Orion Energy Systems (OESX) 10-Q 8 Nov 13 2014 Q2 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Nov. 06, 2013
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]	'	'
Entity Registrant Name	'ORION ENERGY SYSTEMS, INC.	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0001409375	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'
Document Period End Date	30-Sep-13	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2014	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'Q2	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--03-31	'
Entity Filer Category	'Smaller Reporting Company	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	21,161,029

Unaudited_Condensed_Consolidat

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Assets	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	$17,563	$14,376
Short-term investments	1,024	1,021
Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $947 and $858	17,254	18,397
Inventories, net	15,207	15,230
Deferred contract costs	2,453	2,118
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	2,483	2,465
Total current assets	55,984	53,607
Property and equipment, net	26,127	27,947
Long-term inventory	9,878	11,491
Goodwill	4,899	0
Patents and licenses, net	7,568	1,709
Deferred tax assets	134	0
Long-term accounts receivable	3,460	5,069
Other long-term assets	2,285	2,274
Total assets	110,335	102,097
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	'	'
Accounts payable	11,925	7,773
Accrued expenses	4,427	5,457
Deferred revenue	822	2,946
Current maturities of long-term debt	3,326	2,597
Total current liabilities	20,500	18,773
Long-term debt, less current maturities	5,041	4,109
Deferred revenue, long-term	1,355	1,258
Other long-term liabilities	944	188
Total liabilities	27,840	24,328
Commitments and contingencies (See Note F)	'	'
Shareholders' equity:	'	'
Common stock, no par value: Shares authorized: 200,000,000 at March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013; shares issued: 30,498,900 and 30,641,710 at March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013; shares outstanding: 20,162,397 and 21,143,729 at March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013	'	'
Additional paid-in capital	129,067	128,104
Treasury stock: 10,336,503 and 9,497,981 common shares at March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013	-36,356	-38,378
Shareholder notes receivable	-146	-265
Retained deficit	-10,070	-11,692
Total shareholders' equity	82,495	77,769
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$110,335	$102,097

Unaudited_Condensed_Consolidat1

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Allowances for accounts receivable	$900	$652
Common Stock, No Par Value	'	'
Common stock, shares authorized	200,000,000	200,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	30,498,900	30,641,710
Common stock, shares outstanding	20,162,397	21,143,729
Treasury stock, shares	10,336,503	9,497,981

Unaudited_Condensed_Consolidat2

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Income Statement [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Product revenue	$21,181	$16,931	$38,704	$30,511
Service revenue	6,314	2,477	9,643	4,207
Total revenue	27,495	19,408	48,347	34,718
Cost of product revenue	15,638	11,867	28,522	21,464
Cost of service revenue	4,028	1,736	6,273	3,076
Total cost of revenue	19,666	13,603	34,795	24,540
Gross profit	7,829	5,805	13,552	10,178
Operating expenses:	'	'	'	'
General and administrative	3,173	4,638	5,857	7,940
Acquisition related	356	0	431	0
Sales and marketing	3,644	4,561	6,947	8,513
Research and development	448	710	938	1,407
Total operating expenses	7,621	9,909	14,173	17,860
Income (loss) from operations	208	-4,104	-621	-7,682
Other income (expense):	'	'	'	'
Interest expense	-142	-142	-255	-303
Dividend and interest income	153	218	327	443
Total other income	11	76	72	140
Income (loss) before income tax	219	-4,028	-549	-7,542
Income tax expense	-2,184	5,631	-2,171	4,057
Net income (loss)	$2,403	($9,659)	$1,622	($11,599)
Basic net income (loss) per share attributable to common shareholders (usd per share)	$0.11	($0.46)	$0.08	($0.53)
Weighted-average common shares outstanding	21,089,917	21,075,624	20,634,333	21,814,321
Diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to common shareholders (usd per share)	$0.11	($0.46)	$0.08	($0.53)
Weighted-average common shares outstanding	21,541,942	21,075,624	21,102,849	21,814,321

Unaudited_Condensed_Consolidat3

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Operating activities	'	'
Net income (loss)	$1,622	($11,599)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:	'	'
Amortization	172	108
Depreciation	2,024	2,122
Stock-based compensation expense	676	770
Accretion Expense	425	0
Deferred income tax (benefit) expense	-2,212	3,945
(Gain) Loss on sale of property and equipment	96	30
Provision for bad debts	75	100
Other	62	34
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:	'	'
Accounts receivable, current and long-term	4,849	440
Inventories, current and long-term	3,269	-224
Deferred contract costs	-335	-2,571
Prepaid expenses and other assets	58	445
Accounts payable	2,633	866
Accrued expenses	-1,837	1,985
Deferred revenue	-2,027	1,222
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	9,550	-2,327
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	-4,992	0
Investing activities	'	'
Purchase of property and equipment	-222	-1,715
Purchase of short-term investments	-3	-3
Additions to patents and licenses	-14	-75
Proceeds from sales of property, plant and equipment	39	19
Net cash used in investing activities	-5,192	-1,774
Financing activities	'	'
Payment of long-term debt	-1,497	-1,415
Proceeds from long-term debt	0	156
Proceeds from repayment of shareholder notes	119	6
Repurchase of common stock into treasury	0	-4,523
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	0	-21
Deferred financing costs	-18	0
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	225	59
Net cash provided by financing activities	-1,171	-5,696
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	3,187	-9,797
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	14,376	23,011
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	17,563	13,214
Supplemental cash flow information:	'	'
Cash paid for interest	97	279
Cash paid for income taxes	18	37
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:	'	'
Shares issued from treasury for shareholder note receivable	119	68
Shares returned to treasury in satisfaction of receivable	48	0
Acquisition related contingent consideration liability	612	0
Acquisition financed through debt	3,158	0
Common stock issued for acquisition	$2,065	$0

Description_of_Business

Description of Business	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]	'
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS	'
	DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS
	Organization
	The Company includes Orion Energy Systems, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation, and all consolidated subsidiaries. The Company is a developer, manufacturer and seller of lighting and energy management systems and a seller and integrator of renewable energy technologies to commercial and industrial businesses, predominantly in North America.
	See Note I “Segment Reporting” of these financial statements for further discussion of the Company's reportable segments.
	The Company’s corporate offices and primary manufacturing operations are located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and an operations facility is located in Plymouth, Wisconsin. The Company leases manufacturing and office space in Green Cove Springs, Florida. The Company leases office space for sales offices located in New Jersey, Chicago and Texas.

