Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Bauer increases e-commerce revenue from motoring sites by 10%
 Bauer Media has run classified ads for cars on its digital auto sites for about a decade, taking a modest cut of the sales. In the last year, it’s switched gears to keep up with growing competition, adding more tools that generate useful data and adapting the way its editorial team communicates to audiences.

Each year, Bauer earns six figures in revenue from sending leads to car manufacturers across its digital auto brands, Parkers and Car magazine. The publisher wouldn’t disclose specific numbers, but it said revenue from these e-commerce sales leads has grown 10 percent since the beginning of 2017. Meanwhile, advertising revenue across Bauer’s auto brands is in the seven figures. Like other publishers, Bauer wants to reduce reliance on a singular revenue stream.

Parkers, run by Bauer Xcel Media, Bauer’s global digital division, is the publisher’s most transactional site, with a fifth of its revenue coming from e-commerce and sales leads. It offers tools for people to search for reviews for specific cars, listings for over 200,000 cars for sale that are pulled in from automatic feeds from tens of thousands of partnering dealerships, car valuations and finance advice that directs people to third-party vendors. The majority of its traffic, 2.1 million monthly uniques, according to comScore, comes from car reviews. Search drives 80 percent of its traffic; Parkers’ car tax calculator tool ranks fourth in Google search listings for car tax calculators.

“Parkers is like a Swiss army knife; that’s why people come to us, and car manufacturers see that,” said Tim Pollard, Bauer’s editorial director of motoring and specialist digital divisions. “[The buyers] are not tire kickers; they are people who buy.”

In the last year, Parkers started emphasizing selling cars on monthly financial payments rather than for one-off big-ticket prices like £20,000 ($27,000) because 85 percent of people in the U.K. buy cars through monthly finance deals, according to Pollard. Now, Parkers’ car finance tool, in partnership with aggregator CarFinance247, is integrated at key points in the customer journey so the option to make monthly payments is visible.

Last year, Bauer’s motoring division hired an auto finance editor to write articles helping people find the right payment plan. These articles, like “How to dodge dealers’ sneaky tricks,” contain links to other finance articles and advice, plus its car finance tool, where audiences can click through to off-site vendors for financial advice or dealers to buy a car. In the last 12 months, Bauer’s editorial team within its motoring division nearly doubled head count to 14 people. There are six people across the motoring division’s commercial team, and 10 people from Bauer’s digital marketing team are focused on e-commerce implementation across U.K. brands.

“Finance is at the heart of our storytelling,” said Pollard. “That’s a key strength and strong commercial lever ad agencies and manufacturers want to pull.”

Bauer gets a cut from selling additional services like tax and insurance as well. Spotting an opportunity to gather valuable first-party data, Bauer launched Mustard, an insurance aggregator site, 18 months ago. Despite a competitive price-comparison space, Bauer has 107 magazine brands it can funnel toward Mustard. Parkers is the top referrer to the insurance aggregator, according to Pollard.

Since launch, Mustard has delivered over a million insurance quotes. That first-party data on potential car buyers can inform its ad campaigns, like a newsletter sponsorship targeted to people who have searched for insurance on vehicles of a specific size. Bauer is only just starting to use this data for e-commerce to inform where it reaches potential buyers in their purchase journey.

“In the car purchase journey, you are often selling your car and buying a new one; we operate on both sides of that coin,” said Pollard.

Bauer has also started siphoning off motoring coverage to other brands based on audience needs. The auto team is reviewing cars for Mother & Baby magazine, as 43 percent of people are more likely to buy a car when they start a family. It’s also reviewing first-time buyer cars for Kiss, the radio station targeted at young people.

“In digital, it’s about marginal gains; the little things add up,” said Pollard. “We work hard to remove any pinch points where people drop off, like recently integrating PayPal or adding infinite scroll on Car magazine, which led to doubling pageviews.”

Image courtesy of Parkers, via Facebook

Output: Bauer Media has increased e-commerce revenue from its digital automotive sites by 10% since the start of 2017. In the last 12 months, the company has added further advertising tools and changed its editorial approach. Bauer offers search tools for car reviews, sales listings for hundreds of thousands of cars, valuation services and financial advice, with the majority of its traffic coming from car reviews. In total, advertising revenue across its automotive brands has reached seven figures, with an additional six figures in revenue made from sending leads to the manufacturers that advertise on its digital sites.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Canadian scientists create 'bio-ink' for 3D-printed human organs
 Lifesaving Gel

Patients in need of an organ transplant face a grim reality: according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, in the US alone there are over 116,000 people on the life-saving transplant waiting list. But so far, in 2017, there have only been 10,866 donors. A new innovation could change that reality by creating artificial human tissues and organs from bio-ink.

