Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common Class A	Common Class B	Controlling Interest	Common Stock Common Class A	Common Stock Common Class B	Treasury stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Accumulated Deficit	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Non-controlling Interest	Non-controlling Interest Common Class B	Non-controlling Interest, Capital	Non-controlling Interest, Capital Common Class B	Non-controlling Interest, Accumulated Deficit	Non-controlling Interest, Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Balance at beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 1,182,652			$ 701,080	$ 1,146	$ 613	$ (28)	$ 923,740	$ (213,210)	$ (11,181)	$ 481,572		$ 609,225		$ (117,975)	$ (9,678)
Balance at beginning of period (shares) at Dec. 31, 2015					114,630,000	61,343,000	5,000
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Class A shares forfeited on termination of employment	0				$ (14)			14
Class A shares forfeited on termination of employment (shares)					(1,376,000)
Treasury Shares	(4,711)			(4,711)			$ (4,711)
Treasury Shares (shares)							254,000
Stock-based compensation	3,646			3,646				3,646
Net loss	(78,498)			(53,032)					(53,032)		(25,466)				(25,466)
Net SunEdison Investment	39,170										39,170		39,170
Other comprehensive income (loss)	34,678			23,300						23,300	11,378					11,378
Dividends paid	(30,674)		$ (550)	(30,674)				(30,674)				$ (550)		$ (550)
Transfer of Equity interest from NCI to CI	0			14,781				14,781			(14,781)		(14,781)
Equity reallocation	0			28,898				28,898			(28,898)		(28,898)
Balance at end of period at Dec. 31, 2016	1,145,713			683,288	$ 1,132	$ 613	$ (4,739)	940,405	(266,242)	12,119	462,425		604,166		(143,441)	1,700
Balance at end of period (shares) at Dec. 31, 2016		113,253,681	61,343,054		113,254,000	61,343,000	259,000
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Class A shares forfeited on termination of employment	0				$ (4)			4
Class A shares forfeited on termination of employment (shares)					(428,000)
Class A shares - RSUs Vested	0				$ 19			(19)
Class A shares - RSUs Vested (shares)					343,000
Treasury Shares	(1,476)			(1,476)			$ (1,476)
Treasury Shares (shares)					(1,319,000)		1,060,000
Stock-based compensation	2,568			2,568				2,568
Net loss	(56,409)			(35,389)					(35,389)		(21,020)				(21,020)
Net SunEdison Investment	7,189			4,888				4,888			2,301		2,301
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(9,732)			(6,348)						(6,348)	(3,384)					(3,384)
Transfer of Equity interest from NCI to CI	0			11,740				11,740			(11,740)		(11,740)
Equity reallocation	0			(754)				(754)			754		754
Balance at end of period at Sep. 30, 2017	$ 1,087,853			$ 658,517	$ 1,147	$ 613	$ (6,215)	$ 958,832	$ (301,631)	$ 5,771	$ 429,336		$ 595,481		$ (164,461)	$ (1,684)
Balance at end of period (shares) at Sep. 30, 2017		111,849,859	61,343,054		111,850,000	61,343,000	1,319,164