Summary_of_Significant_Account

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	'
	SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
	Principles of Consolidation
	The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Orion Energy Systems, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.
	Reclassifications
	Where appropriate, certain reclassifications have been made to prior years’ financial statements to conform to the current year presentation.
	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) for interim financial information and with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the year ending March 31, 2014 or other interim periods.
	The condensed consolidated balance sheet at March 31, 2013 has been derived from the audited and adjusted consolidated financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information required by GAAP for complete financial statements.
	The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 14, 2013.
	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during that reporting period. Areas that require the use of significant management estimates include revenue recognition, inventory obsolescence and bad debt reserves, accruals for warranty expenses, income taxes and certain equity transactions. Accordingly, actual results could differ from those estimates.
	Cash and Cash Equivalents
	The Company considers all highly liquid, short-term investments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents.
	Short-Term Investments
	The amortized cost and fair value of short-term investments, with gross unrealized gains and losses, as of March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013 were as follows (in thousands):
	31-Mar-13
		Amortized				Unrealized			Unrealized			Fair Value			Cash and Cash			Short-term
		Cost				Gains			Losses						Equivalents			Investments
	Money market funds	$	487			$	—		$	—		$	487		$	487		$	—
	Bank certificate of deposit	1,021				—			—			1,021			—			1,021
	Total	$	1,508			$	—		$	—		$	1,508		$	487		$	1,021
	30-Sep-13
		Amortized				Unrealized			Unrealized			Fair Value			Cash and Cash			Short-term
		Cost				Gains			Losses						Equivalents			Investments
	Money market funds	$	488			$	—		$	—		$	488		$	488		$	—
	Bank certificate of deposit	1,024				—			—			1,024			—			1,024
	Total	$	1,512			$	—		$	—		$	1,512		$	488		$	1,024
	As of March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013, the Company’s financial assets described in the table above were measured at cost which approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of the investment (level 1 inputs).
	Fair Value of Financial Instruments
	The Company’s financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses and other and long-term debt. The carrying amounts of the Company’s financial instruments approximate their respective fair values due to the relatively short-term nature of these instruments, or in the case of long-term, because of the interest rates currently available to the Company for similar obligations. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. GAAP describes a fair value hierarchy based on the following three levels of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable, that may be used to measure fair value:
	Level 1 — Valuations are based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
	Level 2 — Valuations are based on quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, or quoted prices in markets that are not active for which significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.
	Level 3 — Valuations are based on prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement. Inputs reflect management's best estimate of what market participants would use in valuing the asset or liability at the measurement date.
	Accounts Receivable
	The majority of the Company’s accounts receivable are due from companies in the commercial, industrial and agricultural industries, as well as wholesalers. Credit is extended based on an evaluation of a customer’s financial condition. Generally, collateral is not required for end users; however, the payment of certain trade accounts receivable from wholesalers is secured by irrevocable standby letters of credit and/or guarantees. Accounts receivable are generally due within 30-60 days. Accounts receivable are stated at the amount the Company expects to collect from outstanding balances. The Company provides for probable uncollectible amounts through a charge to earnings and a credit to an allowance for doubtful accounts based on its assessment of the current status of individual accounts. Balances that are still outstanding after the Company has used reasonable collection efforts are written off through a charge to the allowance for doubtful accounts and a credit to accounts receivable.
	Financing Receivables
	The Company considers its lease balances included in consolidated current and long-term accounts receivable from its Orion Throughput Agreement, or OTA, sales-type leases to be financing receivables. Additional disclosures on the credit quality of the Company’s financing receivables are as follows:
	Aging Analysis as of September 30, 2013 (in thousands):
		Not Past Due				1-90 days			Greater than 90			Total past due			Total sales-type
						past due			days past due						leases
	Lease balances included in consolidated accounts receivable—current	$	2,667			$	97		$	187		$	284		$	2,951
	Lease balances included in consolidated accounts receivable—long-term	2,618				—			—			—			2,618
	Total gross sales-type leases	5,285				97			187			284			5,569
	Allowance	—				—			(84		)	(84		)	(84		)
	Total net sales-type leases	$	5,285			$	97		$	103		$	200		$	5,485
	Allowance for Credit Losses on Financing Receivables
	The Company’s allowance for credit losses is based on management’s assessment of the collectability of customer accounts. A considerable amount of judgment is required in order to make this assessment, including a detailed analysis of the aging of the lease receivables and the current credit worthiness of the Company’s customers and an analysis of historical bad debts and other adjustments. If there is a deterioration of a major customer’s credit worthiness or if actual defaults are higher than historical experience, the estimate of the recoverability of amounts due could be adversely affected. The Company reviews in detail the allowance for doubtful accounts on a quarterly basis and adjusts the allowance estimate to reflect actual portfolio performance and any changes in future portfolio performance expectations. The Company believes that there is currently no impairment of the receivables for the sales-type leases. The Company incurred no write-offs or credit losses against its OTA sales-type lease receivable balances in fiscal 2013 and for the six months ended September 30, 2013.
	Inventories
	Inventories consist of raw materials and components, such as ballasts, metal sheet and coil stock and molded parts; work in process inventories, such as frames and reflectors; and finished goods, including completed fixtures and systems, and wireless energy management systems and accessories, such as lamps, meters and power supplies. All inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market value with cost determined using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method. The Company reduces the carrying value of its inventories for differences between the cost and estimated net realizable value, taking into consideration usage in the preceding 12 months, expected demand, and other information indicating obsolescence. The Company records as a charge to cost of product revenue the amount required to reduce the carrying value of inventory to net realizable value. As of March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013, the Company had inventory obsolescence reserves of $2.3 million and $1.1 million, respectively.
	Costs associated with the procurement and warehousing of inventories, such as inbound freight charges and purchasing and receiving costs, are also included in cost of product revenue.
	Inventories were comprised of the following (in thousands):
		31-Mar-13				30-Sep-13
	Raw materials and components	$	8,207			$	7,406
	Work in process	846				753
	Finished goods	6,177				7,048
		$	15,230			$	15,207
	Deferred Contract Costs
	Deferred contract costs consist primarily of the costs of products delivered, and services performed, that are subject to additional performance obligations or customer acceptance. These deferred contract costs are expensed at the time the related revenue is recognized. Current deferred costs amounted to $2.1 million and $2.5 million as of March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013, respectively.
	Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets
	Prepaid expenses and other current assets consist primarily of prepaid insurance premiums, prepaid license fees, purchase deposits, advance payments to contractors, unbilled revenue, prepaid taxes and miscellaneous receivables.
	Property and Equipment
	Property and equipment were comprised of the following (in thousands):
		31-Mar-13				30-Sep-13
Land and land improvements	$	1,562			$	1,562
Buildings	15,918				15,889
Furniture, fixtures and office equipment	11,995				12,130
Leasehold improvements	58				58
Equipment leased to customers under Power Purchase Agreements	4,997				4,997
Plant equipment	10,620				10,333
Construction in progress	91				100
	45,241				45,069
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization	(17,294		)		(18,942		)
Net property and equipment	$	27,947			$	26,127
Depreciation is provided over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets, using the straight-line method. Depreciable lives by asset category are as follows:
Land improvements	10-15 years
Buildings and building improvements	3-39 years
Leasehold improvements	Shorter of asset life or life of lease
Furniture, fixtures and office equipment	2-10 years
Plant equipment	3-10 years
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
The costs of specifically identifiable intangible assets that do not have an indefinite life are amortized over their estimated useful lives. Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized. Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives are reviewed for impairment annually, as of January 1, or more frequently if impairment indicators arise. Amortizable intangible assets are amortized over their estimated economic useful life to reflect the pattern of economic benefits consumed based upon the following lives and methods:
Patents	10-17 years	Straight-line
Licenses	7-13 years	Straight-line
Customer relationships	5-8 years	Accelerated based upon the pattern of economic benefits consumed
Developed technology	8 years	Accelerated based upon the pattern of economic benefits consumed
Non-competition agreement	5 years	Straight-line
Indefinite lived intangible assets are evaluated for potential impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable based primarily upon whether expected future undiscounted cash flows are sufficient to support the asset recovery. If the actual useful life of the asset is shorter than the estimated life estimated by us, the asset may be deemed to be impaired and accordingly a write-down of the value of the asset determined by a discounted cash flow analysis or shorter amortization period may be required.
The change in the carrying value of goodwill for the six months ended September 30, 2013 was as follows (in thousands):
Balance at March 31, 2013	$	—
Acquisition of Harris	4,899
Balance at September 30, 2013	$	4,899
The components of, and changes in, the carrying amount of other intangible assets as of September 30, 2013 were as follows (in thousands):
	Gross Carrying Amount				Accumulated Amortization
Patents	$	2,335			$	(716	)
Licenses	58				(58		)
Trade name and trademarks	1,939				—
Customer relationships	3,100				(84		)
Developed technology	900				(5		)
Non-competition agreement	100				(1		)
Total	$	8,432			$	(864	)
As of September 30, 2013, the weighted average useful life of intangible assets was 7.8 years. The estimated amortization expense for each of the next five years is shown below (in thousands):
For the remaining 6 months of fiscal 2014	$	433
Fiscal 2015	1,217
Fiscal 2016	1,118
Fiscal 2017	808
Fiscal 2018	558
Fiscal 2019	397
Thereafter	1,098
Total	$	5,629
Long-Term Receivables
The Company records a long-term receivable for the non-current portion of its sales-type capital lease OTA contracts. The receivable is recorded at the net present value of the future cash flows from scheduled customer payments. The Company uses the implied cost of capital from each individual contract as the discount rate.
Also included in other long-term receivables are amounts due from a third party finance company to which the Company has sold, without recourse, the future cash flows from OTAs entered into with customers. Such receivables are recorded at the present value of the future cash flows discounted between 8.8% and 11%. As of September 30, 2013, the following amounts were due from the third party finance company in future periods (in thousands):
Fiscal 2014	$	616
Fiscal 2015	955
Fiscal 2016	309
Fiscal 2017	9
Total gross long-term receivable	1,889
Less: amount representing interest	(194		)
Net long-term receivable	$	1,695
Long-Term Inventories
The Company records long-term inventory for the non-current portion of its wireless controls finished goods inventory. The inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market value with cost determined using the FIFO method.
Other Long-Term Assets
Other long-term assets include long-term security deposits, prepaid licensing costs, a note receivable, deferred costs for a long-term contract, and deferred financing costs. Other long-term assets include $58,000 and $45,000 of deferred financing costs as of March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013, respectively. Deferred financing costs related to debt issuances are amortized to interest expense over the life of the related debt issue (1 to 10 years).
Accrued Expenses
Accrued expenses include warranty accruals, accrued wages and benefits, accrued vacation, accrued legal costs, accrued commissions, accrued acquisition earn-out liability, accrued project costs, sales tax payable and other various unpaid expenses. Accrued expenses include $1,300,000 and $0 of accrued reorganization and settlement costs as of March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013, respectively, and $0.7 million and $1.4 million of accrued project costs as of March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013, respectively.
The Company generally offers a limited warranty of one year on its lighting products in addition to those standard warranties offered by major original equipment component manufacturers. The manufacturers’ warranties cover lamps and ballasts, which are significant components in the Company’s lighting products. Included in other long-term liabilities is $0.1 million for warranty reserves related to solar operating systems.
Changes in the Company’s warranty accrual were as follows (in thousands):
	Three Months Ended September 30,							Six Months Ended September 30,
	2012				2013			2012			2013
Beginning of period	$	90			$	287		$	84		$	284
Provision (benefit) to product cost of revenue	126				(74		)	141			75
Charges	(129		)		(24		)	(138		)	(170		)
End of period	$	87			$	189		$	87		$	189
Revenue Recognition
Revenue is recognized on the sales of our lighting and related energy efficiency systems and products when the following four criteria are met:
•	persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists;
•	delivery has occurred and title has passed to the customer;
•	the sales price is fixed and determinable and no further obligation exists; and
•	collectability is reasonably assured.
These four criteria are met for the Company’s product-only revenue upon delivery of the product and title passing to the customer. At that time, the Company provides for estimated costs that may be incurred for product warranties and sales returns. Revenues are presented net of sales tax and other sales related taxes.
For sales of the Company’s lighting and energy management technologies, consisting of multiple elements of revenue, such as a combination of product sales and services, the Company determines revenue by allocating the total contract revenue to each element based on their relative selling prices in accordance with ASC 605-25, Revenue Recognition - Multiple Element Arrangements. In such circumstances, the Company uses a hierarchy to determine the selling price to be used for allocating revenue to deliverables: (1) vendor-specific objective evidence (VSOE) of fair value, if available, (2) third-party evidence (TPE) of selling price if VSOE is not available, and (3) best estimate of the selling price if neither VSOE nor TPE is available (a description as to how the Company determined estimated selling price is provided below).
The nature of the Company’s multiple element arrangements for the sale of its lighting and energy management technologies is similar to a construction project, with materials being delivered and contracting and project management activities occurring according to an installation schedule. The significant deliverables include the shipment of products and related transfer of title and the installation.
To determine the selling price in multiple-element arrangements, the Company established the selling price for its HIF lighting and energy management system products using management's best estimate of the selling price, as VSOE or TPE does not exist. Product revenue is recognized when products are shipped. For product revenue, management's best estimate of selling price is determined using a cost plus gross profit margin method. In addition, the Company records in service revenue the selling price for its installation and recycling services using management’s best estimate of selling price, as VSOE or TPE does not exist. Service revenue is recognized when services are completed and customer acceptance has been received. Recycling services provided in connection with installation entail the disposal of the customer’s legacy lighting fixtures. The Company’s service revenues, other than for installation and recycling that are completed prior to delivery of the product, are included in product revenue using management’s best estimate of selling price, as VSOE or TPE does not exist. These services include comprehensive site assessment, site field verification, utility incentive and government subsidy management, engineering design, and project management. For these services, along with the Company's installation and recycling services, under a multiple-element arrangement, management’s best estimate of selling price is determined by considering several external and internal factors including, but not limited to, economic conditions and trends, customer demand, pricing practices, margin objectives, competition, geographies in which the Company offers its products and services and internal costs. The determination of estimated selling price is made through consultation with and approval by management, taking into account all of the preceding factors.
For sales of solar photovoltaic systems, which are governed by customer contracts that require the Company to deliver functioning solar power systems and are generally completed within three to 15 months from the start of construction, the Company recognizes revenue from fixed price construction contracts using the percentage-of-completion method in accordance with ASC 605-35, Construction-Type and Production-Type Contracts. Under this method, revenue arising from fixed price construction contracts is recognized  as work is performed based upon the percentage of incurred costs to estimated total forecasted costs. The Company has determined that the appropriate method of measuring progress on these sales is measured by the percentage of costs incurred to date of the total estimated costs for each contract as materials are installed. The percentage-of-completion method requires revenue recognition from the delivery of products to be deferred and the cost of such products to be capitalized as a deferred cost and asset on the balance sheet. The Company performs periodic evaluations of the progress of the installation of the solar photovoltaic systems using actual costs incurred over total estimated costs to complete a project. Provisions for estimated losses on uncompleted contracts, if any, are recognized in the period in which the loss first becomes probable and reasonably estimable.
The Company offers a financing program, called an OTA, for a customer’s lease of the Company’s energy management systems. The OTA is structured as a sales-type lease and upon successful installation of the system and customer acknowledgment that the system is operating as specified, revenue is recognized at the Company’s net investment in the lease, which typically is the net present value of the future cash flows.
The Company offers a financing program, called a power purchase agreement, or PPA, for the Company’s renewable energy product offerings. A PPA is a supply side agreement for the generation of electricity and subsequent sale to the end user. Upon the customer’s acknowledgment that the system is operating as specified, product revenue is recognized on a monthly basis over the life of the PPA contract, which is typically in excess of 10 years.
Deferred revenue relates to advance customer billings, investment tax grants received related to PPAs and a separate obligation to provide maintenance on OTAs and is classified as a liability on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. The fair value of the maintenance is readily determinable based upon pricing from third-party vendors. Deferred revenue related to maintenance services is recognized when the services are delivered, which occurs in excess of a year after the original OTA contract is executed.
Income Taxes
The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the future tax consequences of temporary differences between financial reporting and income tax basis of assets and liabilities, measured using the enacted tax rates and laws expected to be in effect when the temporary differences reverse. Deferred income taxes also arise from the future tax benefits of operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. A valuation allowance is established when management determines that it is more likely than not that all or a portion of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. As of September 30, 2013, the Company had a valuation allowance of $5.2 million against its deferred tax assets.
ASC 740, Income Taxes, also prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination. The Company has classified the amounts recorded for uncertain tax benefits in the balance sheet as other liabilities (non-current) to the extent that payment is not anticipated within one year. The Company recognizes penalties and interest related to uncertain tax liabilities in income tax expense. Penalties and interest are immaterial and are included in the unrecognized tax benefits.
Deferred tax benefits have not been recognized for income tax effects resulting from the exercise of non-qualified stock options. These benefits will be recognized in the period in which the benefits are realized as a reduction in taxes payable and an increase in additional paid-in capital. For the six months ended September 30, 2012 and 2013, realized tax benefits from the exercise of stock options were $21,000 and $0, respectively.
Stock Option Plans
The Company did not issue any stock options during the three months ended September 30, 2013. The fair value of each option grant during the three and six months ended September 30, 2012 and 2013 was determined using the assumptions in the following table:
	Three Months Ended September 30,					Six Months Ended September 30,
	2012			2013		2012		2013
Weighted average expected term	6.0 years			N/A		5.6 years		4.1 years
Risk-free interest rate	0.9	%		N/A		0.8	%	0.8	%
Expected volatility	73	%		N/A		74.2	%	73.3	%
Expected forfeiture rate	15.1	%		N/A		15.1	%	21.4	%
Net Income (Loss) per Common Share
Basic net income (loss) per common share is computed by dividing net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period and does not consider common stock equivalents.
Diluted net income (loss) per common share reflects the dilution that would occur if warrants and stock options were exercised. In the computation of diluted net income (loss) per common share, the Company uses the “treasury stock” method for outstanding options, warrants and restricted shares. Diluted net loss per common share was the same as basic net loss per common share for the three and six months ended September 30, 2012, because the effects of potentially dilutive securities were anti-dilutive. The effect of net income (loss) per common share is calculated based upon the following shares (in thousands except share amounts):
	Three Months Ended September 30,							Six Months Ended September 30,
	2012				2013			2012			2013
Numerator:
Net income (loss) (in thousands)	$	(9,659	)		$	2,403		$	(11,599	)	$	1,622
Denominator:
Weighted-average common shares outstanding	21,075,624				21,089,917			21,814,321			20,634,333
Weighted-average effect of assumed conversion of stock options and warrants	—				452,025			—			468,516
Weighted-average common shares and common share equivalents outstanding	21,075,624				21,541,942			21,814,321			21,102,849
Net income (loss) per common share:
Basic	$	(0.46	)		$	0.11		$	(0.53	)	$	0.08
Diluted	$	(0.46	)		$	0.11		$	(0.53	)	$	0.08
The following table indicates the number of potentially dilutive securities outstanding as of the end of each period:
	30-Sep-12			30-Sep-13
Common stock options	4,321,571			3,195,917
Restricted shares	163,750			462,537
Common stock warrants	38,980			38,980
Total	4,524,301			3,697,434
Concentration of Credit Risk and Other Risks and Uncertainties
The Company previously depended on one supplier for a number of components necessary for its lighting products, including ballasts and lamps. Currently, the Company has been able to obtain these components from multiple suppliers. For the three months ended September 30, 2012, purchases from two suppliers accounted for 11% and 12% of total cost of revenue. For the six months ended September 30, 2012, no supplier accounted for more than 10% of total cost of revenue. For the three and six months ended September 30, 2013, no supplier accounted for more than 10% of total cost of revenue.
The Company previously purchased a majority of its solar panels from one supplier for its sales of solar generating systems through its Orion Engineered Systems Division. Currently, the Company has been able to obtain panels from multiple suppliers. For the three and six months ended September 30, 2012, panel purchases from one supplier accounted for 11% and 6% of total cost of revenue, respectively. For the three and six months ended September 30, 2013, panel purchases from one supplier accounted for 11% and 12% of total cost of revenue, respectively.
For the three and six months ended September 30, 2012, no customers accounted for more than 10% of revenue. For the three and six months ended September 30, 2013, one customer accounted for 33% and 28% of revenue, respectively.
As of March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013, no customer accounted for more than 10% of accounts receivable.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In July 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2013-11 ("ASU 2013-11"), “Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists." ASU 2013-11 requires an entity to present an unrecognized tax benefit, or a portion of an unrecognized tax benefit, in the financial statements as a reduction to the deferred tax asset for a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward. The provisions of ASU 2013-11 are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2013-11.

Acquisition_Notes

Acquisition (Notes)	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Business Combinations [Abstract]	'
ACQUISITION	'
	ACQUISITION
	On July 1, 2013, the Company acquired all of the equity interests of Harris Manufacturing, Inc. and Harris LED, LLC (collectively, Harris). Harris is a Florida-based lighting company which engineers, designs, sources and manufactures energy efficient lighting systems, including fluorescent and LED lighting solutions, and day-lighting products.
	The acquisition of Harris expands the Company's product lines, including a patent pending LED lighting product designed for commercial office buildings, increases its sales force and provides growth opportunities into markets where the Company has previously not had a strong presence, specifically, new construction, retail store fronts, commercial office and government.
	The acquisition was consummated pursuant to a Stock and Unit Purchase Agreement, dated as of May 22, 2013 (Purchase Agreement), by and among Harris, the shareholders and members of Harris (Harris Shareholders), and the Company. The acquisition consideration paid to the Harris Shareholders was valued under the Purchase Agreement at an aggregate of $10.0 million, plus an adjustment of approximately $0.2 million to reflect the Company's acquisition of net working capital in excess of a targeted amount, plus an additional $0.6 million for the contingent consideration earn-out value assigned to non-employee Harris shareholders. The aggregate acquisition consideration was paid through a combination of $5.0 million in cash, $3.2 million in a three-year unsecured subordinated promissory note and the issuance of 856,997 shares of unregistered Company common stock. For purposes of the acquisition and the acquisition consideration, the shares of common stock issued in the acquisition of Harris were valued at $2.33 per share, which was the average closing share price as reported on the NYSE MKT for the 45 trading days preceding and the 22 trading days following the execution of the Purchase Agreement. For purposes of applying the purchase accounting provisions of ASC 805, Business Combinations, the shares of common stock issued in the acquisition were valued at $2.41 per share, which was the closing sale price of the Company's common stock as reported on the NYSE MKT on the July 1, 2013, date of acquisition.
	Total revenues and pre-tax income from the Harris business since the date of acquisition included in the accompanying consolidated statements of income for the three months ended September 30, 2013 were $4.2 million and $0.1 million, respectively. The Company incurred $0.4 million in acquisition related costs for Harris during the six months ended September 30, 2013, which included contingent consideration, legal, accounting and other integration related expenses.
	The Purchase Agreement contains customary representations and warranties as well as indemnification obligations, and limitations thereon, by the Company and the Harris Shareholders to each other.
	The following table summarizes the consideration paid to the Harris Shareholders and the preliminary fair value allocation of the purchase price (in thousands):
	Consideration paid to Harris Shareholders:
	Cash	$	5,000
	Seller provided debt	3,158
	Shares of Company common stock	2,065
	Contingent consideration arrangement	612
	Total consideration paid	$	10,835
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	8
	Accounts receivable, net	2,215
	Inventories	1,633
	Other current assets	86
	Property, plant and equipment	117
	Deferred tax asset	141
	Identifiable intangible assets:
	Customer relationships	3,100
	Non-competition agreement	100
	Developed technology	900
	Trade name and trademarks	1,900
	Accounts payable	(1,519		)
	Deferred tax liabilities	(2,219		)
	Accrued and other liabilities	(526		)
	Total identifiable net assets	5,936
	Goodwill	4,899
		$	10,835
	Prior to the amendment discussed in Note K, the contingent consideration arrangement required the Company to pay the Harris Shareholders up to $1.0 million in unregistered shares of the Company's common stock upon Harris' achievement of certain revenue milestones in calendar year 2013 and/or 2014, and, in the case of certain Harris Shareholders who became employees of the Company, their continued employment by the Company. The potential undiscounted amount of all future payments that the Company could be required to make under the contingent consideration arrangement is between $0 and $1.0 million. The Company recorded $0.6 million for the non-employee Harris Shareholder portion of the contingent consideration liability. Contingent consideration of $0.6 million for employee Harris Shareholders will be recorded as compensation expense through the end of calendar 2014. During the three and six months ended September 30, 2013, the Company expensed $0.2 million in compensation expense.
	As part of the preliminary purchase price allocation, the Company determined that the separately identifiable intangible assets acquired consisted of customer relationships, developed technology, trademarks and trade names, and non-competition agreements. The fair value of the acquired identifiable intangible assets and the goodwill in the table above are provisional pending completion of the final valuations for those assets. All of the intangible asset value was assigned to the Company's Energy Management segment.
	The separately identifiable intangible assets acquired that do not have an indefinite life are amortized over their estimated economic useful life to reflect the pattern of economic benefits consumed based upon the following lives and methods:
	Customer relationships	5-8 years	Accelerated based upon the pattern of economic benefits consumed
	Developed technology	8 years	Accelerated based upon the pattern of economic benefits consumed
	Non-competition agreement	5 years	Straight-line
	Trade name and trademarks	N/A	Indefinite life
	The Company used the income approach to value the customer relationships, developed technology and non-competition agreements. This approach calculates the fair value by discounting the forecasted after-tax cash flows for each intangible asset back to a present value at an appropriate risk-adjusted rate of return. The data for these analyses was the cash flow estimates used to price the transaction. Fair value estimates are based on a complex series of judgments about future events and uncertainties and rely heavily on estimates and assumptions.
	In estimating the useful lives of the acquired assets, the Company considered ASC 350-30-35, General Intangibles Other Than Goodwill, and reviewed the following factors: the expected use by the combined company of the assets acquired, the expected useful life of another asset (or group of assets) related to the acquired assets, legal, regulatory or other contractual provisions that may limit the useful life of an acquired asset, the effects of obsolescence, demand, competition and other economic factors, and the level of maintenance expenditures required to obtain the expected future cash flows from the assets. The Company will amortize these intangible assets over their estimated economic useful lives.
	The goodwill of $4.9 million arising from the Harris acquisition consists largely of the synergies and economies of scale expected from combining operations, and, to a lesser extent, the assembled workforce of Harris. All of the goodwill was assigned to the Company's Energy Management segment. None of the acquired goodwill is expected to be deductible for tax purposes.
	The following unaudited pro forma condensed combined results of operations for the six months ended September 30, 2012 and 2013, respectively, are based on the historical financial statements of Orion and Harris giving effect to the business combination as if it had occurred at the beginning of the period presented. Therefore, this pro forma data has been adjusted to include amortization of purchased intangible assets and interest on the promissory note delivered as part of the purchase price during the entire applicable periods. Additionally, the tax benefit of $2.2 million recorded during the six months ended September 30, 2013 was eliminated and the tax benefit was recorded during the six month period ended September 30, 2012. This data is not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that would have been generated if the transaction had occurred at the beginning of the respective periods. Moreover, this data is not intended to be indicative of future results of operations.
		Acquisition of Harris Pro Forma Results of Operations
		Six Months Ended September 30,
	(In Thousands):	2012			2013
	Revenue	41,976			52,592
	Net loss available to common shareholders	(9,118	)		(622	)
	Loss per share:
	Basic	(0.41	)		(0.03	)
	Diluted	(0.41	)		(0.03	)
	The supplemental pro forma results above exclude any benefits that may result from the acquisition due to synergies that are expected to be derived from the elimination of any duplicative costs. In addition, the pro forma results for the six months ended September 30, 2013 were adjusted to exclude non-recurring aggregate acquisition-related costs of $0.2 million that were incurred in 2013.

