on such sales, and repurchased $114.5 million of restricted marketable securities as part of our ongoing management of the custodial accounts. See Note 8. “Fair Value Measurements” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for information about the fair value of our restricted marketable securities. The following table summarizes the unrealized gains and losses related to our restricted marketable securities, by major security type, as of December 31, 2020 (in thousands): As of December 31, 2020 Amortized Unrealized Unrealized Allowance for Credit Losses Fair Foreign government obligations $ 131,980 $ 17,720 $ — $ — $ 149,700 U.S. government obligations 115,648 133 188 13 115,580 Total $ 247,628 $ 17,853 $ 188 $ 13 $ 265,280 The following table presents the change in the allowance for credit losses related to our restricted marketable securities for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands): Six Months Ended 2021 2020 Allowance for credit losses, beginning of period $ 13 $ — Cumulative-effect adjustment for the adoption of ASU 2016-13 — 54 Provision for credit losses, net 16 (29) Sales of restricted marketable securities (29) (25) Allowance for credit losses, end of period $ — $ —

5. Consolidated Balance Sheet D

5. Consolidated Balance Sheet Details	6 Months Ended
5. Consolidated Balance Sheet Details	Jun. 30, 2021
Balance Sheet Related Disclosures [Abstract]
Consolidated Balance Sheet Details	5. Consolidated Balance Sheet Details Accounts receivable trade, net Accounts receivable trade, net consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Accounts receivable trade, gross $ 585,507 $ 269,095 Allowance for credit losses (2,479) (3,009) Accounts receivable trade, net $ 583,028 $ 266,086 At June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, $59.0 million and $24.4 million, respectively, of our trade accounts receivable were secured by letters of credit and surety bonds issued by creditworthy financial institutions. Accounts receivable, unbilled, net Accounts receivable, unbilled, net consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Accounts receivable, unbilled $ 14,633 $ 26,673 Allowance for credit losses (37) (303) Accounts receivable, unbilled, net $ 14,596 $ 26,370 Allowance for credit losses The following tables present the change in the allowances for credit losses related to our accounts receivable for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands): Six Months Ended Accounts receivable, trade 2021 2020 Allowance for credit losses, beginning of period $ 3,009 $ 1,386 Cumulative-effect adjustment for the adoption of ASU 2016-13 — 171 Provision for credit losses, net (433) 2,235 Writeoffs (97) (458) Allowance for credit losses, end of period $ 2,479 $ 3,334 Six Months Ended Accounts receivable, unbilled 2021 2020 Allowance for credit losses, beginning of period $ 303 $ — Cumulative-effect adjustment for the adoption of ASU 2016-13 — 459 Provision for credit losses, net (266) 275 Allowance for credit losses, end of period $ 37 $ 734 Inventories Inventories consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Raw materials $ 333,010 $ 292,334 Work in process 60,837 64,709 Finished goods 435,929 411,773 Inventories $ 829,776 $ 768,816 Inventories – current $ 603,057 $ 567,587 Inventories – noncurrent $ 226,719 $ 201,229 Prepaid expenses and other current assets Prepaid expenses and other current assets consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Prepaid expenses $ 169,879 $ 160,534 Derivative instruments (1) 5,702 3,315 Restricted cash 864 1,745 Prepaid income taxes 633 71,051 Other current assets 12,324 15,094 Prepaid expenses and other current assets $ 189,402 $ 251,739 —————————— (1) See Note 6. “Derivative Financial Instruments” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for discussion of our derivative instruments. Property, plant and equipment, net Property, plant and equipment, net consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Land $ 14,404 $ 14,498 Buildings and improvements 692,865 693,762 Machinery and equipment 2,441,410 2,184,236 Office equipment and furniture 140,791 143,685 Leasehold improvements 42,079 41,459 Construction in progress 186,165 419,766 Property, plant and equipment, gross 3,517,714 3,497,406 Accumulated depreciation (1,121,073) (1,095,121) Property, plant and equipment, net $ 2,396,641 $ 2,402,285 Depreciation of property, plant and equipment was $58.8 million and $115.6 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, respectively, and $48.5 million and $95.9 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, respectively. PV solar power systems, net PV solar power systems, net consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, PV solar power systems, gross $ 291,886 $ 298,067 Accumulated depreciation (58,516) (54,671) PV solar power systems, net $ 233,370 $ 243,396 Depreciation of PV solar power systems was $2.9 million and $5.9 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, respectively, and $5.8 million and $11.7 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, respectively. We evaluate our PV solar power systems for impairment under a held and used impairment model whenever events or changes in circumstances arise that may indicate that the carrying amount of a particular system may not be recoverable. Such events or changes may include a significant decrease in the market price of the asset, current-period operating or cash flow losses combined with a history of such losses or a projection of future losses associated with the use of the asset, and changes in expectations regarding our intent to hold the asset on a long-term basis or the timing of a potential asset disposition. As of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the recoverability of our Luz del Norte PV solar power plant was based, in part, on the likelihood of our continued ownership and operation of the system. However, it is reasonably possible that our intent to hold the asset may change in the near term due to our evaluation of strategic sale opportunities for the system. The pursuit of such opportunities, which require coordination with the system’s lenders, may result in a determination that the carrying value of the system is not recoverable based on the probability-weighted undiscounted future cash flows, which in turn could result in a possible impairment of the system in future periods. Accordingly, any changes in our expected use of the asset or its disposition may result in impairment charges that could be material to our condensed consolidated financial statements and have a significant adverse impact on our results of operations. Project assets Project assets consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Project assets – development costs, including project acquisition and land costs $ 132,794 $ 176,346 Project assets – construction costs 178,022 197,031 Project assets $ 310,816 $ 373,377 Other assets Other assets consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Restricted cash $ 285,517 $ 44,847 Operating lease assets (1) 217,630 226,664 Advanced payments for raw materials 93,364 97,883 Accounts receivable, unbilled, net 59,034 22,722 Income tax receivables 39,888 36 Indirect tax receivables 21,601 14,849 Other 35,836 27,129 Other assets $ 752,870 $ 434,130 —————————— (1) See Note 7. “Leases” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for discussion of our lease arrangements. Goodwill Goodwill for the relevant reporting unit consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): December 31, Acquisitions (Impairments) June 30, Modules $ 407,827 $ — $ 407,827 Accumulated impairment losses (393,365) — (393,365) Goodwill $ 14,462 $ — $ 14,462 Intangible assets, net The following tables summarize our intangible assets at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, 2021 Gross Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Amount Developed technology $ 99,964 $ (57,050) $ 42,914 Power purchase agreements 6,486 (1,458) 5,028 Patents 8,173 (5,446) 2,727 Intangible assets, net $ 114,623 $ (63,954) $ 50,669 December 31, 2020 Gross Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Amount Developed technology $ 99,964 $ (52,115) $ 47,849 Power purchase agreements 6,486 (1,296) 5,190 Patents 8,173 (5,074) 3,099 Intangible assets, net $ 114,623 $ (58,485) $ 56,138 Amortization of intangible assets was $2.8 million and $5.5 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, respectively, and $2.7 million and $5.3 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, respectively. Accrued expenses Accrued expenses consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Accrued project costs $ 44,677 $ 81,380 Accrued freight 41,130 26,580 Accrued inventory 30,678 25,704 Accrued property, plant and equipment 24,129 66,543 Accrued compensation and benefits 23,432 51,685 Product warranty liability (1) 16,846 22,278 Other 35,664 36,297 Accrued expenses $ 216,556 $ 310,467 —————————— (1) See Note 10. “Commitments and Contingencies” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for discussion of our “Product Warranties.” Other current liabilities Other current liabilities consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Operating lease liabilities (1) 13,217 14,006 Derivative instruments (2) 2,852 5,280 Other taxes payable 2,138 30,041 Other 15,680 33,710 Other current liabilities $ 33,887 $ 83,037 —————————— (1) See Note 7. “Leases” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for discussion of our lease arrangements. (2) See Note 6. “Derivative Financial Instruments” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for discussion of our derivative instruments. Other liabilities Other liabilities consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Operating lease liabilities (1) $ 175,759 $ 189,034 Deferred revenue 91,162 44,919 Product warranty liability (2) 74,212 72,818 Deferred tax liabilities, net 14,611 23,671 Other 42,361 41,784 Other liabilities $ 398,105 $ 372,226 —————————— (1) See Note 7. “Leases” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for discussion of our lease arrangements. (2) See Note 10. “Commitments and Contingencies” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for discussion of our “Product Warranties.”

6. Derivative Financial Instrum

6. Derivative Financial Instruments	6 Months Ended
6. Derivative Financial Instruments	Jun. 30, 2021
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivative Financial Instruments	6. Derivative Financial Instruments As a global company, we are exposed in the normal course of business to interest rate, foreign currency, and commodity price risks that could affect our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. We use derivative instruments to hedge against these risks and only hold such instruments for hedging purposes, not for speculative or trading purposes. Depending on the terms of the specific derivative instruments and market conditions, some of our derivative instruments may be assets and others liabilities at any particular balance sheet date. We report all of our derivative instruments at fair value and account for changes in the fair value of derivative instruments within “Accumulated other comprehensive loss” if the derivative instruments qualify for hedge accounting. For those derivative instruments that do not qualify for hedge accounting (i.e., “economic hedges”), we record the changes in fair value directly to earnings. See Note 8. “Fair Value Measurements” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for information about the techniques we use to measure the fair value of our derivative instruments. The following tables present the fair values of derivative instruments included in our condensed consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, 2021 Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets Other Current Liabilities Other Liabilities Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: Foreign exchange forward contracts $ 215 $ 147 $ 10 Commodity swap contracts 2,120 — — Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments $ 2,335 $ 147 $ 10 Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: Foreign exchange forward contracts $ 3,367 $ 2,705 $ — Interest rate swap contracts — — 691 Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments $ 3,367 $ 2,705 $ 691 Total derivative instruments $ 5,702 $ 2,852 $ 701 December 31, 2020 Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets Other Current Liabilities Other Liabilities Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: Foreign exchange forward contracts $ — $ 2,504 $ 341 Commodity swap contracts 1,478 — — Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments $ 1,478 $ 2,504 $ 341 Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: Foreign exchange forward contracts $ 1,837 $ 2,776 $ — Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments $ 1,837 $ 2,776 $ — Total derivative instruments $ 3,315 $ 5,280 $ 341 The following table presents the pretax amounts related to derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges affecting accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and our condensed consolidated statements of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands): Foreign Exchange Forward Contracts Commodity Swap Contracts Total Balance as of December 31, 2020 $ (3,644) $ 1,472 $ (2,172) Amounts recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) 1,618 1,531 3,149 Amounts reclassified to earnings impacting: Cost of sales 1,928 (213) 1,715 Balance as of June 30, 2021 $ (98) $ 2,790 $ 2,692 Balance as of December 31, 2019 $ (962) $ — $ (962) Amounts recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) (141) — (141) Amounts reclassified to earnings impacting: Cost of sales 313 — 313 Balance as of June 30, 2020 $ (790) $ — $ (790) During the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, we recognized unrealized gains of less than $0.1 million and unrealized losses of less than $0.1 million, respectively, within “Cost of sales” for amounts excluded from effectiveness testing for our foreign exchange forward contracts designated as cash flow hedges. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, we recognized unrealized gains of $0.3 million and $1.1 million, respectively, within “Cost of sales” for amounts excluded from effectiveness testing for our foreign exchange forward contracts designated as cash flow hedges. The following table presents gains and losses related to derivative instruments not designated as hedges affecting our condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands): Amount of Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income Three Months Ended Six Months Ended Income Statement Line Item 2021 2020 2021 2020 Foreign exchange forward contracts Cost of sales $ (446) $ 16 $ (277) $ 122 Foreign exchange forward contracts Foreign currency loss, net (1,277) 468 9,019 193 Interest rate swap contracts Interest expense, net (691) 1,023 (691) (1,381) Interest Rate Risk We use interest rate swap contracts to mitigate our exposure to interest rate fluctuations associated with certain of our debt instruments. We do not use such swap contracts for speculative or trading purposes. During the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, all of our interest rate swap contracts related to project specific debt facilities. Such swap contracts did not qualify for accounting as cash flow hedges in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 815 due to our expectation to sell the associated projects before the maturity of their project specific debt financings and corresponding swap contracts. Accordingly, changes in the fair values of these swap contracts were recorded directly to “Interest expense, net.” In June 2021, FS Japan Project B4 GK, our indirect wholly-owned subsidiary and project company, entered into an interest rate swap contract to hedge a portion of the floating rate term loan facility under the project’s Ikeda Credit Facility (as defined in Note 9. “Debt” to our condensed consolidated financial statements). Such swap had an initial notional value of ¥0.7 billion and entitled the project to receive a six-month floating Tokyo Interbank Offered Rate (“TIBOR”) plus 0.70% interest rate while requiring the project to pay a fixed rate of 1.12%. The notional amount of the interest rate swap contract proportionately adjusts with scheduled draws and principal payments on the underlying hedged debt. As of June 30, 2021, the notional value of the interest rate swap contract was ¥0.9 billion ($7.9 million). Foreign Currency Risk Cash Flow Exposure We expect certain of our subsidiaries to have future cash flows that will be denominated in currencies other than the subsidiaries’ functional currencies. Changes in the exchange rates between the functional currencies of our subsidiaries and the other currencies in which they transact will cause fluctuations in the cash flows we expect to receive or pay when these cash flows are realized or settled. Accordingly, we enter into foreign exchange forward contracts to hedge a portion of these forecasted cash flows. As of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, these foreign exchange forward contracts hedged our forecasted cash flows for periods up to 14 months and 20 months, respectively. These foreign exchange forward contracts qualify for accounting as cash flow hedges in accordance with ASC 815, and we designated them as such. We report unrealized gains or losses on such contracts in “Accumulated other comprehensive loss” and subsequently reclassify applicable amounts into earnings when the hedged transaction occurs and impacts earnings. We determined that these derivative financial instruments were highly effective as cash flow hedges as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020. As of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the notional values associated with our foreign exchange forward contracts qualifying as cash flow hedges were as follows (notional amounts and U.S. dollar equivalents in millions): June 30, 2021 Currency Notional Amount USD Equivalent U.S. dollar (1) $16.1 $16.1 December 31, 2020 Currency Notional Amount USD Equivalent U.S. dollar (1) $43.4 $43.4 —————————— (1) These derivative instruments represent hedges of outstanding payables denominated in U.S. dollars at certain of our foreign subsidiaries whose functional currencies are other than the U.S. dollar. In the following 12 months, we expect to reclassify to earnings $0.1 million of net unrealized loss related to foreign exchange forward contracts that are included in “Accumulated other comprehensive loss” at June 30, 2021 as we realize the earnings effects of the related forecasted transactions. The amount we ultimately record to earnings will depend on the actual exchange rates when we realize the related forecasted transactions. Transaction Exposure and Economic Hedging Many of our subsidiaries have assets and liabilities (primarily cash, receivables, deferred taxes, payables, accrued expenses, operating lease liabilities, and solar module collection and recycling liabilities) that are denominated in currencies other than the subsidiaries’ functional currencies. Changes in the exchange rates between the functional currencies of our subsidiaries and the other currencies in which these assets and liabilities are denominated will create fluctuations in our reported condensed consolidated statements of operations and cash flows. We may enter into foreign exchange forward contracts or other financial instruments to economically hedge assets and liabilities against the effects of currency exchange rate fluctuations. The gains and losses on such foreign exchange forward contracts will economically offset all or part of the transaction gains and losses that we recognize in earnings on the related foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities. We also enter into foreign exchange forward contracts to economically hedge balance sheet and other exposures related to transactions between certain of our subsidiaries and transactions with third parties. Such contracts are considered economic hedges and do not qualify for hedge accounting. Accordingly, we recognize gains or losses from the fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and the fair value of these derivative contracts in “Foreign currency loss, net” on our condensed consolidated statements of operations. As of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the notional values of our foreign exchange forward contracts that do not qualify for hedge accounting were as follows (notional amounts and U.S. dollar equivalents in millions): June 30, 2021 Transaction Currency Notional Amount USD Equivalent Purchase Australian dollar AUD 3.2 $2.4 Purchase Brazilian real BRL 2.6 $0.5 Sell Chilean peso CLP 3,358.2 $4.6 Purchase Euro €84.4 $100.4 Sell Euro €114.7 $136.4 Sell Indian rupee INR 356.8 $4.8 Sell Japanese yen ¥22,320.0 $201.9 Purchase Malaysian ringgit MYR 35.7 $8.6 Sell Malaysian ringgit MYR 28.3 $6.8 Sell Mexican peso MXN 34.6 $1.7 Purchase Singapore dollar SGD 5.5 $4.1 December 31, 2020 Transaction Currency Notional Amount USD Equivalent Purchase Australian dollar AUD 3.2 $2.5 Purchase Brazilian real BRL 2.6 $0.5 Sell Canadian dollar CAD 8.9 $7.0 Purchase Chilean peso CLP 2,006.0 $2.8 Sell Chilean peso CLP 4,476.7 $6.3 Purchase Euro €140.0 $172.1 Sell Euro €63.6 $78.2 Sell Indian rupee INR 619.2 $8.4 Purchase Japanese yen ¥1,593.7 $15.5 Sell Japanese yen ¥20,656.6 $200.5 Purchase Malaysian ringgit MYR 69.3 $17.2 Sell Malaysian ringgit MYR 24.9 $6.2 Sell Mexican peso MXN 34.6 $1.7 Purchase Singapore dollar SGD 2.9 $2.2 Commodity Price Risk We use commodity swap contracts to mitigate our exposure to commodity price fluctuations for certain raw materials used in the production of our modules. In August 2020, we entered into a commodity swap contract to hedge a portion of our forecasted cash flows for purchases of aluminum frames for a one-year period. Such swap had an initial notional value based on metric tons of forecasted aluminum purchases, equivalent to $24.9 million, and entitles us to receive a three-month average London Metals Exchange price for aluminum while requiring us to pay certain fixed prices. The notional amount of the commodity swap contract proportionately adjusted with forecasted purchases of aluminum frames. This commodity swap contract qualifies for accounting as a cash flow hedge in accordance with ASC 815, and we designated it as such. We report unrealized gains or losses on such contract in “Accumulated other comprehensive loss” and subsequently reclassify applicable amounts into earnings when the hedged transaction occurs and impacts earnings. We determined that this derivative financial instrument was highly effective as a cash flow hedge as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020. In the following 12 months, we expect to reclassify into earnings $2.8 million of net unrealized gains related to this commodity swap contract that are included in “Accumulated other comprehensive loss” at June 30, 2021 as we realize the earnings effects of the related forecasted transactions. The amount we ultimately record to earnings will depend on the actual commodity pricing when we realize the related forecasted transactions.

