Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Related Party Transactions - Additional Information (Detail)

v2.4.1.9
Related Party Transactions - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
0 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 0 Months Ended 1 Months Ended 0 Months Ended 1 Months Ended
Aug. 20, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Apr. 21, 2014
Jun. 30, 2014
Apr. 09, 2013
Apr. 30, 2014
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]                
Debt instrument amount   $ 2,700,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount            
Debt instrument maturity date Aug. 20, 2017 Apr. 01, 2016            
Accrued interest   100,000us-gaap_InterestPayableCurrent            
Interest Expenses   843,000us-gaap_InterestExpense 52,000us-gaap_InterestExpense 210,000us-gaap_InterestExpense        
Proceeds from issuance of common stock   8,614,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfCommonStock 4,950,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfCommonStock (10,000)us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfCommonStock        
Common stock, issued   129,714,000us-gaap_CommonStockSharesIssued 82,095,000us-gaap_CommonStockSharesIssued          
Interest Expense                
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]                
Interest Expenses   800,000us-gaap_InterestExpense
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= us-gaap_InterestExpenseMember
           
Restricted Stock                
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]                
Number of shares authorized for grant         300,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
     
Stock options vesting period         3 years      
Aston Capital Limited Liability Company                
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]                
Debt instrument amount   3,500,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= rvlt_AstonCapitalLimitedLiabilityCompanyMember
          1,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= rvlt_AstonCapitalLimitedLiabilityCompanyMember
Interest rate of debt   9.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateDuringPeriod
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= rvlt_AstonCapitalLimitedLiabilityCompanyMember
           
Debt instrument maturity date   Apr. 01, 2015            
Debt instrument converted in to equity           10,800,000us-gaap_DebtConversionOriginalDebtAmount1
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= rvlt_AstonCapitalLimitedLiabilityCompanyMember
   
Loans Receivable, Commercial, Trade Financing     9,900,000us-gaap_LoansReceivableCommercialTradeFinancing
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= rvlt_AstonCapitalLimitedLiabilityCompanyMember
         
Monthly payment for underlying lease   21,355us-gaap_OperatingLeasesRentExpenseMinimumRentals
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= rvlt_AstonCapitalLimitedLiabilityCompanyMember
           
Related party transaction costs incurred   700,000us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionExpensesFromTransactionsWithRelatedParty
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= rvlt_AstonCapitalLimitedLiabilityCompanyMember
10,000us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionExpensesFromTransactionsWithRelatedParty
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= rvlt_AstonCapitalLimitedLiabilityCompanyMember
         
Aston Capital Limited Liability Company | Issuance of Equity | Restricted Stock                
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]                
Restricted common stock agreed to be issued for services             500,000us-gaap_ShareBasedGoodsAndNonemployeeServicesTransactionQuantityOfSecuritiesIssued
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= rvlt_AstonCapitalLimitedLiabilityCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= rvlt_IssuanceOfCommonStockMember
 
Restricted common stock agreed to be issued for services, vesting period             3 years  
Restricted common stock agreed to be issued for services, vesting date             Sep. 25, 2013  
RVL One Limited Liability Company                
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]                
Debt instrument amount               10,800,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= rvlt_RvlOneLimitedLiabilityCompanyMember
Interest rate of debt               9.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateDuringPeriod
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= rvlt_RvlOneLimitedLiabilityCompanyMember
Debt instrument maturity date               Apr. 01, 2015
Debt instrument converted in to equity           1,600,000us-gaap_DebtConversionOriginalDebtAmount1
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= rvlt_RvlOneLimitedLiabilityCompanyMember
   
Number of separate investment agreements   4rvlt_NumberOfInvestmentAgreements
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= rvlt_RvlOneLimitedLiabilityCompanyMember
           
Proceeds from issuance of convertible preferred stock   26,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfConvertiblePreferredStock
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= rvlt_RvlOneLimitedLiabilityCompanyMember
           
Proceeds from issuance of common stock   192,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfCommonStock
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= rvlt_RvlOneLimitedLiabilityCompanyMember
           
Common stock, issued   75,000us-gaap_CommonStockSharesIssued
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= rvlt_RvlOneLimitedLiabilityCompanyMember
           
Related party transaction costs incurred     33,000us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionExpensesFromTransactionsWithRelatedParty
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= rvlt_RvlOneLimitedLiabilityCompanyMember
         
RVL One Limited Liability Company | Series G Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock                
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]                
Proceeds from issuance of convertible preferred stock   $ 12,500,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfConvertiblePreferredStock
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= rvlt_RvlOneLimitedLiabilityCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= rvlt_RedeemableConvertiblePreferredStockSeriesGMember