Related_Party_Transactions

Related Party Transactions	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]	'
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS	'
	RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
	During the six months ended September 30, 2012 and 2013, the Company had no related party transactions.

Debt

Debt	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
DEBT	'
	DEBT
	Long-term debt as of March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013 consisted of the following (in thousands):
		31-Mar-13			30-Sep-13
	Term note	$	263		$	122
	Harris seller's note	—			3,158
	Customer equipment finance notes payable	4,408			3,245
	First mortgage note payable	694			651
	Debenture payable	721			698
	Other long-term debt	620			493
	Total long-term debt	6,706			8,367
	Less current maturities	(2,597		)	(3,326		)
	Long-term debt, less current maturities	$	4,109		$	5,041
	New Debt Arrangement
	On July 1, 2013, the Company issued an unsecured and subordinated promissory note agreement in the principal amount of $3.2 million to partially fund the acquisition of Harris. The note is included in the table above as Harris seller's note. The note bears interest at the rate of 4% per annum. Principal and interest are payable quarterly and the note matures in July 2016.
	Revolving Credit Agreement
	The Company has an amended credit agreement (Credit Agreement) with JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan). The Credit Agreement provides for a revolving credit facility (Credit Facility) that matures on August 30, 2014. Borrowings under the Credit Facility are limited to $15.0 million, subject to a borrowing base requirement when the outstanding principal balance of loans under the Credit Facility is greater than $5.0 million. Such commitment includes a $2.0 million sublimit for the issuance of letters of credit. As of September 30, 2013, the Company had outstanding letters of credit totaling $1.7 million, primarily for securing collateral requirements under equipment operating leases. There were no borrowings outstanding under the Credit Agreement as of March 31, 2013 or September 30, 2013. In February 2013, the Company completed an amendment to the Credit Agreement making certain changes to the financial covenants, which are described below. In August 2013, the Company completed an additional amendment to extend the maturity date of the Credit Agreement to August 30, 2014.
	The Credit Agreement requires the Company to maintain (i) a ratio of total liabilities to tangible net worth not to exceed 0.50 to 1.00 as of the last day of any fiscal quarter, (ii) average daily unencumbered liquidity of at least $20.0 million during each period of three consecutive business days and (iii) EBITDA of at least $1.0 million during each fiscal quarter. The Credit Agreement also contains certain restrictions on the ability of the Company to make capital or lease expenditures over prescribed limits, incur additional indebtedness, consolidate or merge, guarantee obligations of third parties, make loans or advances, declare or pay any dividend or distribution on its stock, redeem or repurchase shares of its stock or pledge assets. The Company was in compliance with all covenants in the Credit Agreement as of September 30, 2013.
	The Credit Agreement is secured by a first priority security interest in the Company’s accounts receivable, inventory and general intangibles, and a second priority security interest in the Company’s equipment and fixtures. All OTAs, PPAs, leases, supply agreements and/or similar agreements relating to solar PV and wind turbine systems or facilities, as well as all accounts receivable and assets of the Company related to the foregoing, are excluded from these liens, except to the extent the Company elects to finance any such assets with JP Morgan.
	Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear interest based on LIBOR plus an applicable margin (Applicable Margin), which ranges from 2.0% to 3.0% per annum based on the Company's debt service coverage ratio from time to time. The Company must pay a fee ranging between 0.25% and 0.50% per annum on the average daily unused amount of the Credit Facility (with the amount of such fee based on the Company's debt service coverage ratio from time to time) and a fee in the amount of the Applicable Margin on the daily average face amount of undrawn issued letters of credit. The fee on unused amounts is waived if the Company or its affiliates maintain funds on deposit with JP Morgan or its affiliates above a specified amount. The deposit threshold requirement was not met as of September 30, 2013.
	OTA Credit Agreement
	The Company has a credit agreement with JP Morgan that provided up to $5.0 million that was immediately available to fund completed customer contracts under its OTA finance program. The Company had one year from the date of the commitment to borrow under the credit agreement, which expired on September 30, 2012 for new borrowings. As of September 30, 2013, the Company had $2.2 million outstanding under the credit agreement. There were no new borrowings during fiscal 2013. The loan amount is collateralized by the OTA-related equipment and the expected future monthly payments under the supporting 39 individual OTA customer contracts. The current loan amount under the credit agreement bears interest at LIBOR plus 4% and matures in December 2016. In February 2013, the Company completed an amendment to the credit agreement making certain changes to the financial covenants requiring the Company to maintain (i) average daily unencumbered liquidity of at least $20.0 million during each period of three consecutive business days and (ii) EBITDA of at least $1.0 million during each fiscal quarter. The Company was in compliance with all covenants, as amended, in the credit agreement as of September 30, 2013.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
INCOME TAXES	'
	INCOME TAXES
	The income tax provision for the six months ended September 30, 2013 was determined by applying an estimated annual effective tax rate. The estimated annual tax rate is modified to exclude the effect of losses from jurisdictions where the tax benefits cannot be recognized. Items discreet to a specific quarter are reflected in the tax expense for that period. The estimated effective income tax rate was determined by applying statutory tax rates to pretax loss adjusted for certain permanent book to tax differences and tax credits. As of September 30, 2013, the Company recorded a decrease in its valuation allowance of $2.2 million as a result of the Harris acquisition. ASC 805, Business Combinations, requires the release of all or part of an acquirer's valuation allowance as a result of a business combination to be recorded at the acquisition date. The valuation allowance adjustment considers the projected combined results and available taxable differences resulting from the Harris acquisition. As of September 30, 2013, the Company had recorded a valuation allowance of $5.2 million, equaling the net deferred tax asset due to the uncertainty of its realization value in the future. ASC 740, Income Taxes, requires that a deferred tax asset be reduced by a valuation allowance if there is less than a 50% chance that it will be realized. The determination of the realization of deferred tax assets requires considerable judgment. ASC 740 prescribes the consideration of both positive and negative evidence in evaluating the need for a valuation allowance. Negative evidence for the Company includes a cumulative three year operating loss and limited visibility into future earnings. While the Company has positive evidence with a strong backlog of orders, the Company has determined that the current negative evidence outweighs the current positive evidence and has concluded to record a valuation allowance. The estimated effective income tax rate was determined by applying statutory tax rates to pretax income (loss) adjusted for certain permanent book to tax differences and tax credits.
	Below is a reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax rate and the effective income tax rate:
		Six Months Ended September 30,
		2012		2013
	Statutory federal tax rate	(34.0	)%	34	%
	State taxes, net	(2.4	)%	0.3	%
	Federal tax credit	(2.0	)%	17.1	%
	State tax credit	0.4	%	5.8	%
	Change in valuation reserve	92.7	%	345.8	%
	Permanent items	1.2	%	(1.0	)%
	Change in tax contingency reserve	(0.1	)%	(4.0	)%
	Other, net	(2.0	)%	(2.5	)%
	Effective income tax rate	53.8	%	395.5	%
	The Company is eligible for tax benefits associated with the excess of the tax deduction available for exercises of non-qualified stock options, or NQSOs, over the amount recorded at grant. The amount of the benefit is based on the ultimate deduction reflected in the applicable income tax return. Benefits of $0.1 million were recorded in fiscal 2013 as a reduction in taxes payable and a credit to additional paid in capital based on the amount that was utilized during the year. Benefits of $0 were recorded for the six months ended September 30, 2013.
	As of September 30, 2013, the Company had federal net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $15.1 million, of which $3.0 million are associated with the exercise of NQSOs that have not yet been recognized by the Company. The Company also has state net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $15.5 million, of which $4.1 million are associated with the exercise of NQSOs. The Company also has federal tax credit carryforwards of approximately $1.5 million and state tax credits of $0.5 million. As of September 30, 2013, the Company has recorded a valuation allowance of $5.2 million, equaling the net deferred tax asset due to the uncertainty of its realization value in the future. The Company considers future taxable income and ongoing prudent and feasible tax planning strategies in assessing the need for the valuation allowance. In the event that the Company determines that the deferred tax assets are able to be realized, an adjustment to the deferred tax asset would increase income in the period such determination is made.
	Uncertain Tax Positions
	As of September 30, 2013, the balance of gross unrecognized tax benefits was approximately $0.2 million, all of which would reduce the Company’s effective tax rate if recognized. The Company does not expect this amount to change during fiscal 2014 as none of the issues are currently under examination, the statutes of limitations do not expire within the period, and the Company is not aware of any pending litigation. Due to the existence of net operating loss and credit carryforwards, all years since 2002 are open to examination by tax authorities.
	The Company has classified the amounts recorded for uncertain tax benefits in the balance sheet as other liabilities (non-current) to the extent that payment is not anticipated within one year. The Company recognizes penalties and interest related to uncertain tax liabilities in income tax expense. Penalties and interest are immaterial as of the date of adoption and are included in the unrecognized tax benefits. For the six months ended September 30, 2012 and 2013, the Company had the following unrecognized tax benefit activity (in thousands):
		Six Months Ended September 30,
		2012			2013
	Unrecognized tax benefits as of beginning of period	$	401		$	188
	Additions based on tax positions related to the current period positions	—			22
	Unrecognized tax benefits as of end of period	$	401		$	210

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	'
	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
	Operating Leases and Purchase Commitments
	The Company leases vehicles, equipment and facility space under operating leases expiring at various dates through 2021. Rent expense under operating leases was $0.4 million and $0.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2012 and 2013, respectively; and $0.9 million and $0.6 million for the six months ended September 30, 2012 and 2013, respectively. The Company enters into non-cancellable purchase commitments for certain inventory items in order to secure better pricing and ensure materials are on hand to meet anticipated order volume and customer expectations, as well as for capital expenditures. As of September 30, 2013, the Company had entered into $8.0 million of purchase commitments related to fiscal 2014, including $1.0 million for operating lease commitments and $3.4 million for inventory purchase commitments.

Shareholders_Equity

Shareholders' Equity	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]	'
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	'
	SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
	Shareholder Rights Plan
	On January 7, 2009, the Company’s Board of Directors adopted a shareholder rights plan and declared a dividend distribution of one common share purchase right (Right) for each outstanding share of the Company’s common stock. The issuance date for the distribution of the Rights was February 15, 2009 to shareholders of record on February 1, 2009. Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one share of the Company’s common stock at a price of $30.00 per share, subject to adjustment (Purchase Price).
	The Rights will not be exercisable (and will be transferable only with the Company’s common stock) until a “Distribution Date” occurs (or the Rights are earlier redeemed or expire). A Distribution Date generally will occur on the earlier of a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (Acquiring Person) has acquired beneficial ownership of 20% or more of the Company’s outstanding common stock (Shares Acquisition Date) or 10 business days after the commencement of, or the announcement of an intention to make, a tender offer or exchange offer that would result in any such person or group of persons acquiring such beneficial ownership.
	If a person becomes an Acquiring Person, holders of Rights (except as otherwise provided in the shareholder rights plan) will have the right to receive that number of shares of the Company’s common stock having a market value of two times the then-current Purchase Price, and all Rights beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person, or by certain related parties or transferees, will be null and void. If, after a Shares Acquisition Date, the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction or 50% or more of its consolidated assets or earning power are sold, proper provision will be made so that each holder of a Right (except as otherwise provided in the shareholder rights plan) will thereafter have the right to receive that number of shares of the acquiring company’s common stock which at the time of such transaction will have a market value of two times the then-current Purchase Price.
	Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a shareholder of the Company. At any time prior to a person becoming an Acquiring Person, the Board of Directors of the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $0.001 per Right. Unless they are extended or earlier redeemed or exchanged, the Rights will expire on January 7, 2019.
	Employee Stock Purchase Plan
	In August 2010, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a non-compensatory employee stock purchase plan, or ESPP. The ESPP authorizes 2,500,000 shares to be issued from treasury or authorized shares to satisfy employee share purchases under the ESPP. All full-time employees of the Company are eligible to be granted a non-transferable purchase right each calendar quarter to purchase directly from the Company up to $20,000 of the Company’s common stock at a purchase price equal to 100% of the closing sale price of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE MKT exchange on the last trading day of each quarter. The ESPP allows for employee loans from the Company, except for Section 16 officers, limited to 20% of an individual’s annual income and no more than $250,000 outstanding at any one time. Interest on the loans is charged at the 10-year loan IRS rate and is payable at the end of each calendar year or upon loan maturity. The loans are secured by a pledge of any and all the Company’s shares purchased by the participant under the ESPP and the Company has full recourse against the employee, including offset against compensation payable. As of March 31, 2013, the Company had halted the loan program. The Company had the following shares issued from treasury as of March 31, 2013 and for the six months ended September 30, 2013:
		Shares Issued Under ESPP	Closing Market	Shares Issued Under Loan	Dollar Value of		Repayment of
		Plan	Price	Program	Loans Issued		Loans
	Cumulative through March 31, 2013	150,408	$1.66-4.04	128,143	$	361,550	$	96,441
	Quarter Ended June 30, 2013	990	$2.48	—	—		823
	Quarter Ended September 30, 2013	702	$3.76	—	—		118,309
	Total as of September 30, 2013	152,100	$1.66 - 4.04	128,143	$	361,550	$	215,573
	Loans issued to employees are reflected on the Company’s balance sheet as a contra-equity account.
	Share Repurchase Program
	In October 2011, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program authorizing the Company to repurchase in aggregate up to a maximum of $1.0 million of the Company’s outstanding common stock. In November 2011, the Company’s Board of Directors approved an increase to the share repurchase program authorizing the Company to repurchase in aggregate up to a maximum of $2.5 million of the Company’s outstanding common stock. In April 2012, the Company’s Board approved another increase to the share repurchase program authorizing the Company to repurchase in aggregate up to a maximum of $7.5 million of the Company’s outstanding common stock. As of September 30, 2013, the Company had repurchased a total of 3.0 million shares of common stock at a cost of $6.8 million under the program. The Company does not intend to repurchase any additional common stock under this program in the near-term.

