| Stockholders' equity (Tables)
 | 12 Months Ended | 
      
        | Dec. 31, 2014 | 
      
        | Tecogen |  | 
      
        | Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items] |  | 
      
        | Schedule of Stock Option Activity | 
Stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2014 was as follows:
 
|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
| Common Stock Options | Number of Options |   | ExercisePrice
 Per
 Share |   | WeightedAverage
 Exercise
 Price |   | WeightedAverage
 Remaining
 Life |   | AggregateIntrinsic
 Value |  
| Outstanding, December 31, 2013 | 1,148,000 | 
 |   | $1.20-$4.50 | 
 |   | $ | 2.13 | 
 |   | 5.80 years |   | $ | 2,721,100 | 
 |  
| Granted | 318,325 | 
 |   | $4.50-$5.39 |   | 4.85 | 
 |   |   |   |   | 
 |  
| Exercised | (101,575 | ) |   | $1.20-$2.60 | 
 |   | 1.59 | 
 |   |   |   |   | 
 |  
| Canceled and forfeited | (8,425 | ) |   | $0.12-$4.50 | 
 |   | 3.52 | 
 |   |   |   |   | 
 |  
| Expired | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |   |   |   |   | 
 |  
| Outstanding, December 31, 2014 | 1,356,325 | 
 |   | $1.20-$5.39 | 
 |   | $ | 2.77 | 
 |   | 5.12 years |   | $ | 3,618,935 | 
 |  
| Exercisable, December 31, 2014 | 863,552 | 
 |   |   | 
 |   | $ | 2.65 | 
 |   |   |   | $ | 2,287,760 | 
 |  
| Vested and expected to vest, December 31, 2014 | 1,356,325 | 
 |   |   | 
 |   | $ | 2.77 | 
 |   |   |   | $ | 3,618,935 | 
 |  | 
      
        | Summary of Weighted Average Assumptions Used in Black-Scholes Option Pricing | 
The weighted average assumptions used in the Black-Scholes option pricing model for options granted in 2014 and 2013 are as follows:
 
|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  
| Stock option awards: | 2014 |   | 2013 |  
| Expected life | 6.25 years |   | 5.63 years |  
| Risk-free interest rate | 1.51% |   | 1.34% |  
| Expected volatility | 22.7%-32.3% |   | 26.5%-36.1% |  | 
      
        | Schedule of Restricted Stock Activity | 
Restricted stock activity for the years ended December 31, 2014 was as follows: 
 
|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|   | Number of Restricted Stock |   | Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value |  
| Unvested, December 31, 2013 | 361,570 | 
 |   | $ | 1.31 | 
 |  
| Granted | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |  
| Vested | (205,720 | ) |   | 1.36 | 
 |  
| Forfeited | 7,500 | 
 |   | 2.60 | 
 |  
| Unvested, December 31, 2014 | 163,350 | 
 |   | $ | 1.31 | 
 |  | 
      
        | Ilois |  | 
      
        | Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items] |  | 
      
        | Schedule of Stock Option Activity | 
Stock option activity relating to Ilios for the years ended December 31, 2014 was as follows: 
 
|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
| Common Stock Options | Number of Options |   | ExercisePrice
 Per
 Share |   | WeightedAverage
 Exercise
 Price |   | WeightedAverage
 Remaining
 Life |   | AggregateIntrinsic
 Value |  
| Outstanding, December 31, 2013 | 575,000 | 
 |   | $0.10-$0.50 | 
 |   | $ | 0.29 | 
 |   | 6.44 years |   | $ | 120,000 | 
 |  
| Granted | 100,000 | 
 |   | 0.50 | 
 |   | 0.50 | 
 |   |   |   |   | 
 |  
| Exercised | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |   |   |   |   | 
 |  
| Canceled and forfeited | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |   |   |   |   | 
 |  
| Expired | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |   |   |   |   | 
 |  
| Outstanding, December 31, 2014 | 675,000 | 
 |   | $0.10-$0.50 | 
 |   | $ | 0.32 | 
 |   | 6.56 years |   | $ | 120,000 | 
 |  
| Exercisable, December 31, 2014 | 193,750 | 
 |   |   | 
 |   | $ | 0.50 | 
 |   |   |   | $ | — | 
 |  
| Vested and expected to vest, December 31, 2014 | 675,000 | 
 |   |   | 
 |   | $ | 0.32 | 
 |   |   |   | $ | 120,000 | 
 |  | 
      
        | Summary of Weighted Average Assumptions Used in Black-Scholes Option Pricing | 
For the Ilios awards noting none made in 2013, the weighted average assumptions used in the Black-Scholes option pricing model for options granted in 2014 are as follows:
 
|  |  
|  |  |  
| Stock option awards: |   |  
| Expected life | 6.25 years |  
| Risk-free interest rate | 1.65% |  
| Expected volatility | 35.2% |  | 
      
        | Schedule of Restricted Stock Activity | 
Restricted stock activity for the Ilios awards, for the years ended December 31, 2014 was as follows: 
 
|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|   | Number of Restricted Stock |   | Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value |  
| Unvested, December 31, 2013 | 310,000 | 
 |   | $ | 0.10 | 
 |  
| Granted | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |  
| Vested | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |  
| Forfeited | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |  
| Unvested, December 31, 2014 | 310,000 | 
 |   | $ | 0.10 | 
 |  |