Gaia, Inc. Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Equity - Additional Information (Detail)

Equity - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended			1 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
Equity - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	Nov. 18, 2010	Mar. 08, 2010	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2010 Real Goods Solar	Dec. 31, 2011 Class A Common Stock	Dec. 31, 2012 Class A Common Stock	Dec. 31, 2012 Class A Common Stock Board of Directors Chairman	Jun. 30, 2011 Class A Common Stock Real Goods Solar	Dec. 31, 2012 Class A Common Stock Real Goods Solar	Dec. 31, 2011 Class A Common Stock Real Goods Solar Vote	Dec. 19, 2011 Class A Common Stock Real Goods Solar Alteris	Dec. 31, 2012 Class B Common Stock	Dec. 31, 2011 Class B Common Stock	Dec. 31, 2012 Class B Common Stock Board of Directors Chairman	Dec. 31, 2011 Class B Common Stock Real Goods Solar Vote	Dec. 31, 2012 Long-Term Incentive Plan 2009	Dec. 31, 2011 Long-Term Incentive Plan 2009 Class A Common Stock	Dec. 31, 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan 2009 Class A Common Stock	Dec. 31, 2011 Long-Term Incentive Plan 1999 Class A Common Stock	Dec. 31, 2012 Long Term Incentive Plan, Two Thousand Nine and Nineteen Ninety Nine	Dec. 31, 2010 Long Term Incentive Plan, Two Thousand Nine and Nineteen Ninety Nine Class A Common Stock	Dec. 31, 2011 Long Term Incentive Plan Twenty Zero Eight Class A Common Stock Real Goods Solar	Dec. 31, 2010 Long Term Incentive Plan Twenty Zero Eight Class A Common Stock Real Goods Solar	Dec. 31, 2012 Noncontrolling Interest	Dec. 31, 2008 Noncontrolling Interest	Dec. 31, 2008 Accumulated Deficit	Dec. 31, 2008 Equity	Dec. 31, 2012 Class B Common Stock Converted Into Class A Common Stock
Equity [Line Items]
Issuance of shares for compensation																		32,620	11,518	5,769				29,408	21,040
Percentage of ownership by parent in subsidiary			51.40%
Dividend paid from additional paid in capital			$ 700,000
Dividend paid from retained earnings			500,000
Decrease in Gaiam, Inc.'s paid-in capital for its subsidiary's acquisition of a noncontrolling interest																										600,000
Issuance stock upon exercise of options																					15,200		171,940
Number of shares repurchased							628,003			379,400
Number of shares repurchased, value				2,264,000			2,300,000			1,100,000
Number of votes per share												1					10
Voting ownership percentage												37.50%
Annual cash dividends declared	$ 0.15	$ 0.15
Change in additional paid in capital resulting due to dividends declared					7,000,000
Effect of restatement with regards to Real Goods Solar's income taxes																											161,000	203,000	364,000
Ownership percentage of common stock shares outstanding of chairman			77.00%													100.00%
Common stock, shares outstanding							17,297,844	17,330,464	668,682					5,400,000	5,400,000	5,400,000
Stock conversion ratio																														1
Issuance of shares for compensation, value																								72,000	74,000
Issuance of shares for acquisitions													8,700,000
Issuance of shares for acquisitions, value			$ 1,011,000	$ 1,081,000	$ 1,943,000								$ 21,600,000
Percentage of equity interest in Alteris													100.00%
Ownership percentage of Real Goods Solar						54.60%					37.50%