7. Leases

7. Leases	6 Months Ended
7. Leases	Jun. 30, 2021
Leases [Abstract]
Leases	7. Leases Our lease arrangements include land associated with our systems projects, our corporate and administrative offices, land for our international manufacturing facilities, and certain of our manufacturing equipment. Such leases primarily relate to assets located in the United States, Japan, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The following table presents certain quantitative information related to our lease arrangements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, and as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2021 2020 2021 2020 Operating lease cost $ 4,516 $ 4,718 $ 8,549 $ 8,896 Variable lease cost 462 625 1,000 1,291 Short-term lease cost 236 744 607 1,705 Total lease cost $ 5,214 $ 6,087 $ 10,156 $ 11,892 Payments of amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities $ 13,122 $ 11,770 Lease assets obtained in exchange for operating lease liabilities $ 17,909 $ 93,425 June 30, December 31, Operating lease assets $ 217,630 $ 226,664 Operating lease liabilities – current 13,217 14,006 Operating lease liabilities – noncurrent 175,759 189,034 Weighted-average remaining lease term 20 years 20 years Weighted-average discount rate 2.6 % 2.9 % As of June 30, 2021, the future payments associated with our lease liabilities were as follows (in thousands): Total Lease Liabilities Remainder of 2021 $ 6,552 2022 16,979 2023 17,065 2024 16,602 2025 15,973 2026 14,522 Thereafter 138,816 Total future payments 226,509 Less: interest (37,533) Total lease liabilities $ 188,976

8. Fair Value Measurements

8. Fair Value Measurements	6 Months Ended
8. Fair Value Measurements	Jun. 30, 2021
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	8. Fair Value Measurements The following is a description of the valuation techniques that we use to measure the fair value of assets and liabilities that we measure and report at fair value on a recurring basis: • Cash Equivalents. At June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, our cash equivalents consisted of money market funds. We value our cash equivalents using observable inputs that reflect quoted prices for securities with identical characteristics and classify the valuation techniques that use these inputs as Level 1. • Marketable Securities and Restricted Marketable Securities. At June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, our marketable securities consisted of foreign debt, U.S. debt, and time deposits. As of December 31, 2020, our restricted marketable securities consisted of foreign and U.S. government obligations. We value our marketable securities and restricted marketable securities using observable inputs that reflect quoted prices for securities with identical characteristics or quoted prices for securities with similar characteristics and other observable inputs (such as interest rates that are observable at commonly quoted intervals). Accordingly, we classify the valuation techniques that use these inputs as either Level 1 or Level 2 depending on the inputs used. We also consider the effect of our counterparties’ credit standing in these fair value measurements. • Derivative Assets and Liabilities . At June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, our derivative assets and liabilities consisted of foreign exchange forward contracts involving major currencies, interest rate swap contracts involving major interest rates, and commodity swap contracts involving major commodity prices. Since our derivative assets and liabilities are not traded on an exchange, we value them using standard industry valuation models. As applicable, these models project future cash flows and discount the amounts to a present value using market-based observable inputs, including interest rate curves, credit risk, foreign exchange rates, forward and spot prices for currencies, and forward prices for commodities. These inputs are observable in active markets over the contract term of the derivative instruments we hold, and accordingly, we classify the valuation techniques as Level 2. In evaluating credit risk, we consider the effect of our counterparties’ and our own credit standing in the fair value measurements of our derivative assets and liabilities, respectively. At June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the fair value measurements of our assets and liabilities measured on a recurring basis were as follows (in thousands): Fair Value Measurements at Reporting June 30, Quoted Prices Significant Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) Assets: Cash equivalents: Money market funds $ 2 $ 2 $ — $ — Marketable securities: Foreign debt 166,612 — 166,612 — U.S. debt 18,917 — 18,917 — Time deposits 232,976 232,976 — — Derivative assets 5,702 — 5,702 — Total assets $ 424,209 $ 232,978 $ 191,231 $ — Liabilities: Derivative liabilities $ 3,553 $ — $ 3,553 $ — Fair Value Measurements at Reporting December 31, Quoted Prices Significant Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) Assets: Cash equivalents: Money market funds $ 2 $ 2 $ — $ — Marketable securities: Foreign debt 214,254 — 214,254 — U.S. debt 14,543 — 14,543 — Time deposits 291,269 291,269 — — Restricted marketable securities 265,280 — 265,280 — Derivative assets 3,315 — 3,315 — Total assets $ 788,663 $ 291,271 $ 497,392 $ — Liabilities: Derivative liabilities $ 5,621 $ — $ 5,621 $ — Fair Value of Financial Instruments At June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the carrying values and fair values of our financial instruments not measured at fair value were as follows (in thousands): June 30, 2021 December 31, 2020 Carrying Fair Carrying Fair Assets: Accounts receivable, unbilled - noncurrent $ 59,034 $ 53,374 $ 22,722 $ 22,096 Liabilities: Long-term debt, including current maturities (1) $ 288,137 $ 294,109 $ 287,149 $ 297,076 —————————— (1) Excludes unamortized discounts and issuance costs. The carrying values in our condensed consolidated balance sheets of our trade accounts receivable, current unbilled accounts receivable, restricted cash, accounts payable, and accrued expenses approximated their fair values due to their nature and relatively short maturities; therefore, we excluded them from the foregoing table. The fair value measurements for our noncurrent unbilled accounts receivable and long-term debt are considered Level 2 measurements under the fair value hierarchy. Credit Risk We have certain financial and derivative instruments that subject us to credit risk. These consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities, accounts receivable, restricted cash, foreign exchange forward contracts, interest rate swap contracts, and commodity swap contracts. We are exposed to credit losses in the event of nonperformance by the counterparties to our financial and derivative instruments. We place these instruments with various high-quality financial institutions and limit the amount of credit risk from any one counterparty. We continuously evaluate the credit standing of our counterparty financial institutions. Our net sales are primarily concentrated among a limited number of customers. We monitor the financial condition of our customers and perform credit evaluations whenever considered necessary. Depending upon the sales arrangement, we may require some form of payment security from our customers, including advance payments, parent guarantees, letters of credit,

9. Debt

9. Debt	6 Months Ended
9. Debt	Jun. 30, 2021
Debt Instruments [Abstract]
Debt	9. Debt Our long-term debt consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): Balance (USD) Loan Agreement Currency June 30, December 31, Revolving Credit Facility USD $ — $ — Luz del Norte Credit Facilities USD 184,546 186,230 Japan Credit Facility JPY 34,184 13,813 Tochigi Credit Facility JPY — 39,400 Kyoto Credit Facility JPY 44,462 47,706 Ikeda Credit Facility JPY 24,945 — Long-term debt principal 288,137 287,149 Less: unamortized discounts and issuance costs (8,814) (7,918) Total long-term debt 279,323 279,231 Less: current portion (3,239) (41,540) Noncurrent portion $ 276,084 $ 237,691 Revolving Credit Facility On June 30, 2021, we terminated our Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Revolving Credit Facility”) with several financial institutions as lenders and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as administrative agent, which was set to mature in July 2022. The Revolving Credit Facility provided us with an aggregate borrowing capacity of $500.0 million. Subject to certain conditions, we had the right to increase the aggregate commitments under the Revolving Credit Facility to $750.0 million. Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility bore interest at (i) London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), adjusted for Eurocurrency reserve requirements, plus a margin of 2.00% or (ii) a base rate as defined in the credit agreement plus a margin of 1.00% depending on the type of borrowing requested. In addition to paying interest on outstanding principal under the Revolving Credit Facility, we paid a commitment fee at a rate of 0.30% per annum, based on the average daily unused commitments under the facility. We also paid a letter of credit fee based on the applicable margin for Eurocurrency revolving loans on the face amount of each letter of credit and a fronting fee of 0.125%. Prior to the termination, we had no borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility and had $3.3 million in issued and outstanding letters of credits, which were moved to a bilateral facility upon such termination. As of December 31, 2020, we had no borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility and had issued $4.3 million of letters of credit using availability under the facility. Luz del Norte Credit Facilities In August 2014, Parque Solar Fotovoltaico Luz del Norte SpA (“Luz del Norte”), our indirect wholly-owned subsidiary and project company, entered into credit facilities (the “Luz del Norte Credit Facilities”) with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (“DFC”) and the International Finance Corporation (“IFC”) to provide limited-recourse senior secured debt financing for the design, development, financing, construction, testing, commissioning, operation, and maintenance of a 141 MW AC PV solar power plant located near Copiapó, Chile. In March 2017, we amended the terms of the DFC and IFC credit facilities. Such amendments (i) allowed for the capitalization of accrued and unpaid interest through March 15, 2017, along with the capitalization of certain future interest payments as variable rate loans under the credit facilities, (ii) allowed for the conversion of certain fixed rate loans to variable rate loans upon scheduled repayment, (iii) extended the maturity of the DFC and IFC loans until June 2037, and (iv) canceled the remaining borrowing capacity under the DFC and IFC credit facilities with the exception of the capitalization of certain future interest payments. As of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the balance outstanding on the DFC loans was $138.2 million and $139.4 million, respectively. As of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the balance outstanding on the IFC loans was $46.3 million and $46.8 million, respectively. The DFC and IFC loans are secured by liens over all of Luz del Norte’s assets and by a pledge of all of the equity interests in the entity. Japan Credit Facility In September 2015, First Solar Japan GK, our wholly-owned subsidiary, entered into a construction loan facility with Mizuho Bank, Ltd. for borrowings up to ¥4.0 billion ($33.4 million) for the development and construction of utility-scale PV solar power plants in Japan (the “Japan Credit Facility”). Borrowings under the facility generally mature within 12 months following the completion of construction activities for each financed project. The facility is guaranteed by First Solar, Inc. and secured by pledges of certain projects’ cash accounts and other rights in the projects. Tochigi Credit Facility In June 2017, First Solar Japan GK, our wholly-owned subsidiary, entered into a term loan facility with Mizuho Bank, Ltd. for borrowings up to ¥7.0 billion ($62.2 million) for the development of utility-scale PV solar power plants in Japan (the “Tochigi Credit Facility”). In March 2021, the credit facility matured and we repaid the remaining $36.8 million principal balance. Kyoto Credit Facility In July 2020, First Solar Japan GK, our wholly-owned subsidiary, entered into a construction loan facility with Mizuho Bank, Ltd. for borrowings up to ¥15.0 billion ($142.8 million), which are intended to be used for the construction of a 38 MW AC PV solar power plant located in Kyoto, Japan (the “Kyoto Credit Facility”). Borrowings under the facility generally mature within 12 months following the completion of construction activities at the project. The facility is guaranteed by First Solar, Inc. and First Solar Japan GK, our wholly-owned subsidiary, and secured by pledges of the project’s cash accounts and certain other assets. Ikeda Credit Facility In March 2021, FS Japan Project B4 GK (“Ikeda”), our indirect wholly-owned subsidiary and project company, entered into a credit agreement (the “Ikeda Credit Facility”) with MUFG Bank, Ltd.; Japan Post Insurance Co., Ltd.; The Shizuoka Bank, Ltd.; The Hyakugo Bank, Ltd.; The Iyo Bank, Ltd.; and The Yamagata Bank, Ltd. for aggregate borrowings up to ¥9.8 billion ($88.6 million) for the development and construction of a 21 MW AC PV solar power plant located in Tochigi, Japan. The credit facility consists of a ¥4.7 billion ($43.1 million) fixed rate term loan facility, a ¥3.8 billion ($34.1 million) variable rate term loan facility, a ¥0.9 billion ($8.2 million) consumption tax facility, and a ¥0.4 billion ($3.2 million) debt service reserve facility. The fixed rate and variable rate term loan facilities mature in April 2040, the consumption tax facility matures in May 2024, and the debt service reserve facility is expected to mature in October 2039. The credit facility is secured by pledges of certain of Ikeda’s assets, accounts, material project documents, and by the equity interests in the entity. Variable Interest Rate Risk Certain of our long-term debt agreements bear interest at LIBOR, TIBOR, or equivalent variable rates. An increase in these variable rates would increase the cost of borrowing under certain project specific debt financings. Our long-term debt borrowing rates as of June 30, 2021 were as follows: Loan Agreement June 30, 2021 Luz del Norte Credit Facilities (1) Fixed rate loans at bank rate plus 3.50% Variable rate loans at 91-Day U.S. Treasury Bill Yield or LIBOR plus 3.50% Japan Credit Facility 1-month TIBOR plus 0.55% Kyoto Credit Facility 1-month TIBOR plus 0.60% Ikeda Credit Facility (2) Fixed rate term loan facility at 1.20% Variable rate term loan facility at 6-month TIBOR plus 0.70% (3) Consumption tax facility at 3-month TIBOR plus 0.50% Debt service reserve facility at 6-month TIBOR plus 1.20% —————————— (1) Outstanding balance comprised of $138.4 million of fixed rate loans and $46.1 million of variable rate loans as of June 30, 2021. (2) Outstanding balance comprised of $12.3 million of fixed rate loans and $12.7 million of variable rate loans as of June 30, 2021. (3) We have entered into an interest rate swap contract to hedge a portion of this variable rate. See Note 6. “Derivative Financial Instruments” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for additional information. Future Principal Payments At June 30, 2021, the future principal payments on our long-term debt were due as follows (in thousands): Total Debt Remainder of 2021 $ 717 2022 38,219 2023 6,692 2024 55,583 2025 8,646 2026 9,125 Thereafter 169,155 Total long-term debt future principal payments $ 288,137