Developed by engineers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan, bio-ink is made of cold-soluble gelatin (which can dissolve without heat), which served as a building block in hydrogel alongside living cells to mold 3D-printed tissues. The hydrogel performed better than others made of pig or fish skin, forming healthy tissue scaffolds for new cells to grow on while remaining stable at room temperature.

"A big drawback of conventional hydrogel is its thermal instability," explained Keekyoung Kim, an assistant professor at UBC Okanagan's School of Engineering in a press release. "Even small changes in temperature cause significant changes in its viscosity, or thickness."

The cold-soluble gelatin is also inexpensive, allowing for a much cheaper alternative to traditional organ transplants.

3D printed models of human organs are already helping surgeons better plan for surgery, but we've yet to see an artificial organ transplant; a 3D printed-tibia is as close as we've come.

"We hope this new bio-ink will help researchers create improved artificial organs and lead to the development of better drugs, tissue engineering and regenerative therapies," Kim said. "The next step is to investigate whether or not cold-soluble GelMA-based tissue scaffolds are can be used long-term both in the laboratory and in real-world transplants."

With another person added to the organ transplant list roughly every ten minutes, this new method can't come soon enough.

Output: A team of engineers at the University of British Columbia have developed a substance called "bio-ink", a type of gelatin that could be combined with live human cells to create 3D-printable human organs. 3D-printed organs are, at present, prohibitively expensive and too structurally unstable for use in a transplant. The new technology could be a step towards saving millions of lives by making mass-produced, ready-for-transplant human organs a reality.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Snap searches for head of brand integration
 Snap is searching for a head of brand integration, who would be responsible for working with Snapchat’s content team and advertisers to insert brands into shows on Snapchat Discover.

According to a description of the role obtained by Digiday, the head of brand integration, which would be a new position at Snap, will be based in either New York or Los Angeles and will “drive brand integration and go-to-market strategy for Snapchat content.” Responsibilities will include working with Snapchat’s content team to identify opportunities for brand integrations, informing Snap’s ad sales team of said opportunities and generally bringing more brand and agency partners into the fold.

In the listing, Snap said it’s looking for a sales executive with at least 12 years of experience with branded integrations in TV, film or digital media, which aligns with the company’s growing entertainment ambitions.

Sources said this role would primarily oversee brand integrations inside Snapchat shows, which air alongside publisher content and live stories on Snapchat Discover.

Snap did not respond to a request for a comment.

Multiple ad buyers said the role is a signal to brands that Snap is easing up on its restrictions on branded content. Earlier this summer, Ad Age reported that Snap had started discussing the possibility of brand placements inside its shows.

Historically, Snap has tried to maintain a strict distinction between editorial and branded content on Snapchat. Its preference was for brands to buy into Snap through products such as Snap Ads, geofilters and lenses. With this new role, Snap is saying it’s more willing to invite brands into one of its premium content offerings: Snapchat shows.

“It’s a sea change, philosophically, for them,” said Noah Mallin, head of content for MEC. “When they first went to market, one of the things they were clear about was the bright line between what happens organically and what happens from an ad perspective. By adding brand integrations, which is a familiar product for marketers, it also gives them the opening to talk about their whole suite of products — ‘If you’re doing integrations, you should also look at Snap Ads and filters.’”

Since Snap embarked on its shows initiative last year, the company has rolled out more than 22 short-form shows from major media partners such as NBC, ESPN, A&E and Viacom. Snap has previously said it plans to increase the number of shows it airs every day from one earlier this summer to three per day by the end of the year.

Snap’s search for a brand integration specialist comes as the company struggles to grow ad revenue. In the second quarter, Snap made $182 million, which fell short of Wall Street’s expectations. Under revenue pressure, Snap launched a self-serve ad service earlier this year to bring more advertisers to Snapchat and, more recently, started to verify Snapchat stars, who for a long time have felt ignored by the company.

“Brand integrations would benefit Snap in two ways: It would help drive view and brand exposure metrics, and it would give them another item to monetize and drive revenue,” said one ad buyer, speaking anonymously. “Shows are supposedly doing well for them, so they can strike while the iron is hot.”

Snapchat’s shows initiative has been one of the sole bright spots for the company. Shows such as E! News’ “The Rundown,” A+E Networks’ “Second Chance” and Vertical Networks’ “Phone Swap” are pulling in as many as 10 million unique viewers (or more) per episode.