Stock_Options_Restricted_Share

Stock Options, Restricted Shares and Warrants	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]	'
STOCK OPTIONS, RESTRICTED SHARES AND WARRANTS	'
	STOCK OPTIONS, RESTRICTED SHARES AND WARRANTS
	The Company grants stock options and restricted stock awards under its 2003 Stock Option and 2004 Stock and Incentive Awards Plans (Plans). Under the terms of the Plans, the Company has reserved 13,500,000 shares for issuance to key employees, consultants and directors. The options generally vest and become exercisable ratably between 1 month and 5 years although longer and shorter vesting periods have been used in certain circumstances. Exercisability of the options granted to employees are generally contingent on the employees’ continued employment and non-vested options are subject to forfeiture if employment terminates for any reason. Options under the Plans have a maximum life of 10 years. In the past, the Company has granted both ISOs and NQSOs, although in July 2008, the Company adopted a policy of thereafter only granting NQSOs. Certain non-employee directors have elected to receive stock awards in lieu of cash compensation pursuant to elections made under the Company’s non-employee director compensation program. The Plans also provide to certain employees accelerated vesting in the event of certain changes of control of the Company as well as under other special circumstances.
	In fiscal 2011, the Company converted all of its existing ISO awards to NQSO awards. No consideration was given to the employees for their voluntary conversion of ISO awards.
	In June 2012, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors approved the issuance of restricted shares under the Plans to key employees to provide an opportunity for such employees to earn long-term equity incentive awards. In May 2013, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors changed the Company's long-term equity incentive grant policy so that only restricted shares are issued to all employees under the Plans. The restricted shares are settled in Company stock when the restriction period ends. Compensation cost for restricted shares granted to employees is recognized ratably over the vesting term, which is between three to five years. Settlement of the shares is contingent on the employees’ continued employment and non-vested shares are subject to forfeiture if employment terminates for any reason. For the three months ended September 30, 2013, an aggregate of 202,083 of restricted shares were granted valued at a price per share between $2.41 and $3.88, which was the closing market price as of each grant date. For the six months ended September 30, 2013, an aggregate of 388,871 of restricted shares were granted valued at a price per share between $2.41 and $3.88, which was the closing market price as of each grant date.
	For the three and six months ended September 30, 2012, the Company issued zero and 13,547 shares under the Plans to certain non-employee directors who elected to receive stock awards in lieu of cash compensation. The shares were valued at $2.03, the closing market price as of the issuance date. For the three and six months ended September 30, 2013, the Company issued 7,412 and 21,126 shares under the Plans to certain non-employee directors who elected to receive stock awards in lieu of cash compensation. The shares were valued ranging from $2.41 per share to $3.88 per share, the closing market price as of the issuance dates. Additionally, during the three and six months ended September 30, 2012, the Company issued zero and 3,000 shares to a consultant as part of a consulting compensation agreement. The shares were valued at $2.03 per share, the closing market price as of the issuance date.
	The following amounts of stock-based compensation were recorded (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended September 30,								Six Months Ended September 30,
		2012				2013				2012			2013
	Cost of product revenue	$	26			$	17			$	57		$	37
	General and administrative	269				230				419			451
	Sales and marketing	102				57				279			183
	Research and development	7				2				15			5
	Total	$	404			$	306			$	770		$	676
	As of September 30, 2013, compensation cost related to non-vested common stock-based compensation, excluding restricted share awards, amounted to $2.2 million over a remaining weighted average expected term of 6.5 years.
	The following table summarizes information with respect to the Plans:
		Options Outstanding
		Shares			Number			Weighted				Weighted	Aggregate
		Available for			of Shares			Average				Average	Intrinsic
		Grant						Exercise				Remaining	Value
								Price				Contractual
												Term (in years)
	Balance at March 31, 2013	1,632,778			3,312,523			$	3.42			6.54
	Granted stock options	(305,544	)		305,544			2.41
	Granted shares	(21,126	)		—			—
	Restricted shares	(388,871	)		—			—
	Forfeited restricted shares	8,250			—			—
	Forfeited stock options	323,550			(323,550	)		3.43
	Exercised	—			(98,600	)		2.28
	Balance at September 30, 2013	1,249,037			3,195,917			$	3.36			6.6	$	3,093,399
	Exercisable at September 30, 2013				1,647,530			$	4.08			5.15	$	1,142,506
	The aggregate intrinsic value represents the total pre-tax intrinsic value, which is calculated as the difference between the exercise price of the underlying stock options and the fair value of the Company’s closing common stock price of $3.76 as of September 30, 2013.
	A summary of the status of the Company’s outstanding non-vested stock options as of September 30, 2013 was as follows:
	Non-vested at March 31, 2013	1,747,805
	Granted	305,544
	Vested	(181,412	)
	Forfeited	(323,550	)
	Non-vested at September 30, 2013	1,548,387
	During the first half of fiscal 2014, the Company granted restricted shares as follows (which are included in the above stock plan activity tables):
	Balance at March 31, 2013	105,000
	Shares issued	388,871
	Shares vested	(23,084		)
	Shares forfeited	(8,250		)
	Shares outstanding at September 30, 2013	462,537
	Per share price on grant date	$2.41-3.88
	Compensation expense for six months ended September 30, 2013	$	95,121
	As of September 30, 2013, the amount of deferred stock-based compensation related to grants of restricted shares, to be recognized over a remaining period of 3.8 years, was approximately $1.0 million.
	The Company has previously issued warrants in connection with various private placement stock offerings and services rendered. The warrants granted the holder the option to purchase common stock at specified prices for a specified period of time. No warrants were issued in fiscal 2013 or during the six months ended September 30, 2013.
	A summary of outstanding warrants at September 30, 2013 follows:
		Number of			Exercise Price				Expiration
		Shares
	Balance at March 31, 2013	38,980			$	2.25			Fiscal 2015
	Balance at September 30, 2013	38,980			$	2.25			Fiscal 2015

Segments

Segments	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
SEGMENTS	'
	SEGMENTS
	The descriptions of the Company’s segments and their summary financial information are presented below.
	Energy Management
	The Energy Management Division develops, manufactures, integrates and sells commercial HIF and other lighting systems and energy management systems.
	Engineered Systems
	The Engineered Systems Division sells and integrates alternative renewable energy systems, such as solar and wind systems.
	Corporate and Other
	Corporate and Other is comprised of operating expenses not directly allocated to the Company’s segments and adjustments to reconcile to consolidated results, which primarily include intercompany eliminations.
		Revenues				Operating Income (Loss)
		For the Three Months Ended September 30,				For the Three Months Ended September 30,
		2012		2013		2012			2013
	(dollars in thousands)
	Segments:
	Energy Management	$	16,652	$	18,410	$	(453	)	$	1,123
	Engineered Systems	2,756		9,085		(661		)	911
	Corporate and Other	—		—		(2,990		)	(1,826		)
		$	19,408	$	27,495	$	(4,104	)	$	208
		Revenues				Operating Income (Loss)
		For the Six Months Ended September 30,				For the Six Months Ended September 30,
		2012		2013		2012			2013
	(dollars in thousands)
	Segments:
	Energy Management	$	29,252	$	34,300	$	(2,211	)	$	1,271
	Engineered Systems	5,466		14,047		(1,057		)	1,114
	Corporate and Other	—		—		(4,414		)	(3,006		)
		$	34,718	$	48,347	$	(7,682	)	$	(621	)
		Total Assets				Deferred Revenue
		31-Mar-13		30-Sep-13		31-Mar-13			30-Sep-13
	(dollars in thousands)
	Segments:
	Energy Management	$	58,627	$	64,789	$	564		$	420
	Engineered Systems	9,339		9,180		3,640			1,757
	Corporate and Other	34,131		36,366		—			—
		$	102,097	$	110,335	$	4,204		$	2,177
	The Company’s revenue and long-lived assets outside the United States are insignificant.

Subsequent_Events_Notes

Subsequent Events (Notes)	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Subsequent Events [Abstract]	'
SUBSEQUENT EVENTS	'
	SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
	On October 21, 2013, the Company executed a letter agreement amending the Purchase Agreement for the Harris acquisition. The letter agreement established a fixed future consideration of $1.4 million for the previously existing earn-out component of the Purchase Agreement and eliminated the requirement that certain revenue targets must be achieved. Under the letter agreement, on January 1, 2014, the Company will issue $0.6 million in unregistered shares of the Company's common stock. The fixed consideration was determined based upon the existing share calculation at a fair value of $3.80 per common share. On January 1, 2015, the Company will pay $0.8 million in cash to settle all outstanding obligations related to the earn-out component of the Purchase Agreement.