10. Commitments and Contingenci

10. Commitments and Contingencies	6 Months Ended
10. Commitments and Contingencies	Jun. 30, 2021
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	10. Commitments and Contingencies Commercial Commitments During the normal course of business, we enter into commercial commitments in the form of letters of credit and surety bonds to provide financial and performance assurance to third parties. As of June 30, 2021, the majority of these commercial commitments supported our systems projects. As of June 30, 2021, the issued and outstanding amounts and available capacities under these commitments were as follows (in millions): Issued and Outstanding Available Capacity Bilateral facilities (1) $ 38.2 $ 276.8 Surety bonds 13.1 703.7 —————————— (1) Of the total letters of credit issued under the bilateral facilities, $4.5 million was secured with cash. Product Warranties When we recognize revenue for module or system sales, we accrue liabilities for the estimated future costs of meeting our limited warranty obligations for both modules and the balance of the systems. We make and revise these estimates based primarily on the number of solar modules under warranty installed at customer locations, our historical experience with and projections of warranty claims, and our estimated per-module replacement costs. We also monitor our expected future module performance through certain quality and reliability testing and actual performance in certain field installation sites. From time to time, we have taken remediation actions with respect to affected modules beyond our limited warranties and may elect to do so in the future, in which case we would incur additional expenses. Such potential voluntary future remediation actions beyond our limited warranty obligations may be material to our condensed consolidated statements of operations if we commit to any such remediation actions. Product warranty activities during the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 were as follows (in thousands): Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2021 2020 2021 2020 Product warranty liability, beginning of period $ 94,073 $ 124,501 $ 95,096 $ 129,797 Accruals for new warranties issued 4,440 2,183 6,717 4,468 Settlements (2,413) (2,921) (5,639) (9,483) Changes in estimate of product warranty liability (5,042) (569) (5,116) (1,588) Product warranty liability, end of period $ 91,058 $ 123,194 $ 91,058 $ 123,194 Current portion of warranty liability $ 16,846 $ 21,868 $ 16,846 $ 21,868 Noncurrent portion of warranty liability $ 74,212 $ 101,326 $ 74,212 $ 101,326 We estimate our limited product warranty liability for power output and defects in materials and workmanship under normal use and service conditions based on return rates for each series of module technology. In general, we expect the return rates for our Series 6 modules to be lower than our older series, and we estimate that the return rate for such newer series of module technology will be less than 1%. As of June 30, 2021, a 1% increase in the return rate across all series of module technology would increase our product warranty liability by $114.7 million, and a 1% increase in the return rate for balance of systems (“BoS”) parts would not have a material impact on the associated warranty liability. Performance Guarantees As part of our systems business, we conduct performance testing of a system prior to substantial completion to confirm the system meets its operational and capacity expectations noted in the engineering, procurement, and construction (“EPC”) agreement. In addition, we may provide an energy performance test during the first or second year of a system’s operation to demonstrate that the actual energy generation for the applicable period meets or exceeds the modeled energy expectation, after certain adjustments. If there is an underperformance event with regard to these tests, we may incur liquidated damages as specified in the applicable EPC agreement. In certain instances, a bonus payment may be received at the end of the applicable test period if the system performs above a specified level. As of December 31, 2020, we accrued $10.2 million for our estimated obligations under such arrangements, which were classified as “Other current liabilities” in our condensed consolidated balance sheet. Indemnifications In certain limited circumstances, we have provided indemnifications to customers or other parties, including project tax equity investors, under which we are contractually obligated to compensate such parties for losses they suffer resulting from a breach of a representation, warranty, or covenant; a reduction in tax benefits received, including investment tax credits; the resolution of specific matters associated with a project’s development or construction; or guarantees of a third party’s payment or performance obligations. Project related tax benefits are, in part, based on guidance provided by the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Treasury Department, which includes assumptions regarding the fair value of qualifying PV solar power systems. For contracts that have such indemnification provisions, we initially recognize a liability under ASC 460 for the estimated premium that would be required by a guarantor to issue the same indemnity in a standalone arm’s-length transaction with an unrelated party. We may base these estimates on the cost of insurance or other instruments that cover the underlying risks being indemnified and may purchase such instruments to mitigate our exposure to potential indemnification payments. We subsequently measure such liabilities at the greater of the initially estimated premium or the contingent liability required to be recognized under ASC 450. We recognize any indemnification liabilities as a reduction of earnings associated with the related transaction. After an indemnification liability is recorded, we derecognize such amount pursuant to ASC 460 depending on the nature of the indemnity, which derecognition typically occurs upon expiration or settlement of the arrangement, and any contingent aspects of the indemnity are accounted for in accordance with ASC 450. As of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, we accrued $6.0 million and $3.2 million of current indemnification liabilities, respectively. As of June 30, 2021, the maximum potential amount of future payments under our indemnifications was $146.8 million, and we held insurance and other instruments allowing us to recover up to $72.0 million of potential amounts paid under the indemnifications. In September 2017, we made an indemnification payment in connection with the sale of one of our projects following the underpayment of anticipated cash grants by the United States government. In February 2018, the associated project entity commenced legal action against the United States government seeking full payment of the cash grants. In May 2021, the parties reached an agreement, pursuant to which the United States government made a settlement payment to the project entity. Under the terms of the indemnification arrangement, we are entitled to a portion of the settlement payment. Accordingly, during the three months ended June 30, 2021, we recorded revenue of $65.1 million for our portion of the settlement payment. Such amount is included in “Accounts receivable trade” on our condensed consolidated balance sheet as of June 30, 2021. Solar Module Collection and Recycling Liability We previously established a module collection and recycling program, which has since been discontinued, to collect and recycle modules sold and covered under such program once the modules reach the end of their service lives. For legacy customer sales contracts that were covered under this program, we agreed to pay the costs for the collection and recycling of qualifying solar modules, and the end-users agreed to notify us, disassemble their solar power systems, package the solar modules for shipment, and revert ownership rights over the modules back to us at the end of the modules’ service lives. Accordingly, we recorded any collection and recycling obligations within “Cost of sales” at the time of sale based on the estimated cost to collect and recycle the covered solar modules. We estimate the cost of our collection and recycling obligations based on the present value of the expected future cost of collecting and recycling the solar modules, which includes estimates for the cost of packaging materials; the cost of freight from the solar module installation sites to a recycling center; material, labor, and capital costs; and by-product credits for certain materials recovered during the recycling process. We base these estimates on our experience collecting and recycling solar modules and certain assumptions regarding costs at the time the solar modules will be collected and recycled. In the periods between the time of sale and the related settlement of the collection and recycling obligation, we accrete the carrying amount of the associated liability and classify the corresponding expense within “Selling, general and administrative” expense on our condensed consolidated statements of operations. Our module collection and recycling liability was $129.7 million and $130.7 million as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. As of June 30, 2021, a 1% increase in the annualized inflation rate used in our estimated future collection and recycling cost per module would increase the liability by $22.6 million, and a 1% decrease in that rate would decrease the liability by $17.8 million. See Note 4. “Restricted Marketable Securities” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for more information about our arrangements for funding this liability. Legal Proceedings Opt-Out Action First Solar was party to a suit titled Maverick Fund, L.D.C. v. First Solar, Inc., et al., Case No. 2:15-cv-01156-ROS, filed in 2015 in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona (hereafter “Arizona District Court”) by putative stockholders that opted out of a separate class action lawsuit (the “Opt-Out Action”). In July 2020, the parties executed a definitive settlement agreement pursuant to which First Solar agreed to pay a total of $19 million in exchange for mutual releases and a dismissal with prejudice of the Opt-Out Action. The agreement contains no admission of liability, wrongdoing, or responsibility by any of the defendants. On July 30, 2020, First Solar funded the settlement, and on July 31, 2020, the parties filed a joint stipulation of dismissal. On September 10, 2020, the Arizona District Court entered an order dismissing the case with prejudice. As of December 31, 2019, we accrued $13 million of estimated losses for this action. As a result of the settlement, we accrued an incremental $6 million litigation loss during the three months ended June 30, 2020. Other Matters and Claims We are party to legal matters and claims in the normal course of our operations, which are described in Note 13 within our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. While we believe the ultimate outcome of these matters and claims will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows, the outcome of such matters and claims is not determinable with certainty, and negative outcomes may adversely affect us. There have been no material changes to these matters since our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 was filed with the SEC on February 26, 2021.

11. Revenue from Contracts with

11. Revenue from Contracts with Customers	6 Months Ended
11. Revenue from Contracts with Customers	Jun. 30, 2021
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Text Block]	11. Revenue from Contracts with Customers The following table presents the disaggregation of revenue from contracts with customers for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 along with the reportable segment for each category (in thousands): Three Months Ended Six Months Ended Category Segment 2021 2020 2021 2020 Solar modules Modules $ 542,956 $ 371,518 $ 1,077,626 $ 765,199 Solar power systems Systems 73,977 215,474 300,944 305,550 O&M services Systems 4,713 31,701 31,948 61,176 Energy generation (1) Systems 7,457 22,576 22,036 40,549 EPC services Systems 77 1,142 — 2,061 Net sales $ 629,180 $ 642,411 $ 1,432,554 $ 1,174,535 —————————— (1) During the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, the majority of energy generated and sold by our PV solar power systems was accounted for under ASC 840 consistent with the classification of the associated PPAs. We recognize revenue for module sales at a point in time following the transfer of control of the modules to the customer, which typically occurs upon shipment or delivery depending on the terms of the underlying contracts. Such contracts may contain provisions that require us to make liquidated damage payments to the customer if we fail to ship or deliver modules by scheduled dates. We recognize these liquidated damages as a reduction of revenue in the period we transfer control of the modules to the customer. For EPC services, or sales of solar power systems with EPC services, we recognize revenue over time using cost based input methods, in which significant judgment is required to evaluate assumptions including the amount of net contract revenues and the total estimated costs to determine our progress toward contract completion. If the estimated total costs on any contract are greater than the net contract revenues, we recognize the entire estimated loss in the period the loss becomes known. The cumulative effect of revisions to estimates related to net contract revenues or costs to complete contracts are recorded in the period in which the revisions to estimates are identified and the amounts can be reasonably estimated. Changes in estimates for sales of systems and EPC services occur for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to (i) changes in estimates of variable consideration, (ii) construction plan accelerations or delays, (iii) module cost forecast changes, (iv) cost related change orders, or (v) changes in other information used to estimate costs. Changes in estimates may have a material effect on our condensed consolidated statements of operations. The following table outlines the impact on revenue of net changes in estimated transaction prices and input costs for systems related sales contracts (both increases and decreases) for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 as well as the number of projects that comprise such changes. For purposes of the table, we only include projects with changes in estimates that have a net impact on revenue of at least $1.0 million during the periods presented. Also included in the table is the net change in estimate as a percentage of the aggregate revenue for such projects. Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2021 2020 2021 2020 Number of projects 2 5 5 8 Increase (decrease) in revenue from net changes in transaction prices (in thousands) (1) $ 63,395 $ (8,524) $ 65,029 $ (9,435) Decrease in revenue from net changes in input cost estimates (in thousands) — (9,576) — (8,750) Net increase (decrease) in revenue from net changes in estimates (in thousands) $ 63,395 $ (18,100) $ 65,029 $ (18,185) Net change in estimate as a percentage of aggregate revenue 5.3 % (1.3) % 2.8 % (1.0) % —————————— (1) During the three months ended June 30, 2021, we recorded revenue of $65.1 million associated with the settlement of an outstanding indemnification arrangement associated with the sale of one of our projects. See Note 10. “Commitments and Contingencies” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for discussion of our indemnification arrangements. The following table reflects the changes in our contract assets, which we classify as “Accounts receivable, unbilled,” and our contract liabilities, which we classify as “Deferred revenue,” for the six months ended June 30, 2021. As of December 31, 2020, these balances excluded any assets or liabilities classified as held for sale (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Six Month Change Accounts receivable, unbilled (1) $ 73,824 $ 49,395 Allowance for credit losses (194) (303) Accounts receivable, unbilled, net $ 73,630 $ 49,092 $ 24,538 50 % Deferred revenue (2) $ 328,406 $ 233,732 $ 94,674 41 % —————————— (1) Includes $59.2 million and $22.7 million of non-current accounts receivable, unbilled classified as “Other assets” on our condensed consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. (2) Includes $91.2 million and $44.9 million of non-current deferred revenue classified as “Other liabilities” on our condensed consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. During the six months ended June 30, 2021, our contract assets increased by $24.5 million primarily due to unbilled receivables associated with the sale of the Sun Streams 3, Sun Streams 4, and Sun Streams 5 projects in the current period, partially offset by final billings on other project sales. During the six months ended June 30, 2021, our contract liabilities increased by $94.7 million primarily due to advance payments received for sales of solar modules in the current period, including $14.8 million for solar modules associated with the sale of our U.S. project development business described in Note 2. “Sales of Businesses,” partially offset by the recognition of revenue for sales of solar modules for which payment was received in 2020. During the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, we recognized revenue of $111.6 million and $285.9 million, respectively, that was included in the corresponding contract liability balance at the beginning of the periods. As of June 30, 2021, we had entered into contracts with customers for the future sale of 15.4 GW DC of solar modules for an aggregate transaction price of $4.4 billion. We expect to recognize such amounts as revenue through 2024 as we transfer control of the modules to the customers. While our contracts with customers typically represent firm purchase commitments, these contracts may be subject to amendments made by us or requested by our customers. These amendments may increase or decrease the volume of modules to be sold under the contract, change delivery schedules, or otherwise adjust the expected revenue under these contracts.

12. Share-Based Compensation

12. Share-Based Compensation	6 Months Ended
12. Share-Based Compensation	Jun. 30, 2021
Share-based Payment Arrangement, Expensed and Capitalized, Amount [Abstract]
Share-Based Compensation	12. Share-Based Compensation The following table presents share-based compensation expense recognized in our condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands): Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2021 2020 2021 2020 Cost of sales (1) $ 173 $ 243 $ 81 $ 1,455 Selling, general and administrative (1) 4,737 3,052 9,252 7,761 Research and development (2) 520 481 (788) 1,764 Total share-based compensation expense $ 5,430 $ 3,776 $ 8,545 $ 10,980 —————————— (1) On March 31, 2021, we completed the sales of our North American O&M operations and U.S. project development business, which resulted in the forfeiture of unvested shares for associates (our term for full and part-time employees) departing the Company as part of the transactions. See Note 2. “Sales of Businesses” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for further information related to these transactions. (2) Effective March 15, 2021, our former Chief Technology Officer retired from the Company, which resulted in the forfeiture of his unvested shares during the six months ended June 30, 2021. Share-based compensation expense capitalized in inventory, project assets, and PV solar power systems was $0.7 million as of June 30, 2021 and $1.1 million as of December 31, 2020. As of June 30, 2021, we had $30.3 million of unrecognized share-based compensation expense related to unvested restricted and performance units, which we expect to recognize over a weighted-average period of approximately 1.6 years. In April 2018, the compensation committee of our board of directors (“the Board”) approved a long-term incentive program for key executive officers and associates. The program was intended to incentivize retention of our key executive talent and align the interest of executive management and stockholders. The program consisted of performance units to be earned over an approximately three-year performance period, which ended in December 2020. Vesting of the 2018 grants of performance units was contingent upon the relative attainment of target gross margin, operating expense, and contracted revenue metrics. In February 2021, the compensation committee certified the achievement of the vesting conditions applicable to the grants, which approximated the target level of performance. Accordingly, each participant received one share of common stock for each vested performance unit, net of any tax withholdings. In July 2019, the compensation committee approved additional grants of performance units for key executive officers. Such grants are expected to be earned over a multi-year performance period ending in December 2021. Vesting of the 2019 grants of performance units is contingent upon the relative attainment of target cost per watt, module wattage, gross profit, and operating income metrics. In March 2020, the compensation committee approved additional grants of performance units for key executive officers. Such grants are expected to be earned over a multi-year performance period ending in December 2022. Vesting of the 2020 grants of performance units is contingent upon the relative attainment of target contracted revenue, module wattage, and return on capital metrics. In May 2021, the compensation committee approved additional grants of performance units for key executive officers. Such grants are expected to be earned over a multi-year performance period ending in December 2023. Vesting of the 2021 grants of performance units is contingent upon the relative attainment of target contracted revenue, cost per watt, incremental average selling price, and operating income metrics. Vesting of performance units is also contingent upon the employment of program participants through the applicable vesting dates, with limited exceptions in case of death, disability, a qualifying retirement, or a change-in-control of First Solar. Outstanding performance units are included in the computation of diluted net income per share based on the number of shares that would be issuable if the end of the reporting period were the end of the contingency period.