That said, even with the initial success of Snapchat shows, some ad buyers have expressed skepticism about the product — citing expensive prices as high as $300,000 for a mid-roll slot as one reason why.

Four media buyers approached by Digiday said Snap has not contacted them about brand-integration opportunities, with some not knowing Snap is looking to hire an executive to lead the effort. But such a role does benefit Snap, giving marketers a single person to go to for any discussion related to brand integrations.

“A struggle is often figuring out who the point person is for stuff like this,” said a second ad buyer, speaking anonymously. “Brand integrations would definitely be good for Snapchat. It’s a smart, competitive move.”

While Snap remains committed to working with advertisers inside its premium sections — instead of helping them build promoted accounts — brand integrations are a natural extension for a company that has invested in creating more professionally produced, TV-like programming.

“If their shows continue to do well, integrations are a natural next step,” Mallin said.

Shareen Pathak contributed reporting

Output: Snapchat’s parent company, Snap, is looking for to fill the position of head of brand integration. The role will involve overseeing the company’s content team and advertisers to create campaigns for Snapchat Discover, as well as further opportunities for brand integrations and agency partnerships. The business is looking for a sales executive with 12 years of experience across traditional and digital media.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
IBM simulation of largest molecule could boost drug research
 IBM's quantum computer has made a small advance that could ultimately lead to a major chemistry breakthrough. A team of IBM researchers has successfully used IBM Q to accurately simulate the molecular structure of beryllium hydride (BeH2), the largest molecule ever to be simulated by a quantum computer to date. This is pretty important, because simulating any molecule on a quantum level is no easy task, never mind a big one.

The point of simulating molecules is to determine how they will interact with other compounds, so researchers can create safe and effective chemical models for things like medicine and batteries. To do this, scientists need to find the molecule's most stable configuration, known as its ground state. In theory, this should be straightforward enough, but to truly understand the molecule's behavior, you have to figure out how each electron in each atom will interact with all the other atom's nuclei, including the unusual quantum effects that take place on such small scales.

So there's a lot going on, and today's computers can quickly become overwhelmed with the magnitude of options and outcomes, leaving chemical modellers to make approximations about how a molecule might behave and then test their theories -- which can be time-consuming -- in the real world. So the IBM team demonstrating that its seven-qubit chip is up to the job by calculating the ground state of BeH2 has significant connotations for the future of chemistry as we know it. As the team outline on the IBM blog, simulating chemical reactions accurately is an important step in discovering new drugs, fertilizers and even new sustainable energy sources. It's big news on a small scale.

Output: IBM's quantum computer could have made a major chemistry discovery by simulating the largest molecule to date. The IBM Q simulated beryllium hydride’s molecular structure to examine how it interacts with various compounds, enabling researchers to test chemical model theories for safety and efficacy. IBM Q’s seven qubit processor can cut the time-consuming process of testing approximate models by calculating the stable configuration of the compound.


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SparkMeter analyses smart-grid power use in developing world
 Data from up to around 22,500 smart meters provides one of the most advanced analyses of rural microgrid use to date.

The data revealed by smart meter developer SparkMeter, which specializes in microgrids for emerging markets such as Haiti, Nigeria and India, shows that the microgrid setups tend to deliver only small amounts of power and make only small amounts of money.

While SparkMeter’s product portfolio contains meters of up to 200 amps, the company has found the maximum load per user is usually capped at a low level in most rural settings.

Peak loads, meanwhile, are usually much less than the maximum allowance. Most customers draw less than 500 watts of power.

Since most SparkMeter-equipped rural microgrids have fewer than 200 users, this means the peak load each microgrid must support is also correspondingly small, around 2 kilowatts or less.

Similarly, over the course of a month the average consumption per user is only around 2 kilowatt-hours.

Payments are small, too, with customers rarely paying more than a dollar at a time.

This is an important factor to bear in mind when planning business models to support the rollout of rural microgrids, said Arthur Jacquiau-Chamski, SparkMeter’s vice president of product management, at this month’s Microgrid Global lnnovation Forum in Barcelona, Spain.

Yet while payments are small, they are also made frequently, the data shows. Most users pay for electricity at least twice a month, with payment peaks coming at the beginning and the end of every 30-day period.

The data, culled from up to 90 percent of SparkMeter’s 25,000 meter deployments in 17 countries, also shows there are four major load profiles in the rural microgrid world.

Perhaps the most demanding profile, which SparkMeter has dubbed "daytime baseload," is found in 31 percent of sites and accounts for 39 percent of energy consumption. It is characterized by steady daytime usage and an evening peak.