Summary_of_Significant_Account1

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Principles of Consolidation	'
	Principles of Consolidation
	The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Orion Energy Systems, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.
Reclassifications	'
	Reclassifications
	Where appropriate, certain reclassifications have been made to prior years’ financial statements to conform to the current year presentation.
Basis of Presentation	'
	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) for interim financial information and with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the year ending March 31, 2014 or other interim periods.
	The condensed consolidated balance sheet at March 31, 2013 has been derived from the audited and adjusted consolidated financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information required by GAAP for complete financial statements.
	The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 14, 2013.
Use of Estimates	'
	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during that reporting period. Areas that require the use of significant management estimates include revenue recognition, inventory obsolescence and bad debt reserves, accruals for warranty expenses, income taxes and certain equity transactions. Accordingly, actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents	'
	Cash and Cash Equivalents
	The Company considers all highly liquid, short-term investments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents.
Short-Term Investments	'
	Short-Term Investments
	The amortized cost and fair value of short-term investments, with gross unrealized gains and losses, as of March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013 were as follows (in thousands):
	31-Mar-13
		Amortized				Unrealized			Unrealized			Fair Value			Cash and Cash			Short-term
		Cost				Gains			Losses						Equivalents			Investments
	Money market funds	$	487			$	—		$	—		$	487		$	487		$	—
	Bank certificate of deposit	1,021				—			—			1,021			—			1,021
	Total	$	1,508			$	—		$	—		$	1,508		$	487		$	1,021
	30-Sep-13
		Amortized				Unrealized			Unrealized			Fair Value			Cash and Cash			Short-term
		Cost				Gains			Losses						Equivalents			Investments
	Money market funds	$	488			$	—		$	—		$	488		$	488		$	—
	Bank certificate of deposit	1,024				—			—			1,024			—			1,024
	Total	$	1,512			$	—		$	—		$	1,512		$	488		$	1,024
	As of March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013, the Company’s financial assets described in the table above were measured at cost which approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of the investment (level 1 inputs).
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	'
	Fair Value of Financial Instruments
	The Company’s financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses and other and long-term debt. The carrying amounts of the Company’s financial instruments approximate their respective fair values due to the relatively short-term nature of these instruments, or in the case of long-term, because of the interest rates currently available to the Company for similar obligations. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. GAAP describes a fair value hierarchy based on the following three levels of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable, that may be used to measure fair value:
	Level 1 — Valuations are based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
	Level 2 — Valuations are based on quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, or quoted prices in markets that are not active for which significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.
	Level 3 — Valuations are based on prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement. Inputs reflect management's best estimate of what market participants would use in valuing the asset or liability at the measurement date.
Accounts Receivable	'
	Accounts Receivable
	The majority of the Company’s accounts receivable are due from companies in the commercial, industrial and agricultural industries, as well as wholesalers. Credit is extended based on an evaluation of a customer’s financial condition. Generally, collateral is not required for end users; however, the payment of certain trade accounts receivable from wholesalers is secured by irrevocable standby letters of credit and/or guarantees. Accounts receivable are generally due within 30-60 days. Accounts receivable are stated at the amount the Company expects to collect from outstanding balances. The Company provides for probable uncollectible amounts through a charge to earnings and a credit to an allowance for doubtful accounts based on its assessment of the current status of individual accounts. Balances that are still outstanding after the Company has used reasonable collection efforts are written off through a charge to the allowance for doubtful accounts and a credit to accounts receivable.
Financing Receivables	'
	Financing Receivables
	The Company considers its lease balances included in consolidated current and long-term accounts receivable from its Orion Throughput Agreement, or OTA, sales-type leases to be financing receivables. Additional disclosures on the credit quality of the Company’s financing receivables are as follows:
	Aging Analysis as of September 30, 2013 (in thousands):
		Not Past Due				1-90 days			Greater than 90			Total past due			Total sales-type
						past due			days past due						leases
	Lease balances included in consolidated accounts receivable—current	$	2,667			$	97		$	187		$	284		$	2,951
	Lease balances included in consolidated accounts receivable—long-term	2,618				—			—			—			2,618
	Total gross sales-type leases	5,285				97			187			284			5,569
	Allowance	—				—			(84		)	(84		)	(84		)
	Total net sales-type leases	$	5,285			$	97		$	103		$	200		$	5,485
	Allowance for Credit Losses on Financing Receivables
	The Company’s allowance for credit losses is based on management’s assessment of the collectability of customer accounts. A considerable amount of judgment is required in order to make this assessment, including a detailed analysis of the aging of the lease receivables and the current credit worthiness of the Company’s customers and an analysis of historical bad debts and other adjustments. If there is a deterioration of a major customer’s credit worthiness or if actual defaults are higher than historical experience, the estimate of the recoverability of amounts due could be adversely affected. The Company reviews in detail the allowance for doubtful accounts on a quarterly basis and adjusts the allowance estimate to reflect actual portfolio performance and any changes in future portfolio performance expectations. The Company believes that there is currently no impairment of the receivables for the sales-type leases. The Company incurred no write-offs or credit losses against its OTA sales-type lease receivable balances in fiscal 2013 and for the six months ended September 30, 2013.
Inventories	'
	Inventories
	Inventories consist of raw materials and components, such as ballasts, metal sheet and coil stock and molded parts; work in process inventories, such as frames and reflectors; and finished goods, including completed fixtures and systems, and wireless energy management systems and accessories, such as lamps, meters and power supplies. All inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market value with cost determined using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method. The Company reduces the carrying value of its inventories for differences between the cost and estimated net realizable value, taking into consideration usage in the preceding 12 months, expected demand, and other information indicating obsolescence. The Company records as a charge to cost of product revenue the amount required to reduce the carrying value of inventory to net realizable value. As of March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013, the Company had inventory obsolescence reserves of $2.3 million and $1.1 million, respectively.
	Costs associated with the procurement and warehousing of inventories, such as inbound freight charges and purchasing and receiving costs, are also included in cost of product revenue.
	Inventories were comprised of the following (in thousands):
		31-Mar-13				30-Sep-13
	Raw materials and components	$	8,207			$	7,406
	Work in process	846				753
	Finished goods	6,177				7,048
		$	15,230			$	15,207
Deferred Contract Costs	'
	Deferred Contract Costs
	Deferred contract costs consist primarily of the costs of products delivered, and services performed, that are subject to additional performance obligations or customer acceptance. These deferred contract costs are expensed at the time the related revenue is recognized. Current deferred costs amounted to $2.1 million and $2.5 million as of March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013, respectively.
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets	'
	Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets
	Prepaid expenses and other current assets consist primarily of prepaid insurance premiums, prepaid license fees, purchase deposits, advance payments to contractors, unbilled revenue, prepaid taxes and miscellaneous receivables.
Property and Equipment	'
	Property and Equipment
	Property and equipment were comprised of the following (in thousands):
		31-Mar-13				30-Sep-13
	Land and land improvements	$	1,562			$	1,562
	Buildings	15,918				15,889
	Furniture, fixtures and office equipment	11,995				12,130
	Leasehold improvements	58				58
	Equipment leased to customers under Power Purchase Agreements	4,997				4,997
	Plant equipment	10,620				10,333
	Construction in progress	91				100
		45,241				45,069
	Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization	(17,294		)		(18,942		)
	Net property and equipment	$	27,947			$	26,127
	Depreciation is provided over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets, using the straight-line method. Depreciable lives by asset category are as follows:
	Land improvements	10-15 years
	Buildings and building improvements	3-39 years
	Leasehold improvements	Shorter of asset life or life of lease
	Furniture, fixtures and office equipment	2-10 years
	Plant equipment	3-10 years
Patents and Licenses	'
	Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
	The costs of specifically identifiable intangible assets that do not have an indefinite life are amortized over their estimated useful lives. Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized. Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives are reviewed for impairment annually, as of January 1, or more frequently if impairment indicators arise. Amortizable intangible assets are amortized over their estimated economic useful life to reflect the pattern of economic benefits consumed based upon the following lives and methods:
	Patents	10-17 years	Straight-line
	Licenses	7-13 years	Straight-line
	Customer relationships	5-8 years	Accelerated based upon the pattern of economic benefits consumed
	Developed technology	8 years	Accelerated based upon the pattern of economic benefits consumed
	Non-competition agreement	5 years	Straight-line
	Indefinite lived intangible assets are evaluated for potential impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable based primarily upon whether expected future undiscounted cash flows are sufficient to support the asset recovery. If the actual useful life of the asset is shorter than the estimated life estimated by us, the asset may be deemed to be impaired and accordingly a write-down of the value of the asset determined by a discounted cash flow analysis or shorter amortization period may be required.
	The change in the carrying value of goodwill for the six months ended September 30, 2013 was as follows (in thousands):
	Balance at March 31, 2013	$	—
	Acquisition of Harris	4,899
	Balance at September 30, 2013	$	4,899
	The components of, and changes in, the carrying amount of other intangible assets as of September 30, 2013 were as follows (in thousands):
		Gross Carrying Amount				Accumulated Amortization
	Patents	$	2,335			$	(716	)
	Licenses	58				(58		)
	Trade name and trademarks	1,939				—
	Customer relationships	3,100				(84		)
	Developed technology	900				(5		)
	Non-competition agreement	100				(1		)
	Total	$	8,432			$	(864	)
	As of September 30, 2013, the weighted average useful life of intangible assets was 7.8 years. The estimated amortization expense for each of the next five years is shown below (in thousands):
	For the remaining 6 months of fiscal 2014	$	433
	Fiscal 2015	1,217
	Fiscal 2016	1,118
	Fiscal 2017	808
	Fiscal 2018	558
	Fiscal 2019	397
	Thereafter	1,098
	Total	$	5,629
Long-Term Receivables	'
	Long-Term Receivables
	The Company records a long-term receivable for the non-current portion of its sales-type capital lease OTA contracts. The receivable is recorded at the net present value of the future cash flows from scheduled customer payments. The Company uses the implied cost of capital from each individual contract as the discount rate.
	Also included in other long-term receivables are amounts due from a third party finance company to which the Company has sold, without recourse, the future cash flows from OTAs entered into with customers. Such receivables are recorded at the present value of the future cash flows discounted between 8.8% and 11%. As of September 30, 2013, the following amounts were due from the third party finance company in future periods (in thousands):
	Fiscal 2014	$	616
	Fiscal 2015	955
	Fiscal 2016	309
	Fiscal 2017	9
	Total gross long-term receivable	1,889
	Less: amount representing interest	(194		)
	Net long-term receivable	$	1,695
Long-Term Inventories	'
	Long-Term Inventories
	The Company records long-term inventory for the non-current portion of its wireless controls finished goods inventory. The inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market value with cost determined using the FIFO method.
Other Long-Term Assets	'
	Other Long-Term Assets
	Other long-term assets include long-term security deposits, prepaid licensing costs, a note receivable, deferred costs for a long-term contract, and deferred financing costs. Other long-term assets include $58,000 and $45,000 of deferred financing costs as of March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013, respectively. Deferred financing costs related to debt issuances are amortized to interest expense over the life of the related debt issue (1 to 10 years).
Accrued Expenses	'
	Accrued Expenses
	Accrued expenses include warranty accruals, accrued wages and benefits, accrued vacation, accrued legal costs, accrued commissions, accrued acquisition earn-out liability, accrued project costs, sales tax payable and other various unpaid expenses. Accrued expenses include $1,300,000 and $0 of accrued reorganization and settlement costs as of March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013, respectively, and $0.7 million and $1.4 million of accrued project costs as of March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013, respectively.
	The Company generally offers a limited warranty of one year on its lighting products in addition to those standard warranties offered by major original equipment component manufacturers. The manufacturers’ warranties cover lamps and ballasts, which are significant components in the Company’s lighting products. Included in other long-term liabilities is $0.1 million for warranty reserves related to solar operating systems.
	Changes in the Company’s warranty accrual were as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended September 30,							Six Months Ended September 30,
		2012				2013			2012			2013
	Beginning of period	$	90			$	287		$	84		$	284
	Provision (benefit) to product cost of revenue	126				(74		)	141			75
	Charges	(129		)		(24		)	(138		)	(170		)
	End of period	$	87			$	189		$	87		$	189
Revenue Recognition	'
	Revenue Recognition
	Revenue is recognized on the sales of our lighting and related energy efficiency systems and products when the following four criteria are met:
	•	persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists;
	•	delivery has occurred and title has passed to the customer;
	•	the sales price is fixed and determinable and no further obligation exists; and
	•	collectability is reasonably assured.
	These four criteria are met for the Company’s product-only revenue upon delivery of the product and title passing to the customer. At that time, the Company provides for estimated costs that may be incurred for product warranties and sales returns. Revenues are presented net of sales tax and other sales related taxes.
	For sales of the Company’s lighting and energy management technologies, consisting of multiple elements of revenue, such as a combination of product sales and services, the Company determines revenue by allocating the total contract revenue to each element based on their relative selling prices in accordance with ASC 605-25, Revenue Recognition - Multiple Element Arrangements. In such circumstances, the Company uses a hierarchy to determine the selling price to be used for allocating revenue to deliverables: (1) vendor-specific objective evidence (VSOE) of fair value, if available, (2) third-party evidence (TPE) of selling price if VSOE is not available, and (3) best estimate of the selling price if neither VSOE nor TPE is available (a description as to how the Company determined estimated selling price is provided below).
	The nature of the Company’s multiple element arrangements for the sale of its lighting and energy management technologies is similar to a construction project, with materials being delivered and contracting and project management activities occurring according to an installation schedule. The significant deliverables include the shipment of products and related transfer of title and the installation.
	To determine the selling price in multiple-element arrangements, the Company established the selling price for its HIF lighting and energy management system products using management's best estimate of the selling price, as VSOE or TPE does not exist. Product revenue is recognized when products are shipped. For product revenue, management's best estimate of selling price is determined using a cost plus gross profit margin method. In addition, the Company records in service revenue the selling price for its installation and recycling services using management’s best estimate of selling price, as VSOE or TPE does not exist. Service revenue is recognized when services are completed and customer acceptance has been received. Recycling services provided in connection with installation entail the disposal of the customer’s legacy lighting fixtures. The Company’s service revenues, other than for installation and recycling that are completed prior to delivery of the product, are included in product revenue using management’s best estimate of selling price, as VSOE or TPE does not exist. These services include comprehensive site assessment, site field verification, utility incentive and government subsidy management, engineering design, and project management. For these services, along with the Company's installation and recycling services, under a multiple-element arrangement, management’s best estimate of selling price is determined by considering several external and internal factors including, but not limited to, economic conditions and trends, customer demand, pricing practices, margin objectives, competition, geographies in which the Company offers its products and services and internal costs. The determination of estimated selling price is made through consultation with and approval by management, taking into account all of the preceding factors.
	For sales of solar photovoltaic systems, which are governed by customer contracts that require the Company to deliver functioning solar power systems and are generally completed within three to 15 months from the start of construction, the Company recognizes revenue from fixed price construction contracts using the percentage-of-completion method in accordance with ASC 605-35, Construction-Type and Production-Type Contracts. Under this method, revenue arising from fixed price construction contracts is recognized  as work is performed based upon the percentage of incurred costs to estimated total forecasted costs. The Company has determined that the appropriate method of measuring progress on these sales is measured by the percentage of costs incurred to date of the total estimated costs for each contract as materials are installed. The percentage-of-completion method requires revenue recognition from the delivery of products to be deferred and the cost of such products to be capitalized as a deferred cost and asset on the balance sheet. The Company performs periodic evaluations of the progress of the installation of the solar photovoltaic systems using actual costs incurred over total estimated costs to complete a project. Provisions for estimated losses on uncompleted contracts, if any, are recognized in the period in which the loss first becomes probable and reasonably estimable.
	The Company offers a financing program, called an OTA, for a customer’s lease of the Company’s energy management systems. The OTA is structured as a sales-type lease and upon successful installation of the system and customer acknowledgment that the system is operating as specified, revenue is recognized at the Company’s net investment in the lease, which typically is the net present value of the future cash flows.
	The Company offers a financing program, called a power purchase agreement, or PPA, for the Company’s renewable energy product offerings. A PPA is a supply side agreement for the generation of electricity and subsequent sale to the end user. Upon the customer’s acknowledgment that the system is operating as specified, product revenue is recognized on a monthly basis over the life of the PPA contract, which is typically in excess of 10 years.
	Deferred revenue relates to advance customer billings, investment tax grants received related to PPAs and a separate obligation to provide maintenance on OTAs and is classified as a liability on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. The fair value of the maintenance is readily determinable based upon pricing from third-party vendors. Deferred revenue related to maintenance services is recognized when the services are delivered, which occurs in excess of a year after the original OTA contract is executed.
Income Taxes	'
	Income Taxes
	The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the future tax consequences of temporary differences between financial reporting and income tax basis of assets and liabilities, measured using the enacted tax rates and laws expected to be in effect when the temporary differences reverse. Deferred income taxes also arise from the future tax benefits of operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. A valuation allowance is established when management determines that it is more likely than not that all or a portion of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. As of September 30, 2013, the Company had a valuation allowance of $5.2 million against its deferred tax assets.
	ASC 740, Income Taxes, also prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination. The Company has classified the amounts recorded for uncertain tax benefits in the balance sheet as other liabilities (non-current) to the extent that payment is not anticipated within one year. The Company recognizes penalties and interest related to uncertain tax liabilities in income tax expense. Penalties and interest are immaterial and are included in the unrecognized tax benefits.
	Deferred tax benefits have not been recognized for income tax effects resulting from the exercise of non-qualified stock options. These benefits will be recognized in the period in which the benefits are realized as a reduction in taxes payable and an increase in additional paid-in capital. For the six months ended September 30, 2012 and 2013, realized tax benefits from the exercise of stock options were $21,000 and $0, respectively.
Stock Option Plans	'
	Stock Option Plans
	The Company did not issue any stock options during the three months ended September 30, 2013. The fair value of each option grant during the three and six months ended September 30, 2012 and 2013 was determined using the assumptions in the following table:
		Three Months Ended September 30,					Six Months Ended September 30,
		2012			2013		2012		2013
	Weighted average expected term	6.0 years			N/A		5.6 years		4.1 years
	Risk-free interest rate	0.9	%		N/A		0.8	%	0.8	%
	Expected volatility	73	%		N/A		74.2	%	73.3	%
	Expected forfeiture rate	15.1	%		N/A		15.1	%	21.4	%
Net Income (Loss) per Common Share	'
	Net Income (Loss) per Common Share
	Basic net income (loss) per common share is computed by dividing net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period and does not consider common stock equivalents.
	Diluted net income (loss) per common share reflects the dilution that would occur if warrants and stock options were exercised. In the computation of diluted net income (loss) per common share, the Company uses the “treasury stock” method for outstanding options, warrants and restricted shares. Diluted net loss per common share was the same as basic net loss per common share for the three and six months ended September 30, 2012, because the effects of potentially dilutive securities were anti-dilutive. The effect of net income (loss) per common share is calculated based upon the following shares (in thousands except share amounts):
		Three Months Ended September 30,							Six Months Ended September 30,
		2012				2013			2012			2013
	Numerator:
	Net income (loss) (in thousands)	$	(9,659	)		$	2,403		$	(11,599	)	$	1,622
	Denominator:
	Weighted-average common shares outstanding	21,075,624				21,089,917			21,814,321			20,634,333
	Weighted-average effect of assumed conversion of stock options and warrants	—				452,025			—			468,516
	Weighted-average common shares and common share equivalents outstanding	21,075,624				21,541,942			21,814,321			21,102,849
	Net income (loss) per common share:
	Basic	$	(0.46	)		$	0.11		$	(0.53	)	$	0.08
	Diluted	$	(0.46	)		$	0.11		$	(0.53	)	$	0.08
	The following table indicates the number of potentially dilutive securities outstanding as of the end of each period:
		30-Sep-12			30-Sep-13
	Common stock options	4,321,571			3,195,917
	Restricted shares	163,750			462,537
	Common stock warrants	38,980			38,980
	Total	4,524,301			3,697,434
Concentration of Credit Risk and Other Risks and Uncertainties	'
	Concentration of Credit Risk and Other Risks and Uncertainties
	The Company previously depended on one supplier for a number of components necessary for its lighting products, including ballasts and lamps. Currently, the Company has been able to obtain these components from multiple suppliers. For the three months ended September 30, 2012, purchases from two suppliers accounted for 11% and 12% of total cost of revenue. For the six months ended September 30, 2012, no supplier accounted for more than 10% of total cost of revenue. For the three and six months ended September 30, 2013, no supplier accounted for more than 10% of total cost of revenue.
	The Company previously purchased a majority of its solar panels from one supplier for its sales of solar generating systems through its Orion Engineered Systems Division. Currently, the Company has been able to obtain panels from multiple suppliers. For the three and six months ended September 30, 2012, panel purchases from one supplier accounted for 11% and 6% of total cost of revenue, respectively. For the three and six months ended September 30, 2013, panel purchases from one supplier accounted for 11% and 12% of total cost of revenue, respectively.
	For the three and six months ended September 30, 2012, no customers accounted for more than 10% of revenue. For the three and six months ended September 30, 2013, one customer accounted for 33% and 28% of revenue, respectively.
	As of March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013, no customer accounted for more than 10% of accounts receivable.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	'
	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	In July 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2013-11 ("ASU 2013-11"), “Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists."