13. Income Taxes

13. Income Taxes	6 Months Ended
13. Income Taxes	Jun. 30, 2021
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	13. Income Taxes In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (the “CARES Act”) was signed into law. The CARES Act includes a number of federal corporate tax relief provisions that are intended to support the ongoing liquidity of U.S. corporations. Among other provisions, the CARES Act allows net operating losses incurred in 2018, 2019, and 2020 to be carried back to each of the five preceding taxable years. Because changes in tax law are accounted for in the period of enactment, the retroactive effects of such changes were accounted for as a discrete item in the prior period. As a result of the CARES Act, we expect to carry back our 2019 and 2020 net operating losses to our 2016 U.S. corporate income tax return, which will restore certain foreign tax credits we expect to utilize by amending our 2017 and 2018 U.S. corporate income tax returns. Such amended returns will restore other general business credits we expect to utilize in future tax years before the credits expire and eliminate the transition tax liability for accumulated earnings of foreign subsidiaries resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Our effective tax rate was 19% and (163)% for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The increase in our effective tax rate was primarily driven by a discrete tax benefit in the prior year associated with the net operating loss carryback provisions of the CARES Act described above and the relative size of our pretax income in the prior period. Our provision for income taxes differed from the amount computed by applying the U.S. statutory federal income tax rate of 21% primarily due to the beneficial impact of the Malaysian tax holiday and Vietnamese tax incentive. Our Malaysian subsidiary has been granted a long-term tax holiday that expires in 2027. The tax holiday, which generally provides for a full exemption from Malaysian income tax, is conditional upon our continued compliance with certain employment and investment thresholds, which we are currently in compliance with and expect to continue to comply with through the expiration of the tax holiday in 2027. In addition, our Vietnamese subsidiary has been granted a tax incentive that provides a two-year tax exemption, which began in 2020, and reduced tax rates through the end of 2025. We account for uncertain tax positions pursuant to the recognition and measurement criteria under ASC 740. It is reasonably possible that $0.4 million of uncertain tax positions will be recognized within the next 12 months due to the expiration of the statute of limitations associated with such positions. We are subject to audit by federal, state, local, and foreign tax authorities. We are currently under examination in India, Malaysia, and the state of California. We believe that adequate provisions have been made for any adjustments that may result from tax examinations. However, the outcome of tax examinations cannot be predicted with certainty. If any issues addressed by our tax examinations are not resolved in a manner consistent with our expectations, we could be required to adjust our provision for income taxes in the period such resolution occurs.

14. Net Income Per Share

14. Net Income Per Share	6 Months Ended
14. Net Income Per Share	Jun. 30, 2021
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net Income per Share	14. Net Income per Share The calculation of basic and diluted net income per share for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 was as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts): Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2021 2020 2021 2020 Basic net income per share Numerator: Net income $ 82,449 $ 36,911 $ 292,120 $ 127,615 Denominator: Weighted-average common shares outstanding 106,313 105,927 106,201 105,761 Diluted net income per share Denominator: Weighted-average common shares outstanding 106,313 105,927 106,201 105,761 Effect of restricted and performance units and stock purchase plan shares 523 546 665 668 Weighted-average shares used in computing diluted net income per share 106,836 106,473 106,866 106,429 Net income per share: Basic $ 0.78 $ 0.35 $ 2.75 $ 1.21 Diluted $ 0.77 $ 0.35 $ 2.73 $ 1.20 There were no anti-dilutive common shares for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020.

15. Accumulated Other Comprehen

15. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	6 Months Ended
15. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Jun. 30, 2021
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	15. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss The following table presents the changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax, for the six months ended June 30, 2021 (in thousands): Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Marketable Securities and Restricted Marketable Securities Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivative Instruments Total Balance as of December 31, 2020 $ (76,239) $ 16,630 $ (2,117) $ (61,726) Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications (9,901) (5,866) 3,149 (12,618) Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss 475 (11,696) 1,715 (9,506) Net tax effect — 1,087 (698) 389 Net other comprehensive (loss) income (9,426) (16,475) 4,166 (21,735) Balance as of June 30, 2021 $ (85,665) $ 155 $ 2,049 $ (83,461) The following table presents the pretax amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss into our condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands): Comprehensive Income Components Income Statement Line Item Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2021 2020 2021 2020 Foreign currency translation adjustment Other (expense) income, net $ — $ — $ (475) $ — Unrealized gain on marketable securities and restricted marketable securities Other (expense) income, net — 249 11,696 15,337 Unrealized (loss) gain on derivative contracts: Foreign exchange forward contracts Cost of sales (799) (106) (1,928) (313) Commodity swap contracts Cost of sales 220 — 213 — Total unrealized loss on derivative contracts (579) (106) (1,715) (313) Total (loss) gain reclassified $ (579) $ 143 $ 9,506 $ 15,024

16. Segment Reporting

16. Segment Reporting	6 Months Ended
16. Segment Reporting	Jun. 30, 2021
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment Reporting	16. Segment Reporting We operate our business in two segments. Our modules segment involves the design, manufacture, and sale of cadmium telluride (“CdTe”) solar modules, which convert sunlight into electricity. Third-party customers of our modules segment include integrators and operators of PV solar power systems. Our second segment is our systems segment, through which we provide power plant solutions in certain markets, which include (i) project development, (ii) EPC services, and (iii) O&M services. We may provide any combination of individual products and services within such capabilities (including, with respect to EPC services, by contracting with third parties) depending upon the customer and market opportunity. Our systems segment customers include utilities, independent power producers, commercial and industrial companies, and other system owners. From time to time, we may temporarily own and operate, or retain interests in, certain of our systems for a period of time based on strategic opportunities or market factors. See Note 20. “Segment and Geographical Information” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 for additional discussion of our segment reporting. The following tables present certain financial information for our reportable segments for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 and as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): Three Months Ended June 30, 2021 Three Months Ended June 30, 2020 Modules Systems Total Modules Systems Total Net sales $ 542,956 $ 86,224 $ 629,180 $ 371,518 $ 270,893 $ 642,411 Gross profit 109,347 64,771 174,118 79,941 57,519 137,460 Depreciation and amortization expense 56,688 3,051 59,739 44,719 6,237 50,956 Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 Modules Systems Total Modules Systems Total Net sales $ 1,077,626 $ 354,928 $ 1,432,554 $ 765,199 $ 409,336 $ 1,174,535 Gross profit 209,787 149,098 358,885 155,293 72,505 227,798 Depreciation and amortization expense 107,412 6,148 113,560 89,392 12,495 101,887 June 30, 2021 December 31, 2020 Modules Systems Total Modules Systems Total Goodwill $ 14,462 $ — $ 14,462 $ 14,462 $ — $ 14,462

3. Cash, Cash Equivalents, an_2

3. Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Marketable Securities (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Short-term Investments [Abstract]
Schedule of Cash, Cash Equivalent, and Marketable Securities	Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Cash and cash equivalents: Cash $ 1,346,886 $ 1,227,000 Money market funds 2 2 Total cash and cash equivalents 1,346,888 1,227,002 Marketable securities: Foreign debt 166,612 214,254 U.S. debt 18,917 14,543 Time deposits 232,976 291,269 Total marketable securities 418,505 520,066 Total cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities $ 1,765,393 $ 1,747,068
Reconciliation of Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash	The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within our condensed consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 to the total of such amounts as presented in the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows (in thousands): Balance Sheet Line Item June 30, December 31, Cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,346,888 $ 1,227,002 Restricted cash – current Prepaid expenses and other current assets 864 1,745 Restricted cash – noncurrent Other assets 285,517 44,847 Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash $ 1,633,269 $ 1,273,594
Available-for-sale Marketable Securities	The following tables summarize the unrealized gains and losses related to our available-for-sale marketable securities, by major security type, as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): As of June 30, 2021 Amortized Unrealized Unrealized Allowance for Credit Losses Fair Foreign debt $ 166,377 $ 242 $ 4 $ 3 $ 166,612 U.S. debt 19,015 19 115 2 18,917 Time deposits 233,058 — — 82 232,976 Total $ 418,450 $ 261 $ 119 $ 87 $ 418,505 As of December 31, 2020 Amortized Unrealized Unrealized Allowance for Credit Losses Fair Foreign debt $ 213,949 $ 367 $ 46 $ 16 $ 214,254 U.S. debt 14,521 22 — — 14,543 Time deposits 291,374 — — 105 291,269 Total $ 519,844 $ 389 $ 46 $ 121 $ 520,066
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss	The following table presents the change in the allowance for credit losses related to our available-for-sale marketable securities for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands): Six Months Ended 2021 2020 Allowance for credit losses, beginning of period $ 121 $ — Cumulative-effect adjustment for the adoption of ASU 2016-13 — 207 Provision for credit losses, net 201 204 Sales and maturities of marketable securities (235) (287) Allowance for credit losses, end of period $ 87 $ 124
Available-for-sale Marketable Securities by Maturity	The contractual maturities of our marketable securities as of June 30, 2021 were as follows (in thousands): Fair One year or less $ 356,279 One year to two years 52,343 Two years to three years — Three years to four years — Four years to five years 4,974 More than five years 4,909 Total $ 418,505

4. Restricted Marketable Secu_2

4. Restricted Marketable Securities (Tables)	6 Months Ended
4. Restricted Marketable Securities (Tables)	Jun. 30, 2021
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Restricted [Abstract]
Schedule of Restricted Marketable Securities	Restricted marketable securities consisted of the following as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Foreign government obligations $ — $ 149,700 U.S. government obligations — 115,580 Total restricted marketable securities $ — $ 265,280
Restricted Available-for-sale Marketable Securities	The following table summarizes the unrealized gains and losses related to our restricted marketable securities, by major security type, as of December 31, 2020 (in thousands): As of December 31, 2020 Amortized Unrealized Unrealized Allowance for Credit Losses Fair Foreign government obligations $ 131,980 $ 17,720 $ — $ — $ 149,700 U.S. government obligations 115,648 133 188 13 115,580 Total $ 247,628 $ 17,853 $ 188 $ 13 $ 265,280
Restricted Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss	The following table presents the change in the allowance for credit losses related to our restricted marketable securities for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands): Six Months Ended 2021 2020 Allowance for credit losses, beginning of period $ 13 $ — Cumulative-effect adjustment for the adoption of ASU 2016-13 — 54 Provision for credit losses, net 16 (29) Sales of restricted marketable securities (29) (25) Allowance for credit losses, end of period $ — $ —

5. Consolidated Balance Sheet_2

5. Consolidated Balance Sheet Details (Tables)	6 Months Ended
5. Consolidated Balance Sheet Details (Tables)	Jun. 30, 2021
Balance Sheet Related Disclosures [Abstract]
Schedule of Accounts Receivable	Accounts receivable trade, net Accounts receivable trade, net consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Accounts receivable trade, gross $ 585,507 $ 269,095 Allowance for credit losses (2,479) (3,009) Accounts receivable trade, net $ 583,028 $ 266,086 At June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, $59.0 million and $24.4 million, respectively, of our trade accounts receivable were secured by letters of credit and surety bonds issued by creditworthy financial institutions. Accounts receivable, unbilled, net Accounts receivable, unbilled, net consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Accounts receivable, unbilled $ 14,633 $ 26,673 Allowance for credit losses (37) (303) Accounts receivable, unbilled, net $ 14,596 $ 26,370
Schedule of Allowance for Credit Loss	The following tables present the change in the allowances for credit losses related to our accounts receivable for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands): Six Months Ended Accounts receivable, trade 2021 2020 Allowance for credit losses, beginning of period $ 3,009 $ 1,386 Cumulative-effect adjustment for the adoption of ASU 2016-13 — 171 Provision for credit losses, net (433) 2,235 Writeoffs (97) (458) Allowance for credit losses, end of period $ 2,479 $ 3,334 Six Months Ended Accounts receivable, unbilled 2021 2020 Allowance for credit losses, beginning of period $ 303 $ — Cumulative-effect adjustment for the adoption of ASU 2016-13 — 459 Provision for credit losses, net (266) 275 Allowance for credit losses, end of period $ 37 $ 734
Schedule of Inventories, Current and Noncurrent	Inventories consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Raw materials $ 333,010 $ 292,334 Work in process 60,837 64,709 Finished goods 435,929 411,773 Inventories $ 829,776 $ 768,816 Inventories – current $ 603,057 $ 567,587 Inventories – noncurrent $ 226,719 $ 201,229
Schedule of Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets	Prepaid expenses and other current assets consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Prepaid expenses $ 169,879 $ 160,534 Derivative instruments (1) 5,702 3,315 Restricted cash 864 1,745 Prepaid income taxes 633 71,051 Other current assets 12,324 15,094 Prepaid expenses and other current assets $ 189,402 $ 251,739 —————————— (1) See Note 6. “Derivative Financial Instruments” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for discussion of our derivative instruments.
Schedule of Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	Property, plant and equipment, net consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Land $ 14,404 $ 14,498 Buildings and improvements 692,865 693,762 Machinery and equipment 2,441,410 2,184,236 Office equipment and furniture 140,791 143,685 Leasehold improvements 42,079 41,459 Construction in progress 186,165 419,766 Property, plant and equipment, gross 3,517,714 3,497,406 Accumulated depreciation (1,121,073) (1,095,121) Property, plant and equipment, net $ 2,396,641 $ 2,402,285
Schedule of PV Solar Power Systems, Net	PV solar power systems, net consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, PV solar power systems, gross $ 291,886 $ 298,067 Accumulated depreciation (58,516) (54,671) PV solar power systems, net $ 233,370 $ 243,396
Schedule of Project Assets	Project assets consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Project assets – development costs, including project acquisition and land costs $ 132,794 $ 176,346 Project assets – construction costs 178,022 197,031 Project assets $ 310,816 $ 373,377
Schedule of Other Assets, Noncurrent	Other assets consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Restricted cash $ 285,517 $ 44,847 Operating lease assets (1) 217,630 226,664 Advanced payments for raw materials 93,364 97,883 Accounts receivable, unbilled, net 59,034 22,722 Income tax receivables 39,888 36 Indirect tax receivables 21,601 14,849 Other 35,836 27,129 Other assets $ 752,870 $ 434,130 —————————— (1) See Note 7. “Leases” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for discussion of our lease arrangements.
Schedule of Goodwill	Goodwill for the relevant reporting unit consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): December 31, Acquisitions (Impairments) June 30, Modules $ 407,827 $ — $ 407,827 Accumulated impairment losses (393,365) — (393,365) Goodwill $ 14,462 $ — $ 14,462
Schedule of Intangible Assets, Net	The following tables summarize our intangible assets at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, 2021 Gross Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Amount Developed technology $ 99,964 $ (57,050) $ 42,914 Power purchase agreements 6,486 (1,458) 5,028 Patents 8,173 (5,446) 2,727 Intangible assets, net $ 114,623 $ (63,954) $ 50,669 December 31, 2020 Gross Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Amount Developed technology $ 99,964 $ (52,115) $ 47,849 Power purchase agreements 6,486 (1,296) 5,190 Patents 8,173 (5,074) 3,099 Intangible assets, net $ 114,623 $ (58,485) $ 56,138
Schedule of Accrued Expenses	Accrued expenses consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Accrued project costs $ 44,677 $ 81,380 Accrued freight 41,130 26,580 Accrued inventory 30,678 25,704 Accrued property, plant and equipment 24,129 66,543 Accrued compensation and benefits 23,432 51,685 Product warranty liability (1) 16,846 22,278 Other 35,664 36,297 Accrued expenses $ 216,556 $ 310,467 —————————— (1) See Note 10. “Commitments and Contingencies” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for discussion of our “Product Warranties.”
Schedule of Other Current Liabilities	Other current liabilities consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Operating lease liabilities (1) 13,217 14,006 Derivative instruments (2) 2,852 5,280 Other taxes payable 2,138 30,041 Other 15,680 33,710 Other current liabilities $ 33,887 $ 83,037 —————————— (1) See Note 7. “Leases” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for discussion of our lease arrangements. (2) See Note 6. “Derivative Financial Instruments” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for discussion of our derivative instruments.
Schedule of Other Liabilities	Other liabilities consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Operating lease liabilities (1) $ 175,759 $ 189,034 Deferred revenue 91,162 44,919 Product warranty liability (2) 74,212 72,818 Deferred tax liabilities, net 14,611 23,671 Other 42,361 41,784 Other liabilities $ 398,105 $ 372,226 —————————— (1) See Note 7. “Leases” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for discussion of our lease arrangements. (2) See Note 10. “Commitments and Contingencies” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for discussion of our “Product Warranties.”