Another 31 percent of sites have what SparkMeter calls "evening only" usage, where consumption is minimal except for an 8 p.m. peak. This has the lowest consumption profile, accounting for just 7 percent of power consumed on SparkMeter-equipped microgrids.

A further 21 percent of sites have "daytime bump" consumption, with relatively high diurnal use ending in a marked evening peak. This profile accounts for 23 percent of energy consumption.

Finally, 15 percent of sites have "mostly daytime" use, where consumption is generally high throughout daylight hours and there is no evening peak to speak of.

Accounting for 30 percent of energy consumption, this pattern may indicate the presence of light commercial or industrial activity.

The data comes from SparkMeter’s worldwide installed base, which has processed more than 100,000 payments at an average of around $1.75 each.

The smart meters have dished out more than 320 megawatt-hours, which equates to an average electricity cost of around $0.55 per kilowatt-hour.

Further analysis of the SparkMeter data shows the average monthly revenue per user per site is usually less than $5 and never more than $9.

Jacquiau-Chamski highlighted the challenge facing rural electrification programs by noting that SparkMeter’s basic meters cost $35, yet the average value of energy they had delivered so far was just $7.

The fact that rural microgrid investors may face a lengthy payback period is one reason why SparkMeter is keen to share its data. Investors cannot turn to traditional analysts for information upon which to base decisions, Jacquiau-Chamski noted.

“It’s really important the data from the field can be used by operators to scale up,” he said.

Update: Jacquiau-Chamski clarified that the "ARPU per site" chart is showing monthly figures -- each data point is the Average Revenue Per User per month for a given site. As a consequence, it is the monthly average revenue per customer that varies between $5 per month and $9 per month depending on the site. These numbers reflect the reality of village microgrids better than the figure of $7 of energy delivered per meter on average, because the $7 figure doesn't reflect the fact that the majority of meters sold were installed in the recent past or at sites that are not fully commercially operational yet. In any case, Jacquiau-Chamski said, the low value of this monthly ARPU (under $10 per month per connection) illustrates the challenges facing rural electrification programs and rural utilities, which make innovation and optimization at every level a necessity.

Output: Smart meter provider SparkMeter has analysed data from approximately 22,500 devices to develop a better understanding of microgrids in emerging markets. The company found that the maximum load per user was usually less than 200 amps in rural settings, such as those in Nigeria, India and Cuba, with peak loads under 500 W. For a typical microgrid of fewer than 200 users, demand is only 2 KW or less. Payments are usually around a dollar a time, which are made twice or more a month. The information could prove vital for planning business models for the expansion of microgrids in rural areas.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Goldman Sachs to buy $300m worth of solar loans from Mosaic
 Solar loan provider Mosaic reached an agreement with Goldman Sachs in which the bank will buy $300 million in loans over time.

This deal will clear up space on Mosaic's balance sheet to finance more loans, and signals a prestigious bank's willingness to buy and own solar loans for itself.

Mosaic this week also finalized a partnership with Wave Solar to give Mosaic's dealer partners a pre-negotiated discount on the lead-generation platform. That service tracks and analyzes interactions with customers, potentially giving long-tail installers more resources to pursue their sales.

Banks have the lowest cost of funds, making them an ideal partner for loan sales, said Amir Friedman, vice president of bank partnerships. However, that money comes with stringent requirements in terms of compliance and information security.

"To be a lender to a bank, the bar is very high," Friedman said. "We were able to meet all of [Goldman Sachs'] vendor requirements and get them satisfied and purchasing from Mosaic."

That rounds out Mosaic's tool belt for ways to finance loans.

The company employs a hybrid model, choosing to keep some loans on its balance sheet via warehousing and securitization, while moving others off the balance sheet through whole loan sales. The presence of both options allows for maneuverability.

"If one particular market opportunity isn’t there, there will be another leg to the strategy to pick up that slack," Friedman said.

Mosaic issued a $139 million asset-backed securitization in February comprising 6,000 projects, which was oversubscribed, indicating market demand for such securities.

In the newly announced deal, Goldman Sachs will purchase the loans with its own balance sheet, Friedman noted.

"These are assets that they really want to hold and are comfortable holding," he said. "Once banks see we were able to get a bank comfortable with our compliance, other banks are taking interest."

For Mosaic, the bank deal could serve as a differentiator that other competitors don't have. The company ranked first for solar loan provider market share in 2016, followed by GreenSky Credit and EnerBank, according to GTM Research's April U.S. Residential Solar Update.