Summary_of_Significant_Account2

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Amortized cost and fair value of short-term investments, with gross unrealized gains and losses	'
	31-Mar-13
		Amortized				Unrealized			Unrealized			Fair Value			Cash and Cash			Short-term
		Cost				Gains			Losses						Equivalents			Investments
	Money market funds	$	487			$	—		$	—		$	487		$	487		$	—
	Bank certificate of deposit	1,021				—			—			1,021			—			1,021
	Total	$	1,508			$	—		$	—		$	1,508		$	487		$	1,021
	30-Sep-13
		Amortized				Unrealized			Unrealized			Fair Value			Cash and Cash			Short-term
		Cost				Gains			Losses						Equivalents			Investments
	Money market funds	$	488			$	—		$	—		$	488		$	488		$	—
	Bank certificate of deposit	1,024				—			—			1,024			—			1,024
	Total	$	1,512			$	—		$	—		$	1,512		$	488		$	1,024
Credit quality of the Company's financing receivables using Aging Analysis	'
		Not Past Due				1-90 days			Greater than 90			Total past due			Total sales-type
						past due			days past due						leases
	Lease balances included in consolidated accounts receivable—current	$	2,667			$	97		$	187		$	284		$	2,951
	Lease balances included in consolidated accounts receivable—long-term	2,618				—			—			—			2,618
	Total gross sales-type leases	5,285				97			187			284			5,569
	Allowance	—				—			(84		)	(84		)	(84		)
	Total net sales-type leases	$	5,285			$	97		$	103		$	200		$	5,485
Inventories	'
		31-Mar-13				30-Sep-13
	Raw materials and components	$	8,207			$	7,406
	Work in process	846				753
	Finished goods	6,177				7,048
		$	15,230			$	15,207
Property and equipment	'
		31-Mar-13				30-Sep-13
	Land and land improvements	$	1,562			$	1,562
	Buildings	15,918				15,889
	Furniture, fixtures and office equipment	11,995				12,130
	Leasehold improvements	58				58
	Equipment leased to customers under Power Purchase Agreements	4,997				4,997
	Plant equipment	10,620				10,333
	Construction in progress	91				100
		45,241				45,069
	Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization	(17,294		)		(18,942		)
	Net property and equipment	$	27,947			$	26,127
	Land improvements	10-15 years
	Buildings and building improvements	3-39 years
	Leasehold improvements	Shorter of asset life or life of lease
	Furniture, fixtures and office equipment	2-10 years
	Plant equipment	3-10 years
Schedule of Intangible Assets and Goodwill [Table Text Block]	'
	The change in the carrying value of goodwill for the six months ended September 30, 2013 was as follows (in thousands):
	Balance at March 31, 2013	$	—
	Acquisition of Harris	4,899
	Balance at September 30, 2013	$	4,899
	The components of, and changes in, the carrying amount of other intangible assets as of September 30, 2013 were as follows (in thousands):
		Gross Carrying Amount				Accumulated Amortization
	Patents	$	2,335			$	(716	)
	Licenses	58				(58		)
	Trade name and trademarks	1,939				—
	Customer relationships	3,100				(84		)
	Developed technology	900				(5		)
	Non-competition agreement	100				(1		)
	Total	$	8,432			$	(864	)
	Patents	10-17 years	Straight-line
	Licenses	7-13 years	Straight-line
	Customer relationships	5-8 years	Accelerated based upon the pattern of economic benefits consumed
	Developed technology	8 years	Accelerated based upon the pattern of economic benefits consumed
	Non-competition agreement	5 years	Straight-line
	The estimated amortization expense for each of the next five years is shown below (in thousands):
	For the remaining 6 months of fiscal 2014	$	433
	Fiscal 2015	1,217
	Fiscal 2016	1,118
	Fiscal 2017	808
	Fiscal 2018	558
	Fiscal 2019	397
	Thereafter	1,098
	Total	$	5,629
Due from the third party finance company in future periods	'
	Fiscal 2014	$	616
	Fiscal 2015	955
	Fiscal 2016	309
	Fiscal 2017	9
	Total gross long-term receivable	1,889
	Less: amount representing interest	(194		)
	Net long-term receivable	$	1,695
Changes in warranty accrual	'
		Three Months Ended September 30,							Six Months Ended September 30,
		2012				2013			2012			2013
	Beginning of period	$	90			$	287		$	84		$	284
	Provision (benefit) to product cost of revenue	126				(74		)	141			75
	Charges	(129		)		(24		)	(138		)	(170		)
	End of period	$	87			$	189		$	87		$	189
Fair value of each option grant	'
		Three Months Ended September 30,					Six Months Ended September 30,
		2012			2013		2012		2013
	Weighted average expected term	6.0 years			N/A		5.6 years		4.1 years
	Risk-free interest rate	0.9	%		N/A		0.8	%	0.8	%
	Expected volatility	73	%		N/A		74.2	%	73.3	%
	Expected forfeiture rate	15.1	%		N/A		15.1	%	21.4	%
Summary of the effect of net income per common share	'
		Three Months Ended September 30,							Six Months Ended September 30,
		2012				2013			2012			2013
	Numerator:
	Net income (loss) (in thousands)	$	(9,659	)		$	2,403		$	(11,599	)	$	1,622
	Denominator:
	Weighted-average common shares outstanding	21,075,624				21,089,917			21,814,321			20,634,333
	Weighted-average effect of assumed conversion of stock options and warrants	—				452,025			—			468,516
	Weighted-average common shares and common share equivalents outstanding	21,075,624				21,541,942			21,814,321			21,102,849
	Net income (loss) per common share:
	Basic	$	(0.46	)		$	0.11		$	(0.53	)	$	0.08
	Diluted	$	(0.46	)		$	0.11		$	(0.53	)	$	0.08
Number of potentially dilutive securities	'
		30-Sep-12			30-Sep-13
	Common stock options	4,321,571			3,195,917
	Restricted shares	163,750			462,537
	Common stock warrants	38,980			38,980
	Total	4,524,301			3,697,434

Acquisition_Tables

Acquisition (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Business Combinations [Abstract]	'
Consideration Paid and the Preliminary Fair Value Allocation of the Purchase Price	'
	The following table summarizes the consideration paid to the Harris Shareholders and the preliminary fair value allocation of the purchase price (in thousands):
	Consideration paid to Harris Shareholders:
	Cash	$	5,000
	Seller provided debt	3,158
	Shares of Company common stock	2,065
	Contingent consideration arrangement	612
	Total consideration paid	$	10,835
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	8
	Accounts receivable, net	2,215
	Inventories	1,633
	Other current assets	86
	Property, plant and equipment	117
	Deferred tax asset	141
	Identifiable intangible assets:
	Customer relationships	3,100
	Non-competition agreement	100
	Developed technology	900
	Trade name and trademarks	1,900
	Accounts payable	(1,519		)
	Deferred tax liabilities	(2,219		)
	Accrued and other liabilities	(526		)
	Total identifiable net assets	5,936
	Goodwill	4,899
		$	10,835
Identifiable Intangible Assets Acquired	'
	The separately identifiable intangible assets acquired that do not have an indefinite life are amortized over their estimated economic useful life to reflect the pattern of economic benefits consumed based upon the following lives and methods:
	Customer relationships	5-8 years	Accelerated based upon the pattern of economic benefits consumed
	Developed technology	8 years	Accelerated based upon the pattern of economic benefits consumed
	Non-competition agreement	5 years	Straight-line
	Trade name and trademarks	N/A	Indefinite life
Pro Forma Condensed Combined Results of Operations	'
		Acquisition of Harris Pro Forma Results of Operations
		Six Months Ended September 30,
	(In Thousands):	2012			2013
	Revenue	41,976			52,592
	Net loss available to common shareholders	(9,118	)		(622	)
	Loss per share:
	Basic	(0.41	)		(0.03	)
	Diluted	(0.41	)		(0.03	)

Debt_Tables

Debt (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Long-term debt	'
	Long-term debt as of March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013 consisted of the following (in thousands):
		31-Mar-13			30-Sep-13
	Term note	$	263		$	122
	Harris seller's note	—			3,158
	Customer equipment finance notes payable	4,408			3,245
	First mortgage note payable	694			651
	Debenture payable	721			698
	Other long-term debt	620			493
	Total long-term debt	6,706			8,367
	Less current maturities	(2,597		)	(3,326		)
	Long-term debt, less current maturities	$	4,109		$	5,041

Income_Taxes_Tables

Income Taxes (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax rate and the effective income tax rate	'
	Below is a reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax rate and the effective income tax rate:
		Six Months Ended September 30,
		2012		2013
	Statutory federal tax rate	(34.0	)%	34	%
	State taxes, net	(2.4	)%	0.3	%
	Federal tax credit	(2.0	)%	17.1	%
	State tax credit	0.4	%	5.8	%
	Change in valuation reserve	92.7	%	345.8	%
	Permanent items	1.2	%	(1.0	)%
	Change in tax contingency reserve	(0.1	)%	(4.0	)%
	Other, net	(2.0	)%	(2.5	)%
	Effective income tax rate	53.8	%	395.5	%
Unrecognized tax benefit activity	'
	For the six months ended September 30, 2012 and 2013, the Company had the following unrecognized tax benefit activity (in thousands):
		Six Months Ended September 30,
		2012			2013
	Unrecognized tax benefits as of beginning of period	$	401		$	188
	Additions based on tax positions related to the current period positions	—			22
	Unrecognized tax benefits as of end of period	$	401		$	210

Shareholders_Equity_Tables

Shareholders' Equity (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]	'
Shares issued from treasury	'
	The Company had the following shares issued from treasury as of March 31, 2013 and for the six months ended September 30, 2013:
		Shares Issued Under ESPP	Closing Market	Shares Issued Under Loan	Dollar Value of		Repayment of
		Plan	Price	Program	Loans Issued		Loans
	Cumulative through March 31, 2013	150,408	$1.66-4.04	128,143	$	361,550	$	96,441
	Quarter Ended June 30, 2013	990	$2.48	—	—		823
	Quarter Ended September 30, 2013	702	$3.76	—	—		118,309
	Total as of September 30, 2013	152,100	$1.66 - 4.04	128,143	$	361,550	$	215,573

Stock_Options_Restricted_Share1

Stock Options, Restricted Shares and Warrants (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]	'
Stock-based compensation	'
	The following amounts of stock-based compensation were recorded (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended September 30,								Six Months Ended September 30,
		2012				2013				2012			2013
	Cost of product revenue	$	26			$	17			$	57		$	37
	General and administrative	269				230				419			451
	Sales and marketing	102				57				279			183
	Research and development	7				2				15			5
	Total	$	404			$	306			$	770		$	676
Information with respect to the plans	'
	The following table summarizes information with respect to the Plans:
		Options Outstanding
		Shares			Number			Weighted				Weighted	Aggregate
		Available for			of Shares			Average				Average	Intrinsic
		Grant						Exercise				Remaining	Value
								Price				Contractual
												Term (in years)
	Balance at March 31, 2013	1,632,778			3,312,523			$	3.42			6.54
	Granted stock options	(305,544	)		305,544			2.41
	Granted shares	(21,126	)		—			—
	Restricted shares	(388,871	)		—			—
	Forfeited restricted shares	8,250			—			—
	Forfeited stock options	323,550			(323,550	)		3.43
	Exercised	—			(98,600	)		2.28
	Balance at September 30, 2013	1,249,037			3,195,917			$	3.36			6.6	$	3,093,399
	Exercisable at September 30, 2013				1,647,530			$	4.08			5.15	$	1,142,506
Summary of outstanding non-vested stock options	'
	A summary of the status of the Company’s outstanding non-vested stock options as of September 30, 2013 was as follows:
	Non-vested at March 31, 2013	1,747,805
	Granted	305,544
	Vested	(181,412	)
	Forfeited	(323,550	)
	Non-vested at September 30, 2013	1,548,387
Summary of restricted shares granted to key employees	'
	During the first half of fiscal 2014, the Company granted restricted shares as follows (which are included in the above stock plan activity tables):
	Balance at March 31, 2013	105,000
	Shares issued	388,871
	Shares vested	(23,084		)
	Shares forfeited	(8,250		)
	Shares outstanding at September 30, 2013	462,537
	Per share price on grant date	$2.41-3.88
	Compensation expense for six months ended September 30, 2013	$	95,121
Summary of outstanding warrants exercise price	'
	A summary of outstanding warrants at September 30, 2013 follows:
		Number of			Exercise Price				Expiration
		Shares
	Balance at March 31, 2013	38,980			$	2.25			Fiscal 2015
	Balance at September 30, 2013	38,980			$	2.25			Fiscal 2015

Segments_Tables

Segments (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Total assets and deferred revenue	'
	Corporate and Other is comprised of operating expenses not directly allocated to the Company’s segments and adjustments to reconcile to consolidated results, which primarily include intercompany eliminations.
		Revenues				Operating Income (Loss)
		For the Three Months Ended September 30,				For the Three Months Ended September 30,
		2012		2013		2012			2013
	(dollars in thousands)
	Segments:
	Energy Management	$	16,652	$	18,410	$	(453	)	$	1,123
	Engineered Systems	2,756		9,085		(661		)	911
	Corporate and Other	—		—		(2,990		)	(1,826		)
		$	19,408	$	27,495	$	(4,104	)	$	208
		Revenues				Operating Income (Loss)
		For the Six Months Ended September 30,				For the Six Months Ended September 30,
		2012		2013		2012			2013
	(dollars in thousands)
	Segments:
	Energy Management	$	29,252	$	34,300	$	(2,211	)	$	1,271
	Engineered Systems	5,466		14,047		(1,057		)	1,114
	Corporate and Other	—		—		(4,414		)	(3,006		)
		$	34,718	$	48,347	$	(7,682	)	$	(621	)
		Total Assets				Deferred Revenue
		31-Mar-13		30-Sep-13		31-Mar-13			30-Sep-13
	(dollars in thousands)
	Segments:
	Energy Management	$	58,627	$	64,789	$	564		$	420
	Engineered Systems	9,339		9,180		3,640			1,757
	Corporate and Other	34,131		36,366		—			—
		$	102,097	$	110,335	$	4,204		$	2,177

Summary_of_Significant_Account3

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Cash and Cash Equiv) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Amortized cost and fair value of short-term investments, with gross unrealized gains and losses	'	'
Amortized Cost	$1,512	$1,508
Unrealized Gains	0	0
Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair Value	1,512	1,508
Cash and Cash Equivalents	488	487
Short-Term Investments	1,024	1,021
Money market funds [Member]	'	'
Amortized cost and fair value of short-term investments, with gross unrealized gains and losses	'	'
Amortized Cost	488	487
Unrealized Gains	0	0
Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair Value	488	487
Cash and Cash Equivalents	488	487
Short-Term Investments	0	0
Bank certificate of deposit [Member]	'	'
Amortized cost and fair value of short-term investments, with gross unrealized gains and losses	'	'
Amortized Cost	1,024	1,021
Unrealized Gains	0	0
Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair Value	1,024	1,021
Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0
Short-Term Investments	$1,024	$1,021