6. Derivative Financial Instr_2

6. Derivative Financial Instruments (Tables)	6 Months Ended
6. Derivative Financial Instruments (Tables)	Jun. 30, 2021
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Derivative Instruments in Statement of Financial Position, Fair Value	The following tables present the fair values of derivative instruments included in our condensed consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): June 30, 2021 Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets Other Current Liabilities Other Liabilities Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: Foreign exchange forward contracts $ 215 $ 147 $ 10 Commodity swap contracts 2,120 — — Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments $ 2,335 $ 147 $ 10 Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: Foreign exchange forward contracts $ 3,367 $ 2,705 $ — Interest rate swap contracts — — 691 Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments $ 3,367 $ 2,705 $ 691 Total derivative instruments $ 5,702 $ 2,852 $ 701 December 31, 2020 Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets Other Current Liabilities Other Liabilities Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: Foreign exchange forward contracts $ — $ 2,504 $ 341 Commodity swap contracts 1,478 — — Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments $ 1,478 $ 2,504 $ 341 Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments: Foreign exchange forward contracts $ 1,837 $ 2,776 $ — Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments $ 1,837 $ 2,776 $ — Total derivative instruments $ 3,315 $ 5,280 $ 341
Schedule of Derivative Instruments, Effect on Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Table Text Block]	The following table presents the pretax amounts related to derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges affecting accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and our condensed consolidated statements of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands): Foreign Exchange Forward Contracts Commodity Swap Contracts Total Balance as of December 31, 2020 $ (3,644) $ 1,472 $ (2,172) Amounts recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) 1,618 1,531 3,149 Amounts reclassified to earnings impacting: Cost of sales 1,928 (213) 1,715 Balance as of June 30, 2021 $ (98) $ 2,790 $ 2,692 Balance as of December 31, 2019 $ (962) $ — $ (962) Amounts recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) (141) — (141) Amounts reclassified to earnings impacting: Cost of sales 313 — 313 Balance as of June 30, 2020 $ (790) $ — $ (790)
Schedule of Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Table Text Block]	The following table presents gains and losses related to derivative instruments not designated as hedges affecting our condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands): Amount of Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income Three Months Ended Six Months Ended Income Statement Line Item 2021 2020 2021 2020 Foreign exchange forward contracts Cost of sales $ (446) $ 16 $ (277) $ 122 Foreign exchange forward contracts Foreign currency loss, net (1,277) 468 9,019 193 Interest rate swap contracts Interest expense, net (691) 1,023 (691) (1,381)
Schedule of Notional Amounts of Outstanding Derivative Positions [Table Text Block]	As of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the notional values associated with our foreign exchange forward contracts qualifying as cash flow hedges were as follows (notional amounts and U.S. dollar equivalents in millions): June 30, 2021 Currency Notional Amount USD Equivalent U.S. dollar (1) $16.1 $16.1 December 31, 2020 Currency Notional Amount USD Equivalent U.S. dollar (1) $43.4 $43.4 —————————— (1) These derivative instruments represent hedges of outstanding payables denominated in U.S. dollars at certain of our foreign subsidiaries whose functional currencies are other than the U.S. dollar.
Schedule of Notional Value of Foreign Exchange Forward Derivatives [Table Text Block]	As of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the notional values of our foreign exchange forward contracts that do not qualify for hedge accounting were as follows (notional amounts and U.S. dollar equivalents in millions): June 30, 2021 Transaction Currency Notional Amount USD Equivalent Purchase Australian dollar AUD 3.2 $2.4 Purchase Brazilian real BRL 2.6 $0.5 Sell Chilean peso CLP 3,358.2 $4.6 Purchase Euro €84.4 $100.4 Sell Euro €114.7 $136.4 Sell Indian rupee INR 356.8 $4.8 Sell Japanese yen ¥22,320.0 $201.9 Purchase Malaysian ringgit MYR 35.7 $8.6 Sell Malaysian ringgit MYR 28.3 $6.8 Sell Mexican peso MXN 34.6 $1.7 Purchase Singapore dollar SGD 5.5 $4.1 December 31, 2020 Transaction Currency Notional Amount USD Equivalent Purchase Australian dollar AUD 3.2 $2.5 Purchase Brazilian real BRL 2.6 $0.5 Sell Canadian dollar CAD 8.9 $7.0 Purchase Chilean peso CLP 2,006.0 $2.8 Sell Chilean peso CLP 4,476.7 $6.3 Purchase Euro €140.0 $172.1 Sell Euro €63.6 $78.2 Sell Indian rupee INR 619.2 $8.4 Purchase Japanese yen ¥1,593.7 $15.5 Sell Japanese yen ¥20,656.6 $200.5 Purchase Malaysian ringgit MYR 69.3 $17.2 Sell Malaysian ringgit MYR 24.9 $6.2 Sell Mexican peso MXN 34.6 $1.7 Purchase Singapore dollar SGD 2.9 $2.2

7. Leases (Tables)

7. Leases (Tables)	6 Months Ended
7. Leases (Tables)	Jun. 30, 2021
Leases [Abstract]
Schedule of operating lease cost and related information	The following table presents certain quantitative information related to our lease arrangements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, and as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2021 2020 2021 2020 Operating lease cost $ 4,516 $ 4,718 $ 8,549 $ 8,896 Variable lease cost 462 625 1,000 1,291 Short-term lease cost 236 744 607 1,705 Total lease cost $ 5,214 $ 6,087 $ 10,156 $ 11,892 Payments of amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities $ 13,122 $ 11,770 Lease assets obtained in exchange for operating lease liabilities $ 17,909 $ 93,425 June 30, December 31, Operating lease assets $ 217,630 $ 226,664 Operating lease liabilities – current 13,217 14,006 Operating lease liabilities – noncurrent 175,759 189,034 Weighted-average remaining lease term 20 years 20 years Weighted-average discount rate 2.6 % 2.9 %
Operating lease liability maturity	As of June 30, 2021, the future payments associated with our lease liabilities were as follows (in thousands): Total Lease Liabilities Remainder of 2021 $ 6,552 2022 16,979 2023 17,065 2024 16,602 2025 15,973 2026 14,522 Thereafter 138,816 Total future payments 226,509 Less: interest (37,533) Total lease liabilities $ 188,976

8. Fair Value Measurements (Tab

8. Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	6 Months Ended
8. Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	Jun. 30, 2021
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair value of assets and liabilities measured on a recurring basis	At June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the fair value measurements of our assets and liabilities measured on a recurring basis were as follows (in thousands): Fair Value Measurements at Reporting June 30, Quoted Prices Significant Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) Assets: Cash equivalents: Money market funds $ 2 $ 2 $ — $ — Marketable securities: Foreign debt 166,612 — 166,612 — U.S. debt 18,917 — 18,917 — Time deposits 232,976 232,976 — — Derivative assets 5,702 — 5,702 — Total assets $ 424,209 $ 232,978 $ 191,231 $ — Liabilities: Derivative liabilities $ 3,553 $ — $ 3,553 $ — Fair Value Measurements at Reporting December 31, Quoted Prices Significant Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) Assets: Cash equivalents: Money market funds $ 2 $ 2 $ — $ — Marketable securities: Foreign debt 214,254 — 214,254 — U.S. debt 14,543 — 14,543 — Time deposits 291,269 291,269 — — Restricted marketable securities 265,280 — 265,280 — Derivative assets 3,315 — 3,315 — Total assets $ 788,663 $ 291,271 $ 497,392 $ — Liabilities: Derivative liabilities $ 5,621 $ — $ 5,621 $ —
Carrying value and fair value of financial instruments not measured at fair value	At June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the carrying values and fair values of our financial instruments not measured at fair value were as follows (in thousands): June 30, 2021 December 31, 2020 Carrying Fair Carrying Fair Assets: Accounts receivable, unbilled - noncurrent $ 59,034 $ 53,374 $ 22,722 $ 22,096 Liabilities: Long-term debt, including current maturities (1) $ 288,137 $ 294,109 $ 287,149 $ 297,076 —————————— (1) Excludes unamortized discounts and issuance costs.

9. Debt (Tables)

9. Debt (Tables)	6 Months Ended
9. Debt (Tables)	Jun. 30, 2021
Debt Instruments [Abstract]
Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments	Our long-term debt consisted of the following at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): Balance (USD) Loan Agreement Currency June 30, December 31, Revolving Credit Facility USD $ — $ — Luz del Norte Credit Facilities USD 184,546 186,230 Japan Credit Facility JPY 34,184 13,813 Tochigi Credit Facility JPY — 39,400 Kyoto Credit Facility JPY 44,462 47,706 Ikeda Credit Facility JPY 24,945 — Long-term debt principal 288,137 287,149 Less: unamortized discounts and issuance costs (8,814) (7,918) Total long-term debt 279,323 279,231 Less: current portion (3,239) (41,540) Noncurrent portion $ 276,084 $ 237,691
Schedule of Borrowing Rate on Debt	Our long-term debt borrowing rates as of June 30, 2021 were as follows: Loan Agreement June 30, 2021 Luz del Norte Credit Facilities (1) Fixed rate loans at bank rate plus 3.50% Variable rate loans at 91-Day U.S. Treasury Bill Yield or LIBOR plus 3.50% Japan Credit Facility 1-month TIBOR plus 0.55% Kyoto Credit Facility 1-month TIBOR plus 0.60% Ikeda Credit Facility (2) Fixed rate term loan facility at 1.20% Variable rate term loan facility at 6-month TIBOR plus 0.70% (3) Consumption tax facility at 3-month TIBOR plus 0.50% Debt service reserve facility at 6-month TIBOR plus 1.20% —————————— (1) Outstanding balance comprised of $138.4 million of fixed rate loans and $46.1 million of variable rate loans as of June 30, 2021. (2) Outstanding balance comprised of $12.3 million of fixed rate loans and $12.7 million of variable rate loans as of June 30, 2021. (3) We have entered into an interest rate swap contract to hedge a portion of this variable rate. See Note 6. “Derivative Financial Instruments” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for additional information.
Schedule of Maturities of Long-term Debt	At June 30, 2021, the future principal payments on our long-term debt were due as follows (in thousands): Total Debt Remainder of 2021 $ 717 2022 38,219 2023 6,692 2024 55,583 2025 8,646 2026 9,125 Thereafter 169,155 Total long-term debt future principal payments $ 288,137

10. Commitments and Contingen_2

10. Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)	6 Months Ended
10. Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)	Jun. 30, 2021
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Product Warranty Liability	Product warranty activities during the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 were as follows (in thousands): Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2021 2020 2021 2020 Product warranty liability, beginning of period $ 94,073 $ 124,501 $ 95,096 $ 129,797 Accruals for new warranties issued 4,440 2,183 6,717 4,468 Settlements (2,413) (2,921) (5,639) (9,483) Changes in estimate of product warranty liability (5,042) (569) (5,116) (1,588) Product warranty liability, end of period $ 91,058 $ 123,194 $ 91,058 $ 123,194 Current portion of warranty liability $ 16,846 $ 21,868 $ 16,846 $ 21,868 Noncurrent portion of warranty liability $ 74,212 $ 101,326 $ 74,212 $ 101,326

11. Revenue from Contracts wi_2

11. Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Tables)	6 Months Ended
11. Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Tables)	Jun. 30, 2021
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Disaggregation of Revenue, by Type of Revenue [Table Text Block]	The following table presents the disaggregation of revenue from contracts with customers for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 along with the reportable segment for each category (in thousands): Three Months Ended Six Months Ended Category Segment 2021 2020 2021 2020 Solar modules Modules $ 542,956 $ 371,518 $ 1,077,626 $ 765,199 Solar power systems Systems 73,977 215,474 300,944 305,550 O&M services Systems 4,713 31,701 31,948 61,176 Energy generation (1) Systems 7,457 22,576 22,036 40,549 EPC services Systems 77 1,142 — 2,061 Net sales $ 629,180 $ 642,411 $ 1,432,554 $ 1,174,535 —————————— (1) During the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, the majority of energy generated and sold by our PV solar power systems was accounted for under ASC 840 consistent with the classification of the associated PPAs.
Changes in Estimates Systems Business [Table Text Block]	The following table outlines the impact on revenue of net changes in estimated transaction prices and input costs for systems related sales contracts (both increases and decreases) for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 as well as the number of projects that comprise such changes. For purposes of the table, we only include projects with changes in estimates that have a net impact on revenue of at least $1.0 million during the periods presented. Also included in the table is the net change in estimate as a percentage of the aggregate revenue for such projects. Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2021 2020 2021 2020 Number of projects 2 5 5 8 Increase (decrease) in revenue from net changes in transaction prices (in thousands) (1) $ 63,395 $ (8,524) $ 65,029 $ (9,435) Decrease in revenue from net changes in input cost estimates (in thousands) — (9,576) — (8,750) Net increase (decrease) in revenue from net changes in estimates (in thousands) $ 63,395 $ (18,100) $ 65,029 $ (18,185) Net change in estimate as a percentage of aggregate revenue 5.3 % (1.3) % 2.8 % (1.0) %
Changes in Contract Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]	The following table reflects the changes in our contract assets, which we classify as “Accounts receivable, unbilled,” and our contract liabilities, which we classify as “Deferred revenue,” for the six months ended June 30, 2021. As of December 31, 2020, these balances excluded any assets or liabilities classified as held for sale (in thousands): June 30, December 31, Six Month Change Accounts receivable, unbilled (1) $ 73,824 $ 49,395 Allowance for credit losses (194) (303) Accounts receivable, unbilled, net $ 73,630 $ 49,092 $ 24,538 50 % Deferred revenue (2) $ 328,406 $ 233,732 $ 94,674 41 % —————————— (1) Includes $59.2 million and $22.7 million of non-current accounts receivable, unbilled classified as “Other assets” on our condensed consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. (2) Includes $91.2 million and $44.9 million of non-current deferred revenue classified as “Other liabilities” on our condensed consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.

12. Share-Based Compensation (T

12. Share-Based Compensation (Tables)	6 Months Ended
12. Share-Based Compensation (Tables)	Jun. 30, 2021
Share-based Payment Arrangement, Expensed and Capitalized, Amount [Abstract]
Share-based Payment Arrangement, Expensed and Capitalized, Amount [Table Text Block]	The following table presents share-based compensation expense recognized in our condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands): Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2021 2020 2021 2020 Cost of sales (1) $ 173 $ 243 $ 81 $ 1,455 Selling, general and administrative (1) 4,737 3,052 9,252 7,761 Research and development (2) 520 481 (788) 1,764 Total share-based compensation expense $ 5,430 $ 3,776 $ 8,545 $ 10,980 —————————— (1) On March 31, 2021, we completed the sales of our North American O&M operations and U.S. project development business, which resulted in the forfeiture of unvested shares for associates (our term for full and part-time employees) departing the Company as part of the transactions. See Note 2. “Sales of Businesses” to our condensed consolidated financial statements for further information related to these transactions. (2) Effective March 15, 2021, our former Chief Technology Officer retired from the Company, which resulted in the forfeiture of his unvested shares during the six months ended June 30, 2021.

14. Net Income Per Share (Table

14. Net Income Per Share (Tables)	6 Months Ended
14. Net Income Per Share (Tables)	Jun. 30, 2021
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Net Income Per Share, Basic and Diluted	The calculation of basic and diluted net income per share for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 was as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts): Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2021 2020 2021 2020 Basic net income per share Numerator: Net income $ 82,449 $ 36,911 $ 292,120 $ 127,615 Denominator: Weighted-average common shares outstanding 106,313 105,927 106,201 105,761 Diluted net income per share Denominator: Weighted-average common shares outstanding 106,313 105,927 106,201 105,761 Effect of restricted and performance units and stock purchase plan shares 523 546 665 668 Weighted-average shares used in computing diluted net income per share 106,836 106,473 106,866 106,429 Net income per share: Basic $ 0.78 $ 0.35 $ 2.75 $ 1.21 Diluted $ 0.77 $ 0.35 $ 2.73 $ 1.20

15. Accumulated Other Compreh_2

15. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Tables)	6 Months Ended
15. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Tables)	Jun. 30, 2021
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]
Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	The following table presents the changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax, for the six months ended June 30, 2021 (in thousands): Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Marketable Securities and Restricted Marketable Securities Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivative Instruments Total Balance as of December 31, 2020 $ (76,239) $ 16,630 $ (2,117) $ (61,726) Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications (9,901) (5,866) 3,149 (12,618) Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss 475 (11,696) 1,715 (9,506) Net tax effect — 1,087 (698) 389 Net other comprehensive (loss) income (9,426) (16,475) 4,166 (21,735) Balance as of June 30, 2021 $ (85,665) $ 155 $ 2,049 $ (83,461)
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	The following table presents the pretax amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss into our condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands): Comprehensive Income Components Income Statement Line Item Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 2021 2020 2021 2020 Foreign currency translation adjustment Other (expense) income, net $ — $ — $ (475) $ — Unrealized gain on marketable securities and restricted marketable securities Other (expense) income, net — 249 11,696 15,337 Unrealized (loss) gain on derivative contracts: Foreign exchange forward contracts Cost of sales (799) (106) (1,928) (313) Commodity swap contracts Cost of sales 220 — 213 — Total unrealized loss on derivative contracts (579) (106) (1,715) (313) Total (loss) gain reclassified $ (579) $ 143 $ 9,506 $ 15,024

16. Segment Reporting (Tables)

16. Segment Reporting (Tables)	6 Months Ended
16. Segment Reporting (Tables)	Jun. 30, 2021
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment	The following tables present certain financial information for our reportable segments for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 and as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): Three Months Ended June 30, 2021 Three Months Ended June 30, 2020 Modules Systems Total Modules Systems Total Net sales $ 542,956 $ 86,224 $ 629,180 $ 371,518 $ 270,893 $ 642,411 Gross profit 109,347 64,771 174,118 79,941 57,519 137,460 Depreciation and amortization expense 56,688 3,051 59,739 44,719 6,237 50,956 Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 Modules Systems Total Modules Systems Total Net sales $ 1,077,626 $ 354,928 $ 1,432,554 $ 765,199 $ 409,336 $ 1,174,535 Gross profit 209,787 149,098 358,885 155,293 72,505 227,798 Depreciation and amortization expense 107,412 6,148 113,560 89,392 12,495 101,887 June 30, 2021 December 31, 2020 Modules Systems Total Modules Systems Total Goodwill $ 14,462 $ — $ 14,462 $ 14,462 $ — $ 14,462

2. Sales of Businesses (Details

2. Sales of Businesses (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
2. Sales of Businesses (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2021	Mar. 31, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Proceeds from sales of businesses				$ 297,403	$ 0
Net sales	$ 629,180		$ 642,411	1,432,554	1,174,535
Module sales, advanced payments	237,244			237,244		$ 188,813
Gain on sales of businesses, net	(1,745)		0	149,150	0
Solar Modules [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Net sales	542,956		$ 371,518	1,077,626	$ 765,199
North American Operations and Maintenance Business
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Purchase price, sale of business				151,500
Proceeds from sales of businesses				146,000
Gain on sales of businesses, net	(1,400)	$ 119,200
U.S. Project Development Business
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Purchase price, sale of business				151,400
Purchase price, sale of U.S. Project Development business and modules				284,000
Gain on sales of businesses, net	(300)	$ 31,800
U.S. Project Development Business \| Solar Modules [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Net sales				117,800
Module sales, advanced payments	$ 14,800			$ 14,800

3. Cash, Cash Equivalents, an_3

3. Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Marketable Securities (Details) - Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Marketable Securities - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Marketable Securities [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 1,346,888		$ 1,227,002
Marketable securities		418,505		520,066
Total cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities		1,765,393		1,747,068
Restricted cash - current		864		1,745
Restricted cash - noncurrent		285,517		44,847
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	$ 1,147,811	1,633,269	$ 1,147,811	1,273,594	$ 1,446,510
Marketable Securities, Sale Proceeds	29,700	5,500	160,500
Marketable Securities, Realized Gain	$ 200	100	$ 200
Foreign debt [Member]
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Marketable Securities [Line Items]
Marketable securities		166,612		214,254
U.S. debt [Member]
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Marketable Securities [Line Items]
Marketable securities		18,917		14,543
Time deposits [Member]
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Marketable Securities [Line Items]
Marketable securities		232,976		291,269
Cash [Member]
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Marketable Securities [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		1,346,886		1,227,000
Money market funds [Member]
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Marketable Securities [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 2		$ 2

3. Cash, Cash Equivalents, an_4

3. Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Marketable Securities (Details) - Marketable Securities - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jan. 01, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Jan. 01, 2020
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Amortized Cost	$ 418,450			$ 519,844
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	261			389
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	119			46
Marketable Securities, Allowance for Credit Loss	87	$ 124		121
Marketable securities	418,505			520,066
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Beginning Balance	121	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Cumulative-Effect Adjustment for the Adoption of ASU 2016-13			$ 0		$ 207
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)	201	204
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Securities Sold	(235)	(287)
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Ending Balance	87	$ 124
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Maturity, Allocated and Single Maturity Date, Rolling within One Year	356,279
Debt securities, Available-for-sale, Debt Maturities, Rolling Year One Through Two	52,343
Debt securities, Available-for-sale, Debt Maturities, Rolling Year Two Through Three	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Maturities, Rolling Year Three Through Four	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Maturities, Rolling Year Four Through Five	4,974
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Maturities, Rolling Year More Than Five	4,909
Foreign debt [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Amortized Cost	166,377			213,949
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	242			367
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	4			46
Marketable Securities, Allowance for Credit Loss	3			16
Marketable securities	166,612			214,254
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Beginning Balance	16
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Ending Balance	3
U.S. debt [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Amortized Cost	19,015			14,521
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	19			22
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	115			0
Marketable Securities, Allowance for Credit Loss	2			0
Marketable securities	18,917			14,543
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Beginning Balance	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Ending Balance	2
Time deposits [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Amortized Cost	233,058			291,374
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	0			0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0			0
Marketable Securities, Allowance for Credit Loss	82			105
Marketable securities	232,976			$ 291,269
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Beginning Balance	105
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Ending Balance	$ 82

4. Restricted Marketable Secu_3

4. Restricted Marketable Securities (Details) - Restricted Marketable Securities - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Restricted marketable securities	$ 0		$ 265,280
Restricted cash - noncurrent	$ 285,517		44,847
Product minimum service life	25 years
Gains on sales of marketable securities and restricted marketable securities	$ 11,696	$ 15,337
Marketable Securities, Allowance for Credit Loss	87	124	121	$ 0
Cash Held In Trust [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Restricted cash - noncurrent	257,000		700
Restricted Debt Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Restricted marketable securities	0		265,280
Proceeds from sale of restricted marketable securities	258,900	115,200
Gains on sales of marketable securities and restricted marketable securities	11,700	15,100
Payments to Acquire Restricted Marketable Securities		114,500
Marketable Securities, Allowance for Credit Loss	0	$ 0	13	$ 0
Restricted Debt Securities [Member] \| Foreign government obligations [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Restricted marketable securities	0		149,700
Marketable Securities, Allowance for Credit Loss			0
Restricted Debt Securities [Member] \| US Government Debt Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Restricted marketable securities	$ 0		115,580
Marketable Securities, Allowance for Credit Loss			$ 13

4. Restricted Marketable Secu_4

4. Restricted Marketable Securities (Details) - Available for sale - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jan. 01, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Jan. 01, 2020
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Amortized Cost	$ 418,450			$ 519,844
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	261			389
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	119			46
Marketable Securities, Allowance for Credit Loss	87	$ 124		121
Restricted marketable securities	0			265,280
Restricted available for sale securities, allowance for credit losses [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Beginning Balance	121	0
Cumulative effect adjustment for the adoption of ASU 2016-13			$ 0		$ (207)
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)	201	204
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Securities Sold	(235)	(287)
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Ending Balance	87	124
Restricted Debt Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Amortized Cost	0			247,628
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax				17,853
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax				188
Marketable Securities, Allowance for Credit Loss	0	0		13
Restricted marketable securities	0			265,280
Restricted available for sale securities, allowance for credit losses [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Beginning Balance	13	0
Cumulative effect adjustment for the adoption of ASU 2016-13			$ 0		$ (54)
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)	16	(29)
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Securities Sold	(29)	(25)
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Ending Balance	0	$ 0
Foreign government obligations [Member] \| Restricted Debt Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Amortized Cost				131,980
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax				17,720
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax				0
Marketable Securities, Allowance for Credit Loss				0
Restricted marketable securities	0			149,700
Restricted available for sale securities, allowance for credit losses [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Beginning Balance	0
US Government Debt Securities [Member] \| Restricted Debt Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Amortized Cost				115,648
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax				133
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax				188
Marketable Securities, Allowance for Credit Loss				13
Restricted marketable securities	0			$ 115,580
Restricted available for sale securities, allowance for credit losses [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Allowance for Credit Loss, Beginning Balance	$ 13

5. Consolidated Balance Sheet_3

5. Consolidated Balance Sheet Details (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jan. 01, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Jan. 01, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Accounts receivable, trade, and unbilled
Accounts receivable trade, gross	$ 585,507		$ 585,507			$ 269,095
Accounts Receivable Trade, Allowance for credit losses	(2,479)	$ (3,334)	(2,479)	$ (3,334)		(3,009)		$ (1,386)
Accounts receivable trade, net	583,028		583,028			266,086
Secured accounts receivable	59,000		59,000			24,400
Accounts receivable, unbilled	14,633		14,633			26,673
Accounts receivable, unbilled, allowance for credit losses	(37)	(734)	(37)	(734)		(303)		0
Accounts receivable, unbilled, net	14,596		14,596			26,370
Allowance for Credit Loss [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable Trade, Allowance for credit losses	(2,479)	(3,334)	(2,479)	(3,334)		(3,009)		(1,386)
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Cumulative-effect adjustment for adoption of ASU 2016-13					$ 0		$ (171)
Accounts Receivable Trade, Provision for credit losses, net			433	(2,235)
Accounts Receivable Trade, Writeoffs			97	458
Accounts receivable, unbilled, allowance for credit losses	(37)	(734)	(37)	(734)		(303)		$ 0
Accounts Receivable, Unbilled, Allowance for Credit Loss, Cumulative-effect adjustment for adoption of ASU 2016-13					$ 0		$ (459)
Accounts Receivable, Unbilled, Provision for credit losses, net			266	(275)
Inventories and balance of systems parts
Raw materials	333,010		333,010			292,334
Work in process	60,837		60,837			64,709
Finished goods	435,929		435,929			411,773
Inventories	829,776		829,776			768,816
Inventories - current	603,057		603,057			567,587
Inventories - noncurrent	226,719		226,719			201,229
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Prepaid expenses	169,879		169,879			160,534
Derivative instruments	5,702		5,702			3,315
Restricted cash	864		864			1,745
Prepaid income taxes	633		633			71,051
Other current assets	12,324		12,324			15,094
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	189,402		189,402			251,739
Property, plant and equipment, net
Property, plant and equipment, gross	3,517,714		3,517,714			3,497,406
Accumulated depreciation	(1,121,073)		(1,121,073)			(1,095,121)
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,396,641		2,396,641			2,402,285
PV solar power systems, net
PV solar power systems, gross	291,886		291,886			298,067
Accumulated depreciation	(58,516)		(58,516)			(54,671)
PV solar power systems, net	233,370		233,370			243,396
Project assets
Project assets - development costs, including project acquisition and land costs	132,794		132,794			176,346
Project assets - construction costs	178,022		178,022			197,031
Total project assets	310,816		310,816			373,377
Other assets
Restricted cash - noncurrent	285,517		285,517			44,847
Operating lease assets	217,630		217,630			226,664
Advanced payments for raw materials	93,364		93,364			97,883
Accounts receivable, unbilled - noncurrent	59,034		59,034			22,722
Income taxes receivable, noncurrent	39,888		39,888			36
Indirect tax receivables	21,601		21,601			14,849
Other	35,836		35,836			27,129
Other assets	752,870		752,870			434,130
Goodwill
Goodwill	14,462		14,462			14,462
Goodwill, period increase (decrease)			0
Intangibles assets, net
Intangible assets, gross	114,623		114,623			114,623
Intangible assets, accumulated amortization	(63,954)		(63,954)			(58,485)
Intangibles assets, net	50,669		50,669			56,138
Amortization of intangible assets	2,800	2,700	5,500	5,300
Accrued expenses
Accrued project assets	44,677		44,677			81,380
Accrued freight	41,130		41,130			26,580
Accrued inventory	30,678		30,678			25,704
Accrued property, plant and equipment	24,129		24,129			66,543
Accrued compensation and benefits	23,432		23,432			51,685
Product warranty liability	16,846		16,846			22,278
Other	35,664		35,664			36,297
Accrued expenses	216,556		216,556			310,467
Other current liabilities
Operating lease liabilities, current	13,217		13,217			14,006
Derivative instruments	2,852		2,852			5,280
Other taxes payable, current	2,138		2,138			30,041
Other	15,680		15,680			33,710
Other current liabilities	33,887		33,887			83,037
Other liabilities
Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent	175,759		175,759			189,034
Deferred revenue, noncurrent	91,162		91,162			44,919
Product warranty liability	74,212		74,212			72,818
Deferred income tax liabilities, net	14,611		14,611			23,671
Other	42,361		42,361			41,784
Other liabilities	398,105		398,105			372,226
Developed Technology [Member]
Intangibles assets, net
Intangible assets, gross	99,964		99,964			99,964
Intangible assets, accumulated amortization	(57,050)		(57,050)			(52,115)
Intangibles assets, net	42,914		42,914			47,849
Power Purchase Agreements [Member]
Intangibles assets, net
Intangible assets, gross	6,486		6,486			6,486
Intangible assets, accumulated amortization	(1,458)		(1,458)			(1,296)
Intangibles assets, net	5,028		5,028			5,190
Patents [Member]
Intangibles assets, net
Intangible assets, gross	8,173		8,173			8,173
Intangible assets, accumulated amortization	(5,446)		(5,446)			(5,074)
Intangibles assets, net	2,727		2,727			3,099
Modules Segment [Member]
Goodwill
Goodwill, Gross	407,827		407,827			407,827
Accumulated impairment loss	(393,365)		(393,365)			(393,365)
Goodwill	14,462		14,462			14,462
Goodwill from acquisition			0
Goodwill impairment			0
Property, Plant and Equipment [Member]
Property, plant and equipment, net
Depreciation	58,800	48,500	115,600	95,900
PV solar power systems [Member]
Property, plant and equipment, net
Depreciation	2,900	$ 5,800	5,900	$ 11,700
Land [Member]
Property, plant and equipment, net
Property, plant and equipment, gross	14,404		14,404			14,498
Building and improvements [Member]
Property, plant and equipment, net
Property, plant and equipment, gross	692,865		692,865			693,762
Machinery and equipment [Member]
Property, plant and equipment, net
Property, plant and equipment, gross	2,441,410		2,441,410			2,184,236
Office equipment and furniture [Member]
Property, plant and equipment, net
Property, plant and equipment, gross	140,791		140,791			143,685
Leasehold improvements [Member]
Property, plant and equipment, net
Property, plant and equipment, gross	42,079		42,079			41,459
Construction in progress [Member]
Property, plant and equipment, net
Property, plant and equipment, gross	$ 186,165		$ 186,165			$ 419,766