Summary_of_Significant_Account4

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Financing Receivables) (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]	'	'
Lease Receivable Provision Write-Off	$0	$0
Credit quality of the Company's financing receivables using Aging Analysis	'	'
Allowance	-900,000	-652,000
Total net sales-type leases	17,254,000	18,397,000
Not past due [Member]	'	'
Credit quality of the Company's financing receivables using Aging Analysis	'	'
Lease balances included in consolidated accounts receivable - current	2,667,000	'
Lease balances included in consolidated accounts receivable - long-term	2,618,000	'
Total gross sales-type leases	5,285,000	'
Allowance	0	'
Total net sales-type leases	5,285,000	'
1-90 days past due [Member]	'	'
Credit quality of the Company's financing receivables using Aging Analysis	'	'
Lease balances included in consolidated accounts receivable - current	97,000	'
Lease balances included in consolidated accounts receivable - long-term	0	'
Total gross sales-type leases	97,000	'
Allowance	0	'
Total net sales-type leases	97,000	'
Greater than 90 days past due [Member]	'	'
Credit quality of the Company's financing receivables using Aging Analysis	'	'
Lease balances included in consolidated accounts receivable - current	187,000	'
Lease balances included in consolidated accounts receivable - long-term	0	'
Total gross sales-type leases	187,000	'
Allowance	-84,000	'
Total net sales-type leases	103,000	'
Total past due [Member]	'	'
Credit quality of the Company's financing receivables using Aging Analysis	'	'
Lease balances included in consolidated accounts receivable - current	284,000	'
Lease balances included in consolidated accounts receivable - long-term	0	'
Total gross sales-type leases	284,000	'
Allowance	-84,000	'
Total net sales-type leases	200,000	'
Total sales-type leases [Member]	'	'
Credit quality of the Company's financing receivables using Aging Analysis	'	'
Lease balances included in consolidated accounts receivable - current	2,951,000	'
Lease balances included in consolidated accounts receivable - long-term	2,618,000	'
Total gross sales-type leases	5,569,000	'
Allowance	-84,000	'
Total net sales-type leases	$5,485,000	'

Summary_of_Significant_Account5

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Inventories) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Inventories	'	'
Raw materials and components	$7,406	$8,207
Work in process	753	846
Finished goods	7,048	6,177
Total	$15,207	$15,230

Summary_of_Significant_Account6

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Prop Plant and Equip) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Property and equipment	'	'
Property plant and equipment gross	$45,069	$45,241
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization	-18,942	-17,294
Net property and equipment	26,127	27,947
Land and land improvements [Member]	'	'
Property and equipment	'	'
Property plant and equipment gross	1,562	1,562
Buildings and building improvements [Member]	'	'
Property and equipment	'	'
Property plant and equipment gross	15,889	15,918
Furniture, fixtures and office equipment [Member]	'	'
Property and equipment	'	'
Property plant and equipment gross	12,130	11,995
Leasehold improvements [Member]	'	'
Property and equipment	'	'
Property plant and equipment gross	58	58
Equipment leased to customers under Power Purchase Agreements [Member]	'	'
Property and equipment	'	'
Property plant and equipment gross	4,997	4,997
Plant equipment [Member]	'	'
Property and equipment	'	'
Property plant and equipment gross	10,333	10,620
Construction in progress [Member]	'	'
Property and equipment	'	'
Property plant and equipment gross	$100	$91

Summary_of_Significant_Account7

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (PPE Useful Lives) (Details)	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Land improvements [Member] | Maximum [Member]	'
Depreciation using the straight-line method	'
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	'15 years
Land improvements [Member] | Minimum [Member]	'
Depreciation using the straight-line method	'
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	'10 years
Buildings and building improvements [Member] | Maximum [Member]	'
Depreciation using the straight-line method	'
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	'39 years
Buildings and building improvements [Member] | Minimum [Member]	'
Depreciation using the straight-line method	'
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	'3 years
Leasehold improvements [Member]	'
Depreciation using the straight-line method	'
Property, plant and equipment estimated useful life	'Shorter of asset life or life of lease
Furniture, fixtures and office equipment [Member] | Maximum [Member]	'
Depreciation using the straight-line method	'
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	'10 years
Furniture, fixtures and office equipment [Member] | Minimum [Member]	'
Depreciation using the straight-line method	'
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	'2 years
Plant equipment [Member] | Maximum [Member]	'
Depreciation using the straight-line method	'
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	'10 years
Plant equipment [Member] | Minimum [Member]	'
Depreciation using the straight-line method	'
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	'3 years

Summary_of_Significant_Account8

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Goodwill and Other Intangilbe Assets) (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Intangible assets, estimated economic useful life	'7 years 9 months 18 days
Gross carrying amount	$8,432
Accumulated amortization	-864
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Estimated Amortization Expense	'
For the remaining 6 months of fiscal 2014	433
Fiscal 2015	1,217
Fiscal 2016	1,118
Fiscal 2017	808
Fiscal 2018	558
Fiscal 2019	397
Thereafter	1,098
Total	5,629
Goodwill [Roll Forward]	'
Goodwill, beginning of period	0
Goodwill, acquired during period	4,899
Goodwill. end of period	4,899
Patents [Member]	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Gross carrying amount	2,335
Accumulated amortization	-716
Patents [Member] | Minimum [Member]	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Intangible assets, estimated economic useful life	'10 years
Patents [Member] | Maximum [Member]	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Intangible assets, estimated economic useful life	'17 years
Licenses [Member]	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Gross carrying amount	58
Accumulated amortization	-58
Licenses [Member] | Minimum [Member]	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Intangible assets, estimated economic useful life	'7 years
Licenses [Member] | Maximum [Member]	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Intangible assets, estimated economic useful life	'13 years
Trade Name and Trademarks [Member]	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Gross carrying amount	1,939
Customer Relationships [Member]	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Gross carrying amount	3,100
Accumulated amortization	-84
Customer Relationships [Member] | Minimum [Member]	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Intangible assets, estimated economic useful life	'5 years
Customer Relationships [Member] | Maximum [Member]	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Intangible assets, estimated economic useful life	'8 years
Developed Technology [Member]	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Intangible assets, estimated economic useful life	'8 years
Gross carrying amount	900
Accumulated amortization	-5
Non-competition Agreement [Member]	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Intangible assets, estimated economic useful life	'5 years
Gross carrying amount	100
Accumulated amortization	($1)

Summary_of_Significant_Account9

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (LT Receivables) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Due from the third party finance company in future periods	'
Fiscal 2015	$616
Contract Receivable, Due in Next Twelve Months	955
Fiscal 2016	309
Fiscal 2017	9
Total gross long-term receivable	1,889
Less: amount representing interest	-194
Net long-term receivable	$1,695

Recovered_Sheet1

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Warranty Accrual) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Movement in Standard Product Warranty Accrual [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'
Beginning of period	$287	$90	$284	$84
Provision to product cost of revenue	-74	126	75	141
Charges	-24	-129	-170	-138
End of period	$189	$87	$189	$87

Recovered_Sheet2

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Stock Option Assumptions) (Details)	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Fair value of each option grant	'	'	'
Weighted average expected term	'6 years	'4 years 1 month	'5 years 7 months
Risk-free interest rate	0.90%	0.80%	0.80%
Expected volatility	73.00%	73.30%	74.20%
Expected forfeiture rate	15.10%	21.40%	15.10%

Recovered_Sheet3

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (EPS) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Numerator:	'	'	'	'
Net income (loss)	$2,403	($9,659)	$1,622	($11,599)
Denominator:	'	'	'	'
Weighted-average common shares outstanding	21,089,917	21,075,624	20,634,333	21,814,321
Weighted-average effect of assumed conversion of stock options and warrants	452,025	0	468,516	0
Weighted-average common shares outstanding	21,541,942	21,075,624	21,102,849	21,814,321
Net income (loss) per common share:	'	'	'	'
Basic net income (loss) per share attributable to common shareholders (usd per share)	$0.11	($0.46)	$0.08	($0.53)
Diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to common shareholders (usd per share)	$0.11	($0.46)	$0.08	($0.53)

Recovered_Sheet4

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Dilutive Securities) (Details)	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Number of potentially dilutive securities	'	'
Total	3,697,434	4,524,301
Common stock options [Member]	'	'
Number of potentially dilutive securities	'	'
Total	3,195,917	4,321,571
Restricted shares [Member]	'	'
Number of potentially dilutive securities	'	'
Total	462,537	163,750
Common stock warrants [Member]	'	'
Number of potentially dilutive securities	'	'
Total	38,980	38,980

Recovered_Sheet5

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Concentration Risk) (Details)

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2013

Mar. 31, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sales Revenue, Services, Net [Member]

Sales Revenue, Services, Net [Member]

Sales Revenue, Services, Net [Member]

Sales Revenue, Services, Net [Member]

Accounts Receivable [Member]

Accounts Receivable [Member]

Sales [Member]

Sales [Member]

Energy Management [Member]

Energy Management [Member]

Energy Management [Member]

Energy Management [Member]

Energy Management [Member]

Energy Management [Member]

Engineered Systems [Member]

Engineered Systems [Member]

Engineered Systems [Member]

Engineered Systems [Member]

Customer Concentration Risk [Member]

Customer Concentration Risk [Member]

Customer Concentration Risk [Member]

Customer Concentration Risk [Member]

Customer Concentration Risk [Member]

Customer Concentration Risk [Member]

Customer Concentration Risk [Member]

Customer Concentration Risk [Member]

Cost of Goods, Total [Member]

Cost of Goods, Total [Member]

Cost of Goods, Total [Member]

Cost of Goods, Total [Member]

Cost of Goods, Total [Member]

Cost of Goods, Total [Member]

Cost of Goods, Total [Member]

Cost of Goods, Total [Member]

Cost of Goods, Total [Member]

Cost of Goods, Total [Member]

customer

customer

customer

customer

customer

customer

Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]

Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]

Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]

Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]

Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]

Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]

Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]

Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]

Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]

Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]

supplier

supplier

supplier

supplier

Supplier One [Member]

Supplier Two [Member]

supplier

supplier

supplier

supplier

Concentration Risk [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Concentration risk, percentage

'

'

'

'

'

'

33.00%

28.00%

'

'

'

'

11.00%

12.00%

11.00%

11.00%

12.00%

6.00%

Concentration risk, number of entities involved in risk calculation

1

0

1

0

0

0

'

'

0

2

0

0

'

'

1

1

1

1

Recovered_Sheet6

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'	'
Accounts receivable are due, Minimum period	'30 days	'	'	'	'	'
Accounts receivable are due, Maximum period	'60 days	'	'	'	'	'
Lease receivable provision write-off	$0	'	$0	'	'	'
Inventory obsolescence reserve	1,100,000	'	2,300,000	'	'	'
Deferred contract costs	2,453,000	'	2,118,000	'	'	'
Long-term receivables from OTA contracts present value of the future cash flows discounted rate, minimum	8.80%	'	'	'	'	'
Long-term receivables from OTA contracts present value of the future cash flows discounted rate, maximum	11.00%	'	'	'	'	'
Deferred financing costs	45,000	'	58,000	'	'	'
Deferred financing costs amortized over useful life of debt issue minimum	'1 year	'	'	'	'	'
Deferred financing costs amortized over useful life of debt issue maximum	'10 years	'	'	'	'	'
Accrued reorganization costs and contractual commitments	0	'	1,300,000	'	'	'
Accrued project costs	1,400,000	'	700,000	'	'	'
Solar power systems completion period minimum	'3 months	'	'	'	'	'
Solar power systems completion period maximum	'15 months	'	'	'	'	'
Power purchase agreement product revenue is recognized term	'10 years	'	'	'	'	'
Deferred tax assets valuation allowance	5,200,000	'	'	'	'	'
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	0	21,000	100,000	'	'	'
Warranty Accrual	'	'	'	'	'	'
Product warranty accrual	189,000	87,000	284,000	287,000	90,000	84,000
Engineered Systems [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'
Warranty Accrual	'	'	'	'	'	'
Product warranty accrual	$100,000	'	'	'	'	'

Acquisition_Acquisition_Agreee

Acquisition (Acquisition Agreeement) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Jul. 02, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	22-May-13
					Harris [Member]	Harris [Member]	Harris [Member]	Harris [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Purchase agreement, value	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	$10,000,000
Purchase agreement, potential adjustment, amount	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	200,000
Business Combination, Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Initial Purchase Agreement, Non-Employee Contingent Consideration, Amount	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	600,000
Acquisition consideration, cash	'	'	'	'	5,000,000	'	'	'
Acquisition consideration, debt	'	'	'	'	3,158,000	'	'	'
Acquisition consideration, shares	'	'	'	'	856,997	'	'	'
Acquisition consideration, share price (per share)	'	'	'	'	$2.33	'	'	'
Acquisition share price determination, trading days before purchase agreement	'	'	'	'	'45 days	'	'	'
Acquisition share price determination, trading days after purchase agreemen	'	'	'	'	'22 days	'	'	'
Purchase accounting provisions, share price (per share)	'	'	'	'	$2.41	'	'	'
Total revenues since the date of acquisition	'	'	'	'	'	4,200,000	'	'
Pre-tax loss since the date of acquisition	'	'	'	'	'	100,000	'	'
Acquisition related costs	$356,000	$0	$431,000	$0	'	'	$400,000	'

Acquisition_Consideration_Paid

Acquisition (Consideration Paid) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Jul. 02, 2013	Jul. 02, 2013	Jul. 02, 2013	Jul. 02, 2013	Jul. 02, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified			Harris [Member]	Harris [Member]	Harris [Member]	Harris [Member]	Harris [Member]
				Customer Relationships [Member]	Non-competition Agreement [Member]	Developed Technology [Member]	Trade Name and Trademarks [Member]
Consideration paid to Harris Shareholders:	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Cash	'	'	$5,000	'	'	'	'
Seller provided debt	'	'	3,158	'	'	'	'
Shares of Company common stock	'	'	2,065	'	'	'	'
Contingent consideration arrangement	'	'	612	'	'	'	'
Total consideration paid	'	'	10,835	'	'	'	'
Preliminary fair value allocation of the purchase price	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	'	'	8	'	'	'	'
Accounts receivable, net	'	'	2,215	'	'	'	'
Inventories	'	'	1,633	'	'	'	'
Other current assets	'	'	86	'	'	'	'
Property, plant and equipment	'	'	117	'	'	'	'
Deferred tax asset	'	'	141	'	'	'	'
Identifiable intangible assets	'	'	'	3,100	100	900	1,900
Accounts payable	'	'	-1,519	'	'	'	'
Deferred tax liabilities	'	'	-2,219	'	'	'	'
Accrued and other liabilities	'	'	-526	'	'	'	'
Total identifiable net assets	'	'	5,936	'	'	'	'
Goodwill	4,899	0	4,899	'	'	'	'
Assets acquired, goodwill, and liabilities assumed, net	'	'	$10,835	'	'	'	'

Acquisition_Contingent_Conside

Acquisition (Contingent Consideration) (Details) (Harris [Member], USD $)	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jul. 02, 2013
Harris [Member]	'	'	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'	'	'
Contingent consideration maximum amount of liability	'	'	$1,000,000
Contingent consideration minimum amount of liability	'	'	0
Contingent consideration, recorded liability	'	'	600,000
Contingent consideration, reduction in liability during period	$200,000	$200,000	'

Acquisition_Identifiable_Intan

Acquisition (Identifiable Intangible Assets Acquired) (Details)	6 Months Ended					0 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jul. 02, 2013	Jul. 02, 2013	Jul. 02, 2013	Jul. 02, 2013
		Customer Relationships [Member]	Customer Relationships [Member]	Developed Technology [Member]	Non-competition Agreement [Member]	Harris [Member]	Harris [Member]	Harris [Member]	Harris [Member]
		Minimum [Member]	Maximum [Member]			Customer Relationships [Member]	Customer Relationships [Member]	Developed Technology [Member]	Non-competition Agreement [Member]
						Minimum [Member]	Maximum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Intangible assets, estimated economic useful life	'7 years 9 months 18 days	'5 years	'8 years	'8 years	'5 years	'5 years	'8 years	'8 years	'5 years