6. Derivative Financial Instr_3

6. Derivative Financial Instruments (Details) - Summary - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Assets (Liabilities), at Fair Value, Net	$ 5,702	$ 3,315
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	2,335	1,478
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	3,367	1,837
Other Current Liabilities [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Assets (Liabilities), at Fair Value, Net	(2,852)	(5,280)
Other Current Liabilities [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	147	2,504
Other Current Liabilities [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	2,705	2,776
Other Liabilities [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Assets (Liabilities), at Fair Value, Net	(701)	(341)
Other Liabilities [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	10	341
Other Liabilities [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	691	0
Foreign exchange forward contracts [Member] \| Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	215	0
Foreign exchange forward contracts [Member] \| Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	3,367	1,837
Foreign exchange forward contracts [Member] \| Other Current Liabilities [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	147	2,504
Foreign exchange forward contracts [Member] \| Other Current Liabilities [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	2,705	2,776
Foreign exchange forward contracts [Member] \| Other Liabilities [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	10	341
Foreign exchange forward contracts [Member] \| Other Liabilities [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	0	0
Commodity swap contracts \| Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	2,120	1,478
Commodity swap contracts \| Other Current Liabilities [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	0	0
Commodity swap contracts \| Other Liabilities [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	0	$ 0
Interest Rate Swap [Member] \| Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	0
Interest Rate Swap [Member] \| Other Current Liabilities [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	0
Interest Rate Swap [Member] \| Other Liabilities [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	$ 691

6. Derivative Financial Instr_4

6. Derivative Financial Instruments (Details) - Hedging Relationship - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Balance in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	$ 2,692	$ (790)	$ 2,692	$ (790)	$ (2,172)	$ (962)
Amounts recognized in other comprehensive income (loss)			3,149	(141)
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Cost of sales
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net			1,715	313
Foreign exchange forward contracts [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Balance in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(98)	(790)	(98)	(790)	(3,644)	(962)
Amounts recognized in other comprehensive income (loss)			1,618	(141)
Foreign exchange forward contracts [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Cash Flow Hedging [Member] \| Cost of sales
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net			1,928	313
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income, Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing, Net		300		1,100
Foreign exchange forward contracts [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Cash Flow Hedging [Member] \| Cost of sales \| Maximum [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income, Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing, Net	100		(100)
Foreign exchange forward contracts [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Cost of sales
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	(446)	16	(277)	122
Foreign exchange forward contracts [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Foreign currency loss, net
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	(1,277)	468	9,019	193
Commodity swap contracts \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Balance in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	2,790	0	2,790	0	$ 1,472	$ 0
Amounts recognized in other comprehensive income (loss)			1,531	0
Commodity swap contracts \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Cash Flow Hedging [Member] \| Cost of sales
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income, Effective Portion, Net			(213)	0
Interest rate swap contract [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Interest expense, net
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	$ (691)	$ 1,023	$ (691)	$ (1,381)

6. Derivative Financial Instr_5

6. Derivative Financial Instruments (Details) - Risk Management $ in Millions, ¥ in Billions	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2021JPY (¥)	Jun. 30, 2021USD ($)	Jun. 17, 2021JPY (¥)	Aug. 31, 2020USD ($)
Foreign exchange forward contracts [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Maximum length of time hedged in foreign currency cash flow hedge	14 months	20 months
Foreign exchange forward contracts [Member] \| Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Cash Flow Hedge Gain (Loss) to be Reclassified During Next 12 Months				$ (0.1)
Foreign exchange forward contracts [Member] \| Cash Flow Hedging [Member] \| United States of America, Dollars
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount		$ 43.4		16.1
Commodity swap contracts \| Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount						$ 24.9
Cash Flow Hedge Gain (Loss) to be Reclassified within Twelve Months	$ 2.8
Interest Rate Swap [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Ikeda Credit Facility
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount			¥ 0.9	$ 7.9	¥ 0.7
Derivative, Basis Spread on Variable Rate			0.70%	0.70%
Derivative fixed interest rate paid on swap			1.12%	1.12%

6. Derivative Financial Instr_6

6. Derivative Financial Instruments (Details) - Transaction Exposure - Foreign exchange forward contracts [Member] - Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] € in Millions, ₨ in Millions, ¥ in Millions, RM in Millions, R$ in Millions, $ in Millions, $ in Millions, $ in Millions, $ in Millions, $ in Millions, $ in Millions

6 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2021JPY (¥)

Dec. 31, 2020JPY (¥)

Jun. 30, 2021USD ($)

Jun. 30, 2021AUD ($)

Jun. 30, 2021BRL (R$)

Jun. 30, 2021CLP ($)

Jun. 30, 2021EUR (€)

Jun. 30, 2021INR (₨)

Jun. 30, 2021MYR (RM)

Jun. 30, 2021MXN ($)

Jun. 30, 2021SGD ($)

Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)

Dec. 31, 2020AUD ($)

Dec. 31, 2020BRL (R$)

Dec. 31, 2020CLP ($)

Dec. 31, 2020EUR (€)

Dec. 31, 2020INR (₨)

Dec. 31, 2020MYR (RM)

Dec. 31, 2020MXN ($)

Dec. 31, 2020SGD ($)

Dec. 31, 2020CAD ($)

Australia, Dollars

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, Currency Bought

Australian dollar

Brazil, Brazil Real

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, Currency Bought

Brazilian real

Canada, Dollars

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, Currency Sold

Canadian dollar

Chile, Pesos

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, Currency Bought

Chilean peso

Derivative, Currency Sold

Chilean peso

Euro Member Countries, Euro

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, Currency Bought

Euro

Derivative, Currency Sold

Euro

India, Rupees

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, Currency Sold

Indian rupee

Japan, Yen

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, Currency Bought

Japanese yen

Derivative, Currency Sold

Japanese yen

Malaysia, Ringgits

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, Currency Bought

Malaysian ringgit

Derivative, Currency Sold

Malaysian ringgit

Mexico, Pesos

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, Currency Sold

Mexican peso

Singapore, Dollars

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, Currency Bought

Singapore dollar

Long [Member] | Australia, Dollars

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, notional amount

$ 2.4

$ 3.2

$ 2.5

$ 3.2

Long [Member] | Brazil, Brazil Real

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, notional amount

0.5

R$ 2.6

0.5

R$ 2.6

Long [Member] | Chile, Pesos

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, notional amount

2.8

$ 2,006

Long [Member] | Euro Member Countries, Euro

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, notional amount

100.4

€ 84.4

172.1

€ 140

Long [Member] | Japan, Yen

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, notional amount

¥ 1,593.7

15.5

Long [Member] | Malaysia, Ringgits

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, notional amount

8.6

RM 35.7

17.2

RM 69.3

Long [Member] | Singapore, Dollars

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, notional amount

4.1

$ 5.5

2.2

$ 2.9

Short [Member] | Canada, Dollars

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, notional amount

$ 8.9

Short [Member] | Chile, Pesos

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, notional amount

4.6

$ 3,358.2

6.3

$ 4,476.7

Short [Member] | Euro Member Countries, Euro

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, notional amount

136.4

€ 114.7

78.2

€ 63.6

Short [Member] | India, Rupees

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, notional amount

4.8

₨ 356.8

8.4

₨ 619.2

Short [Member] | Japan, Yen

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, notional amount

¥ 22,320

¥ 20,656.6

201.9

200.5

Short [Member] | Malaysia, Ringgits

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, notional amount

6.8

RM 28.3

6.2

RM 24.9

Short [Member] | Mexico, Pesos

Derivative [Line Items]

Derivative, notional amount

$ 1.7

$ 34.6

$ 1.7

$ 34.6

7. Leases (Details)

7. Leases (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
7. Leases (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020
Leases [Abstract]
Operating lease cost	$ 4,516	$ 4,718	$ 8,549	$ 8,896
Variable lease cost	462	625	1,000	1,291
Short-term lease cost	236	744	607	1,705
Total lease cost	5,214	$ 6,087	10,156	11,892
Payments of amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities			13,122	11,770
Lease assets obtained in exchange for operating lease liabilities			17,909	$ 93,425
Operating lease assets	217,630		217,630		$ 226,664
Operating lease liabilities, current	13,217		13,217		14,006
Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent	$ 175,759		$ 175,759		$ 189,034
Weighted-average remaining lease term	20 years		20 years		20 years
Weighted-average discount rate	2.60%		2.60%		2.90%
Operating lease liabilities, future payments, remainder of 2021	$ 6,552		$ 6,552
Operating lease liabilities, future payments, due 2022	16,979		16,979
Operating lease liabilities, future payments, due 2023	17,065		17,065
Operating lease liabilities, future payments, due 2024	16,602		16,602
Operating lease liabilities, future payments, due 2025	15,973		15,973
Operating lease liabilities, future payments, due 2026	14,522		14,522
Operating lease liabilities, future payments, due after 2026	138,816		138,816
Total future payments	226,509		226,509
Less: interest	(37,533)		(37,533)
Total lease liabilities	$ 188,976		$ 188,976
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Operating Lease, Liability, Current, Statement of Financial Position [Extensible List]	Other current liabilities		Other current liabilities		Other current liabilities
Operating Lease, Liability, Noncurrent, Statement of Financial Position [Extensible List]	Other liabilities		Other liabilities		Other liabilities

8. Fair Value Measurements (Det

8. Fair Value Measurements (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Assets:
Marketable securities	$ 418,505	$ 520,066
Restricted marketable securities	0	265,280
Foreign debt [Member]
Assets:
Marketable securities	166,612	214,254
U.S. debt [Member]
Assets:
Marketable securities	18,917	14,543
Time deposits [Member]
Assets:
Marketable securities	232,976	291,269
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Assets:
Restricted marketable securities		265,280
Derivative assets	5,702	3,315
Total assets	424,209	788,663
Liabilities:
Derivative liabilities	3,553	5,621
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Foreign debt [Member]
Assets:
Marketable securities	166,612	214,254
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| U.S. debt [Member]
Assets:
Marketable securities	18,917	14,543
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Time deposits [Member]
Assets:
Marketable securities	232,976	291,269
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Money market funds [Member]
Assets:
Cash equivalents	2	2
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets:
Restricted marketable securities		0
Derivative assets	0	0
Total assets	232,978	291,271
Liabilities:
Derivative liabilities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] \| Foreign debt [Member]
Assets:
Marketable securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] \| U.S. debt [Member]
Assets:
Marketable securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] \| Time deposits [Member]
Assets:
Marketable securities	232,976	291,269
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] \| Money market funds [Member]
Assets:
Cash equivalents	2	2
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets:
Restricted marketable securities		265,280
Derivative assets	5,702	3,315
Total assets	191,231	497,392
Liabilities:
Derivative liabilities	3,553	5,621
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] \| Foreign debt [Member]
Assets:
Marketable securities	166,612	214,254
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] \| U.S. debt [Member]
Assets:
Marketable securities	18,917	14,543
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] \| Time deposits [Member]
Assets:
Marketable securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] \| Money market funds [Member]
Assets:
Cash equivalents	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets:
Restricted marketable securities		0
Derivative assets	0	0
Total assets	0	0
Liabilities:
Derivative liabilities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] \| Foreign debt [Member]
Assets:
Marketable securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] \| U.S. debt [Member]
Assets:
Marketable securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] \| Time deposits [Member]
Assets:
Marketable securities	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] \| Money market funds [Member]
Assets:
Cash equivalents	$ 0	$ 0

8. Fair Value Measurements (D_2

8. Fair Value Measurements (Details) - Balance Sheet Grouping - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]
Accounts receivable, unbilled - noncurrent	$ 59,034	$ 22,722
Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]
Long-term debt, including current maturities	288,137
Carrying Value Measurement [Member]
Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]
Accounts receivable, unbilled - noncurrent	59,034	22,722
Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]
Long-term debt, including current maturities	288,137	287,149
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]
Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]
Accounts receivable, unbilled - noncurrent	53,374	22,096
Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract]
Long-term debt, including current maturities	$ 294,109	$ 297,076

9. Debt (Details)

9. Debt (Details) $ in Thousands, ¥ in Billions	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
9. Debt (Details) $ in Thousands, ¥ in Billions	Mar. 31, 2021USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2021USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2021JPY (¥)	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2020USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2020JPY (¥)	Jun. 30, 2017USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017JPY (¥)	Sep. 30, 2015USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015JPY (¥)
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Long-term debt, gross		$ 288,137		$ 287,149
Less: unamortized discount and issuance costs		(8,814)		(7,918)
Total long-term debt		279,323		279,231
Less current portion		(3,239)		(41,540)
Noncurrent portion		276,084		237,691
Long-term Debt, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
Long-term Debt, Maturity, Remainder of Fiscal Year		717
Long-Term Debt, Maturity, Year One		38,219
Long-term Debt, Maturity, Year Two		6,692
Long-Term Debt, Maturity, Year Three		55,583
Long-Term Debt, Maturity, Year Four		8,646
Long-Term Debt, Maturity, Year Five		9,125
Long-Term Debt, Maturity, after Year Five		169,155
Total long-term debt future principal payments		$ 288,137
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Debt instrument, currency		USD
Revolving credit facility		$ 0		0
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity		500,000
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		750,000
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount		$ 3,300		4,300
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage		0.30%
Fronting fee		0.125%
Debt Instrument, Description of Variable Rate Basis		Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility bore interest at (i) London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), adjusted for Eurocurrency reserve requirements, plus a margin of 2.00% or (ii) a base rate as defined in the credit agreement plus a margin of 1.00% depending on the type of borrowing requested.
Luz del Norte Credit Facilities [Member]
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Debt instrument, currency		USD
Long-term debt, gross		$ 184,546		186,230
Luz del Norte Credit Facilities [Member] \| DFC [Member] \| Parque Solar Fotovoltaico Luz del Norte SpA [Member]
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Long-term debt, gross		138,200		139,400
Luz del Norte Credit Facilities [Member] \| IFC [Member] \| Parque Solar Fotovoltaico Luz del Norte SpA [Member]
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Long-term debt, gross		$ 46,300		46,800
Luz del Norte Credit Facilities [Member] \| DFC and IFC [Member]
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Description of Fixed Rate Basis		Fixed rate loans at bank rate plus 3.50%
Debt Instrument, Description of Variable Rate Basis		Variable rate loans at 91-Day U.S. Treasury Bill Yield or LIBOR plus 3.50%
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Fixed Rate		3.50%
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		3.50%
Luz del Norte Credit Facilities [Member] \| Fixed Rate Term Loan Facility [Member] \| DFC and IFC [Member] \| Parque Solar Fotovoltaico Luz del Norte SpA [Member]
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Long-term debt, gross		$ 138,400
Luz del Norte Credit Facilities [Member] \| Variable Rate Term Loan Facility [Member] \| DFC and IFC [Member] \| Parque Solar Fotovoltaico Luz del Norte SpA [Member]
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Long-term debt, gross		$ 46,100
Japan Credit Facility [Member]
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Debt instrument, currency		JPY
Long-term debt, gross		$ 34,184		13,813
Japan Credit Facility [Member] \| Mizuho Bank [Member]
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Description of Variable Rate Basis		1-month TIBOR plus 0.55%
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		0.55%
Japan Credit Facility [Member] \| Mizuho Bank [Member] \| First Solar Japan GK [Member]
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity									$ 33,400	¥ 4
Tochigi Credit Facility [Member]
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Debt instrument, currency		JPY
Long-term debt, gross		$ 0		39,400
Tochigi Credit Facility [Member] \| Mizuho Bank [Member] \| First Solar Japan GK [Member]
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity							$ 62,200	¥ 7
Repayments of Debt	$ 36,800
Kyoto Credit Facility [Member]
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Debt instrument, currency		JPY
Long-term debt, gross		$ 44,462		47,706
Kyoto Credit Facility [Member] \| Mizuho Bank [Member]
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Description of Variable Rate Basis		1-month TIBOR plus 0.60%
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		0.60%
Kyoto Credit Facility [Member] \| Mizuho Bank [Member] \| First Solar Japan GK [Member]
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity					$ 142,800	¥ 15
Ikeda Credit Facility
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Debt instrument, currency		JPY
Long-term debt, gross		$ 24,945		$ 0
Ikeda Credit Facility \| MUFG Bank, Ltd.; Japan Post Insurance Co., Ltd.; The Shizuoka Bank, Ltd.; The Hyakugo Bank, Ltd.; The Iyo Bank, Ltd.; and The Yamagata Bank, Ltd. \| FS Japan Project B4 GK
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity	88,600		¥ 9.8
Ikeda Credit Facility \| Fixed Rate Term Loan Facility [Member] \| MUFG Bank, Ltd.; Japan Post Insurance Co., Ltd.; The Shizuoka Bank, Ltd.; The Hyakugo Bank, Ltd.; The Iyo Bank, Ltd.; and The Yamagata Bank, Ltd.
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Description of Fixed Rate Basis		Fixed rate term loan facility at 1.20%
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Fixed Rate		1.20%
Ikeda Credit Facility \| Fixed Rate Term Loan Facility [Member] \| MUFG Bank, Ltd.; Japan Post Insurance Co., Ltd.; The Shizuoka Bank, Ltd.; The Hyakugo Bank, Ltd.; The Iyo Bank, Ltd.; and The Yamagata Bank, Ltd. \| FS Japan Project B4 GK
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Long-term debt, gross		$ 12,300
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity	43,100		4.7
Ikeda Credit Facility \| Variable Rate Term Loan Facility [Member] \| MUFG Bank, Ltd.; Japan Post Insurance Co., Ltd.; The Shizuoka Bank, Ltd.; The Hyakugo Bank, Ltd.; The Iyo Bank, Ltd.; and The Yamagata Bank, Ltd.
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Description of Variable Rate Basis		Variable rate term loan facility at 6-month TIBOR plus 0.70% (3)
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		0.70%
Ikeda Credit Facility \| Variable Rate Term Loan Facility [Member] \| MUFG Bank, Ltd.; Japan Post Insurance Co., Ltd.; The Shizuoka Bank, Ltd.; The Hyakugo Bank, Ltd.; The Iyo Bank, Ltd.; and The Yamagata Bank, Ltd. \| FS Japan Project B4 GK
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Long-term debt, gross		$ 12,700
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity	34,100		3.8
Ikeda Credit Facility \| Consumption Tax Facility [Member] \| MUFG Bank, Ltd.; Japan Post Insurance Co., Ltd.; The Shizuoka Bank, Ltd.; The Hyakugo Bank, Ltd.; The Iyo Bank, Ltd.; and The Yamagata Bank, Ltd.
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Description of Variable Rate Basis		Consumption tax facility at 3-month TIBOR plus 0.50%
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		0.50%
Ikeda Credit Facility \| Consumption Tax Facility [Member] \| MUFG Bank, Ltd.; Japan Post Insurance Co., Ltd.; The Shizuoka Bank, Ltd.; The Hyakugo Bank, Ltd.; The Iyo Bank, Ltd.; and The Yamagata Bank, Ltd. \| FS Japan Project B4 GK
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity	8,200		0.9
Ikeda Credit Facility \| Debt Service Reserve Facility \| MUFG Bank, Ltd.; Japan Post Insurance Co., Ltd.; The Shizuoka Bank, Ltd.; The Hyakugo Bank, Ltd.; The Iyo Bank, Ltd.; and The Yamagata Bank, Ltd.
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Description of Variable Rate Basis		Debt service reserve facility at 6-month TIBOR plus 1.20%
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		1.20%
Ikeda Credit Facility \| Debt Service Reserve Facility \| MUFG Bank, Ltd.; Japan Post Insurance Co., Ltd.; The Shizuoka Bank, Ltd.; The Hyakugo Bank, Ltd.; The Iyo Bank, Ltd.; and The Yamagata Bank, Ltd. \| FS Japan Project B4 GK
Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity	$ 3,200		¥ 0.4

10. Commitments and Contingen_3

10. Commitments and Contingencies (Details) - Commercial Commitments $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2021USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Surety Bonds	$ 13.1
Surety Bond Capacity	703.7
Bilateral Facilities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	38.2
Letters of Credit, Remaining Borrowing Capacity	276.8
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Secured by Cash	$ 4.5

10. Commitments and Contingen_4

10. Commitments and Contingencies (Details) - Product Warranties - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020
Movement in Standard Product Warranty Accrual [Roll Forward]
Product warranty liability, beginning of period	$ 94,073	$ 124,501	$ 95,096	$ 129,797
Accruals for new warranties issued	4,440	2,183	6,717	4,468
Settlements	(2,413)	(2,921)	(5,639)	(9,483)
Changes in estimate of product warranty liability	(5,042)	(569)	(5,116)	(1,588)
Product warranty liability, end of period	91,058	123,194	91,058	123,194
Current portion of warranty liability	16,846	21,868	16,846	21,868
Noncurrent portion of warranty liability	$ 74,212	$ 101,326	$ 74,212	$ 101,326
Estimated Rate of Return for Module Warranty	1.00%		1.00%
Percentage Point Change in Estimated Rate of Return of Module Warranty	1.00%		1.00%
Estimated Change in Module Warranty from Sensitivity Analysis	$ 114,700		$ 114,700
Percentage Point Change in Estimated Rate of Return of Balance of Systems Warranty	1.00%		1.00%

10. Commitments and Contingen_5

10. Commitments and Contingencies (Details) - Performance Guarantees $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Energy Performance Testing Liability	$ 10.2

10. Commitments and Contingen_6

10. Commitments and Contingencies (Details) - Indemnifications - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Indemnification liabilities, current	$ 6	$ 3.2
Indemnification liabilities, maximum exposure	146.8
Indemnification liabilities, potential recoveries	72
Indemnification liabilities, adjustment to revenue	$ 65.1

10. Commitments and Contingen_7

10. Commitments and Contingencies (Details) - Solar Module Collection and Recycling Liability - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Accrued solar module collection and recycling liability	$ 129,726	$ 130,688
Percentage increase in annualized inflation rate	1.00%
Estimated increase in solar module collection recycling liability from sensitivity analysis	$ 22,600
Percentage decrease in annualized inflation rate	1.00%
Estimated decrease in solar module collection recycling liability from sensitivity analysis	$ 17,800

10. Commitments and Contingen_8

10. Commitments and Contingencies (Details) - Legal Proceedings - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Estimated Litigation Liability [Line Items]
Litigation loss	$ 0		$ 6,000	$ 0	$ 6,000
Opt-Out Action [Member]
Estimated Litigation Liability [Line Items]
Payments for Legal Settlements		$ 19,000
Accrued litigation						$ 13,000
Litigation loss			$ 6,000

11. Revenue from Contracts wi_3

11. Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021USD ($)Projects	Jun. 30, 2020USD ($)Projects	Jun. 30, 2021USD ($)Projects	Jun. 30, 2020USD ($)Projects	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 629,180	$ 642,411	$ 1,432,554	$ 1,174,535
Project Change in Estimate Disclosure Threshold			$ 1,000
Number of projects with changes in estimates \| Projects	2	5	5	8
Increase (decrease) in revenue from net changes in transaction prices	$ 63,395	$ (8,524)	$ 65,029	$ (9,435)
Decrease in revenue from net changes in input cost estimates	0	(9,576)	0	(8,750)
Net increase (decrease) in revenue from net changes in estimates	$ 63,395	$ (18,100)	$ 65,029	$ (18,185)
Net change in estimate as a percentage of aggregate revenue	5.30%	(1.30%)	2.80%	(1.00%)
Accounts Receivable, Unbilled, Total Current and Noncurrent, before Allowance for Credit Loss	$ 73,824		$ 73,824		$ 49,395
Accounts Receivable, Unbilled, Total Current and Noncurrent, Allowance for Credit Loss	(194)		(194)		(303)
Accounts Receivable, Unbilled, Total Current and Noncurrent, after Allowance for Credit Loss	73,630		73,630		49,092
Contract Asset, Net Change			$ 24,538
Contract Asset, Percent Change			50.00%
Deferred revenue	328,406		$ 328,406		233,732
Contract Liability, Net Change			$ 94,674
Contract Liability, Percent Change			41.00%
Accounts Receivable, Unbilled, Noncurrent, before Allowance for Credit Loss	59,200		$ 59,200		22,700
Deferred Revenue, Noncurrent	91,162		91,162		44,919
Module sales, advanced payments	237,244		237,244		$ 188,813
Sales Revenue Net, from Beginning Contract Liability			111,600	$ 285,900
Solar Modules [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Net sales	542,956	$ 371,518	1,077,626	765,199
Remaining Performance Obligation, Transaction Price	4,400,000		4,400,000
Solar Power Systems [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Net sales	73,977	215,474	300,944	305,550
O&M Services [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Net sales	4,713	31,701	31,948	61,176
Energy Generation [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Net sales	7,457	22,576	22,036	40,549
EPC Services [Member]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 77	$ 1,142	$ 0	$ 2,061

12. Share-Based Compensation (D

12. Share-Based Compensation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Allocated share-based compensation expense	$ 5,430	$ 3,776	$ 8,545	$ 10,980
Employee service share-based compensation, capitalized in inventory	700		700		$ 1,100
Restricted and performance stock units [Member]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Employee service share-based compensation, nonvested awards, total compensation cost not yet recognized	30,300		$ 30,300
Employee service share-based compensation, unrecognized compensation costs on nonvested awards, weighted average period of recognition (in years)			1 year 7 months 6 days
Cost of sales [Member]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Allocated share-based compensation expense	173	243	$ 81	1,455
Selling, general and administrative [Member]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Allocated share-based compensation expense	4,737	3,052	9,252	7,761
Research and development [Member]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Allocated share-based compensation expense	$ 520	$ 481	$ (788)	$ 1,764

13. Income Taxes (Details)

13. Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
13. Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Effective income tax rate	19.00%	(163.00%)
Statutory U.S. federal tax rate	21.00%
Significant Change in Unrecognized Tax Benefits is Reasonably Possible, Amount of Unrecorded Benefit	$ 0.4

14. Net Income Per Share (Detai

14. Net Income Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net income	$ 82,449	$ 36,911	$ 292,120	$ 127,615
Weighted-average common shares outstanding	106,313	105,927	106,201	105,761
Effect of restricted and performance stock units and stock purchase plan shares	523	546	665	668
Weighted-average shares used in computing diluted net income per share	106,836	106,473	106,866	106,429
Net income per share, basic	$ 0.78	$ 0.35	$ 2.75	$ 1.21
Net income per share, diluted	$ 0.77	$ 0.35	$ 2.73	$ 1.20
Anti-dilutive common shares	0	0	0	0

15. Accumulated Other Compreh_3

15. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Stockholders' equity, beginning balance	$ 5,694,780	$ 5,168,622	$ 5,520,928	$ 5,096,767
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss	579	(143)	(9,506)	(15,024)
Net other comprehensive (loss) income	1,189	16,390	(21,735)	12,074
Stockholders' equity, ending balance	5,783,635	5,226,796	5,783,635	5,226,796
Other (expense) income, net	(3,247)	(3,195)	5,201	(5,417)
Cost of sales	455,062	504,951	1,073,669	946,737
Total amount reclassified	102,795	46,822	358,956	48,399
Total (loss) gain reclassified	(579)	143	9,506	15,024
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Stockholders' equity, beginning balance			(76,239)
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications			(9,901)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss			475
Net tax effect			0
Net other comprehensive (loss) income			(9,426)
Stockholders' equity, ending balance	(85,665)		(85,665)
Total (loss) gain reclassified			(475)
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment [Member] \| Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Other (expense) income, net	0	0	(475)	0
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Marketable Securities and Restricted Marketable Securities [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Stockholders' equity, beginning balance			16,630
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications			(5,866)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss			(11,696)
Net tax effect			1,087
Net other comprehensive (loss) income			(16,475)
Stockholders' equity, ending balance	155		155
Total (loss) gain reclassified			11,696
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Marketable Securities and Restricted Marketable Securities [Member] \| Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Other (expense) income, net	0	249	11,696	15,337
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivative Instruments [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Stockholders' equity, beginning balance			(2,117)
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications			3,149
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss			1,715
Net tax effect			(698)
Net other comprehensive (loss) income			4,166
Stockholders' equity, ending balance	2,049		2,049
Total (loss) gain reclassified			(1,715)
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivative Instruments [Member] \| Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Total amount reclassified	(579)	(106)	(1,715)	(313)
Total, Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Stockholders' equity, beginning balance	(84,650)	(83,650)	(61,726)	(79,334)
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications			(12,618)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss			(9,506)
Net tax effect			389
Net other comprehensive (loss) income	1,189	16,390	(21,735)	12,074
Stockholders' equity, ending balance	(83,461)	(67,260)	(83,461)	(67,260)
Total (loss) gain reclassified			9,506
Foreign exchange forward contracts [Member] \| Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivative Instruments [Member] \| Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Cost of sales	(799)	(106)	(1,928)	(313)
Commodity swap contracts \| Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivative Instruments [Member] \| Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Cost of sales	$ 220	$ 0	$ 213	$ 0

16. Segment Reporting (Details)

16. Segment Reporting (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
16. Segment Reporting (Details) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2021USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2020USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2021USD ($)segments	Jun. 30, 2020USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of reportable segments \| segments			2
Net sales	$ 629,180	$ 642,411	$ 1,432,554	$ 1,174,535
Gross profit	174,118	137,460	358,885	227,798
Depreciation and amortization expense	59,739	50,956	113,560	101,887
Goodwill	14,462		14,462		$ 14,462
Modules Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	542,956	371,518	1,077,626	765,199
Gross profit	109,347	79,941	209,787	155,293
Depreciation and amortization expense	56,688	44,719	107,412	89,392
Goodwill	14,462		14,462		14,462
Systems Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	86,224	270,893	354,928	409,336
Gross profit	64,771	57,519	149,098	72,505
Depreciation and amortization expense	3,051	$ 6,237	6,148	$ 12,495
Goodwill	$ 0		$ 0		$ 0