Acquisition_Pro_Forma_Results_

Acquisition (Pro Forma Results of Operations) (Details) (Harris [Member], USD $)	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Pro Forma Results of Operations	'	'
Tax benefit	'	$2,200,000
Revenue	52,592,000	41,976,000
Net loss available to common shareholders	-622,000	-9,118,000
Basic	($0.03)	($0.41)
Diluted	($0.03)	($0.41)
Acquisition-related Costs [Member]	'	'
Pro Forma Results of Operations	'	'
Non-recurring aggregate acquisition-related costs	$200,000	'

Debt_Details

Debt (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Long-term debt	'	'
Total long-term debt	$8,367	$6,706
Less current maturities	-3,326	-2,597
Long-term debt, less current maturities	5,041	4,109
Term note [Member]	'	'
Long-term debt	'	'
Total long-term debt	122	263
Harris Seller's Note [Member]	'	'
Long-term debt	'	'
Total long-term debt	3,158	0
Customer equipment finance notes payable [Member]	'	'
Long-term debt	'	'
Total long-term debt	3,245	4,408
First mortgage note payable [Member]	'	'
Long-term debt	'	'
Total long-term debt	651	694
Debenture payable [Member]	'	'
Long-term debt	'	'
Total long-term debt	698	721
Other long-term debt [Member]	'	'
Long-term debt	'	'
Total long-term debt	$493	$620

Debt_Details_Textual

Debt (Details Textual) (USD $)	6 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jul. 02, 2013
	Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Line of Credit [Member]	London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]	London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]	London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]	Harris Seller's Note [Member]
			Minimum [Member]	Maximum [Member]	contract	Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Line of Credit [Member]
						Minimum [Member]	Maximum [Member]
Debt (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	$3,200,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	4.00%
Maximum borrowing capacity	15,000,000	'	'	'	5,000,000	'	'	'	'
Maximum borrowing capacity before subject to borrowing base requirements	5,000,000	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Letters of credit for the Company's account in the aggregate principal amount	2,000,000	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Outstanding letters of credit totaling	1,700,000	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Borrowings by the company under credit agreement	0	0	'	'	2,200,000	'	'	'	'
Total liabilities to tangible networth ratio, minimum	0.5	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Average daily unencumbered liquidity required	20,000,000	'	'	'	20,000,000	'	'	'	'
Line of Credit Facility, Covenant Terms, Number of Consecutive Business Days During Each Period of Average Daily Unencumbered Liquidity Required	'3 days	'	'	'	'3 days	'	'	'	'
EBITDA required	$1,000,000	'	'	'	$1,000,000	'	'	'	'
Spread on basis rate	'	'	'	'	'	2.00%	3.00%	4.00%	'
Average daily unused amount of the credit facility fee rate	'	'	0.25%	0.50%	'	'	'	'	'
Customer contracts pledged as collateral	'	'	'	'	39	'	'	'	'

Income_Taxes_Details

Income Taxes (Details)	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax rate and the effective income tax rate	'	'
Statutory federal tax rate	34.00%	-34.00%
State taxes, net	-0.30%	2.40%
Federal tax credit	17.10%	-2.00%
State tax credit	5.80%	0.40%
Change in valuation reserve	345.80%	92.70%
Permanent items	1.00%	-1.20%
Prior year permanent differences	4.00%	0.10%
Other, net	2.50%	2.00%
Effective income tax rate	395.50%	53.80%

Income_Taxes_Details_1

Income Taxes (Details 1) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits [Roll Forward]	'	'
Unrecognized tax benefits as of beginning of period	$188	$401
Additions based on tax positions related to the current period positions	22	0
Unrecognized tax benefits as of end of period	$210	$401

Income_Taxes_Details_Textual

Income Taxes (Details Textual) (USD $)	6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Estimated annual effective tax rate	395.50%	53.80%	'	'
Deferred Taxes, Business Combination, Valuation Allowance, Available to Reduce Income Tax Expense	$2,200,000	'	'	'
Valuation allowance	5,200,000	'	'	'
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	0	21,000	100,000	'
Unrecognized tax benefits	210,000	401,000	188,000	401,000
Domestic Country [Member]	'	'	'	'
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Operating loss carryforwards	15,100,000	'	'	'
Exercise of NQSOs	3,000,000	'	'	'
Tax credit carryforwards	1,500,000	'	'	'
State And Local Jurisdiction [Member]	'	'	'	'
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Operating loss carryforwards	15,500,000	'	'	'
Exercise of NQSOs	4,100,000	'	'	'
Tax credit carryforwards	$500,000	'	'	'

Commitments_and_Contingencies_

Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Rent expense under operating leases	$0.30	$0.40	$0.60	$0.90
Non-cancellable purchase commitments	8	'	8	'
Operating lease commitments	1	'	1	'
Inventories [Member]	'	'	'	'
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Purchase obligations	$3.40	'	$3.40	'

Shareholders_Equity_Details

Shareholders' Equity (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		31 Months Ended	37 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013
Shares issued from treasury	'	'	'	'
Shares Issued Under ESPP Plan	702	990	150,408	152,100
Closing Market Price	$3.76	$2.48	'	'
Shares Issued Under Loan Program	0	0	128,143	'
Shares Issued Under Loan Program, Total	'	'	'	128,143
Dollar Value of Loans Issued	$0	$0	$361,550	'
Dollar Value of Loans Issued, Total	'	'	'	361,550
Repayment of Loans	118,309	823	96,441	'
Repayment of Loans, Total	'	'	'	$215,573
Minimum [Member]	'	'	'	'
Shares issued from treasury	'	'	'	'
Closing Market Price	'	'	$1.66	'
Closing Market Price, Total	'	'	'	$1.66
Maximum [Member]	'	'	'	'
Shares issued from treasury	'	'	'	'
Closing Market Price	'	'	$4.04	'
Closing Market Price, Total	'	'	'	$4.04

Shareholders_Equity_Details_Te

Shareholders' Equity (Details Textual) (USD $)	6 Months Ended				1 Months Ended			24 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Aug. 31, 2010	Feb. 15, 2009	Apr. 30, 2012	Nov. 30, 2011	Oct. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2013
					October 2011 [Member]	October 2011 [Member]	October 2011 [Member]	October 2011 [Member]
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Right issue share price	'	'	'	$30	'	'	'	'
Rights Distribution Date, Trigger, Number of Business Days After Commencement or Offer	'10 days	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Minimum subscription percentage	20.00%	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Share acquisition percentage	50.00%	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Prior to a person becoming an Acquiring Person, the Board of Directors of the Company's redemption Rate on per Right Shares	'	'	'	$0.00	'	'	'	'
Employee stock purchase plan authorized	'	'	2,500,000	'	'	'	'	'
Maximum amount limit for ESPP per employee	$20,000	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Purchase price to market price matching percentage	100.00%	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Sec 16 Officers limit percentage on ESPP based on annual income	20.00%	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Sec 16 officers maximum limit on ESPP in amounts	250,000	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Interest loans charged period	'10 years	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Maximum authorized repurchase of shares	'	'	'	'	'	'	1,000,000	'
Increase in maximum authorized repurchase of shares with respect to outstanding common stock	'	'	'	'	7,500,000	2,500,000	'	'
Total number of shares repurchased	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	3,000,000
Cost of repurchased shares	$0	$4,523,000	'	'	'	'	'	$6,800,000

Stock_Options_Restricted_Share2

Stock Options, Restricted Shares and Warrants (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Stock-based compensation	'	'	'	'
Total	$306,000	$404,000	$676,000	$770,000
Cost of product revenue [Member]	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation	'	'	'	'
Total	17,000	26,000	37,000	57,000
General and administrative [Member]	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation	'	'	'	'
Total	230,000	269,000	451,000	419,000
Sales and marketing [Member]	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation	'	'	'	'
Total	57,000	102,000	183,000	279,000
Research and development [Member]	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation	'	'	'	'
Total	$2,000	$7,000	$5,000	$15,000

Stock_Options_Restricted_Share3

Stock Options, Restricted Shares and Warrants (Details 1) (USD $)	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant [Roll Forward]	'	'
Shares Available for Grant, Beginning Balance	1,632,778	'
Shares Available for Grant, Granted to Non-Employee	-21,126	'
Shares Available for Grant, Ending Balance	1,249,037	1,632,778
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]	'	'
Number of Shares, Beginning Balance	3,312,523	'
Number of Shares, Granted	305,544	'
Number of Shares, Forfeited	-323,550	'
Number of Shares, Exercised	-98,600	'
Number of Shares, Ending Balance	3,195,917	3,312,523
Number of Shares, Exercisable	1,647,530	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price [Roll Forward]	'	'
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Beginning Balance (in dollars per share)	$3.42	'
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Granted Stock Options (in dollars per share)	$2.41	'
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Forfeited (in dollars per share)	$3.43	'
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Exercised (in dollars per share)	$2.28	'
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Ending Balance (in dollars per share)	$3.36	$3.42
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Exercisable Ending Balance (in dollars per share)	$4.08	'
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	'6 years 7 months 6 days	'6 years 6 months 15 days
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	'5 years 1 month 24 days	'
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Ending Balance (in dollars)	$3,093,399	'
Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in dollars)	$1,142,506	'
Common stock options [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant [Roll Forward]	'	'
Shares Available for Grant, Granted to Employee	-305,544	'
Shares Available for Grant, Forfeited	323,550	'
Restricted shares [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant [Roll Forward]	'	'
Shares Available for Grant, Granted to Employee	-388,871	'
Shares Available for Grant, Forfeited	8,250	'

Stock_Options_Restricted_Share4

Stock Options, Restricted Shares and Warrants (Details 2)	6 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward]	'	'
Non-vested at March 31, 2013	1,548,387	1,747,805
Granted	305,544	'
Vested	-181,412	'
Forfeited	-323,550	'
Non-vested at September 30, 2013	1,548,387	1,747,805

Stock_Options_Restricted_Share5

Stock Options, Restricted Shares and Warrants (Details 3) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

18 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

18 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2013

Mar. 31, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Restricted shares [Member]

Restricted shares [Member]

Restricted shares [Member]

Restricted shares [Member]

Restricted shares [Member]

Restricted shares [Member]

Restricted shares [Member]

Restricted shares [Member]

Maximum [Member]

Maximum [Member]

Maximum [Member]

Minimum [Member]

Minimum [Member]

Minimum [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Weighted-average per share price on grant date

'

'

'

'

'

'

$3.88

$3.88

$3.88

$2.41

$2.41

$2.41

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number

'

'

'

'

462,537

105,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

Summary of restricted shares granted to key employees

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Shares issued

'

'

'

'

388,871

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Vested in Period

'

'

'

'

-23,084

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Forfeited in Period

'

'

'

'

-8,250

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Compensation expense

$306,000

$404,000

$676,000

$770,000

$95,121

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Stock_Options_Restricted_Share6

Stock Options, Restricted Shares and Warrants (Details 4)	Sep. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013
Summary of outstanding warrants exercise price	'	'
Number of Warrants	38,980	38,980
Exercise Price	2.25	2.25

Stock_Options_Restricted_Share7

Stock Options, Restricted Shares and Warrants (Details Textual) (USD $)

6 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

18 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

18 Months Ended

In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

2003 Stock Option [Member]

2003 Stock Option [Member]

2003 Stock Option [Member]

Restricted shares [Member]

Restricted shares [Member]

Restricted shares [Member]

Non-Employee Director [Member]

Non-Employee Director [Member]

Non-Employee Director [Member]

Non-Employee Director [Member]

Non-Employee Director [Member]

Non-Employee Director [Member]

Consultant [Member]

Consultant [Member]

Restricted shares [Member]

Restricted shares [Member]

Restricted shares [Member]

Restricted shares [Member]

Restricted shares [Member]

Restricted shares [Member]

Restricted shares [Member]

Restricted shares [Member]

Minimum [Member]

Maximum [Member]

Minimum [Member]

Maximum [Member]

2004 Stock and Incentive Awards Plan [Member]

2004 Stock and Incentive Awards Plan [Member]

2004 Stock and Incentive Awards Plan [Member]

2004 Stock and Incentive Awards Plan [Member]

2004 Stock and Incentive Awards Plan [Member]

2004 Stock and Incentive Awards Plan [Member]

Minimum [Member]

Minimum [Member]

Minimum [Member]

Maximum [Member]

Maximum [Member]

Maximum [Member]

Minimum [Member]

Maximum [Member]

Stock Options Restricted Shares and Warrants (Textual) [Abstract]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Reserved shares for issuance to key employees

'

13,500,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Vesting period

'

'

'1 month

'5 years

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Maximum life of option under the plan

'10 years

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Shares issued

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

202,083

388,871

'

'

'

'

'

'

Weighted-average per share price on grant date

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$2.41

$2.41

$2.41

$3.88

$3.88

$3.88

Restricted shares granted

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

388,871

'

'

'

'

'

'

Grant of shares to consultant as part of consulting compensation agreement

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

7,412

0

21,126

13,547

'

'

0

3,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Share-based Goods and Nonemployee Services Transaction, Securities Issued Valuation Price Per Share

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$2.03

'

$2.03

$2.41

$3.88

$2.03

$2.03

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Compensation cost related to non-vested common stock-based compensation

$2.20

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Recognition of compensation cost for restricted shares

'6 years 6 months

'

'

'

'

'3 years

'5 years

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Common stock closing price

$3.76

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Deferred stock-based compensation related to grants of restricted shares, period of recognition

'

'

'

'

'3 years 9 months 18 days

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Deferred stock-based compensation related to grants of restricted shares

'

'

'

'

$1

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Segments_Details

Segments (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Corporate and Other	'	'	'	'
Revenues	$27,495	$19,408	$48,347	$34,718
Operating Income (Loss)	208	-4,104	-621	-7,682
Energy Management [Member]	'	'	'	'
Corporate and Other	'	'	'	'
Revenues	18,410	16,652	34,300	29,252
Operating Income (Loss)	1,123	-453	1,271	-2,211
Engineered Systems [Member]	'	'	'	'
Corporate and Other	'	'	'	'
Revenues	9,085	2,756	14,047	5,466
Operating Income (Loss)	911	-661	1,114	-1,057
Corporate and Other [Member]	'	'	'	'
Corporate and Other	'	'	'	'
Revenues	'	'	'	'
Operating Income (Loss)	($1,826)	($2,990)	($3,006)	($4,414)

Segments_Details_1

Segments (Details 1) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Corporate and Other	'	'
Total Assets	$110,335	$102,097
Deferred Revenue	2,177	4,204
Energy Management [Member]	'	'
Corporate and Other	'	'
Total Assets	64,789	58,627
Deferred Revenue	420	564
Engineered Systems [Member]	'	'
Corporate and Other	'	'
Total Assets	9,180	9,339
Deferred Revenue	1,757	3,640
Corporate and Other [Member]	'	'
Corporate and Other	'	'
Total Assets	36,366	34,131
Deferred Revenue	'	'

Subsequent_Events_Details

Subsequent Events (Details) (Subsequent Event [Member], Harris [Member], USD $)	Oct. 21, 2013
In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified
Subsequent Event [Member] | Harris [Member]	'
Subsequent Event [Line Items]	'
Fixed future consideration	$1.40
Fixed future consideration, shares, value	0.6
Fixed future consideration, shares, price per share	$3.80
Fixed future consideration, cash	$0.80