Mosaic's market share nearly tripled from 2015 to 2016, and it more than doubles the next runner-up. GreenSky and EnerBank, the report notes, offer other home improvement loans and are not necessarily trying to expand their solar business.

Mosaic's rise has coincided with a market shift away from third-party-owned leases and PPAs to customer-owned deals. Roughly three-quarters of residential deployments by companies outside of the top three are now customer-owned, while third-party owned continues to dominate among the top three.

The lower cost of capital from this sort of bank transaction could eventually help lower prices for loan customers, creating an additional pull toward that form of ownership.

Output: Goldman Sachs will purchase $300m of solar loans from provider Mosaic for its own use, offering Mosaic the opportunity to finance further loans and bolstering its credibility. The company also recently partnered with Wave Solar, a marketing software firm for solar installers, to offer discounts to dealers on its platform. Mosaic currently controls by far the largest market share in the solar loans sector, having tripled between 2015 and 2016.


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Input:
Take-up of renewables not fast enough to meet Paris climate goal
 The pieces of a renewable-forward future are falling into place. Wind, solar, and storage are accelerating. Plummeting costs and greater security in investment mean countries are increasingly looking to renewable technologies as a safe bet. And prices for offshore wind and battery storage are dropping faster than expected.

One hitch, though: That renewable future still won’t mean the globe reaches its climate goals.

New reports from Moody’s Investors Service and energy consulting firm DNV GL outline the unstoppable momentum behind renewables. But even what DNV GL calls a “critical watershed” in the electricity industry doesn’t appear to move the needle fast enough on the Paris climate agreement.

Moody’s report finds that the falling costs of renewables will make it easier for countries to meet their individual Paris goals. But according to DNV GL’s analysis, the world will still be on track for 2.5 degrees of warming, half a degree higher than the agreement’s temperature target to prevent the most dangerous consequences of climate change.

Aside from that large problem, the granular business trends laid out in the reports should come as yet more positive news for renewable energy companies and advocates.

DNV GL’s model predicts that oil use will peak in the next 10 years and gas use in the next 20. By 2050, fossil fuels will decline from 81 percent of the globe’s current energy mix to just 52 percent. Oil and gas will become the world’s largest energy source in 2034, but solar, hydropower, and onshore and offshore wind will account for 85 percent of global electricity production in 2050.

“By the end of our forecast period in 2050, the electricity system, its culture and its personnel will be unrecognizable,” DNV GL’s report reads.

Moody’s tells a similar story. Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) has dropped substantially since 2010. Costs for solar and wind have fallen drastically, making both more globally competitive with traditional fuel sources.

Both reports describe recent shifts in country subsidy programs, from guaranteed technology-specific rates to more technology-neutral auctions. Under auctions, wind and solar have been able to compete on price with incumbent fossil fuels. For example, new auctions for offshore wind have brought record-low prices that rival nuclear in the U.K.

A May 2017 solar bid in India that was 18 percent below the average price for coal projects set a record low tariff there. Moody’s also cites record-setting prices for offshore wind in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands; onshore wind in Mexico; and solar in Chile and South Africa.

By 2050, DNV GL predicts solar generation will increase 85-fold, with China and India at the helm. Solar installs will near 600,000 megawatts by the end of 2019.

Wind prices have already reached lows not expected until 2020. DNV GL predicts onshore wind will continue to dominate offshore. China will be a leader here, too, with a third of the world’s capacity by 2050. Per Moody’s, the world will have nearly 700,000 megawatts in wind capacity by the end of 2019.

There’s more: Battery costs, too, have tumbled 75 percent since 2009. As prices fall and efficiency increases, batteries will stake out an even more important position in allowing flexibility in the deployment of more renewables faster.

The only question remaining is how big of an impact these technologies will have on our changing climate.

Moody’s analysis suggests that the U.S. exit from the Paris Agreement will not have a significant negative effect on global emissions, although it will make further global cooperation harder to achieve. And DNL GV posits there are ways to improve climate scenarios: essentially by deploying more of what’s already being deployed, but at a speedier clip.

“This report model, it wasn’t a low scenario or a medium scenario or a high scenario. It modeled our best view,” says Ray Hudson, global solar segment leader at DNV GL. “Certainly there are ways to go faster with more renewables more quickly.”

Output: Efforts so far to move to renewable energy are not enough to meet global climate goals, according to Moody’s Investors Service and energy consultant DNV GL. Despite reaching a “critical watershed” in terms of wind, solar and storage options, as well as lower costs of production and increased investment, the rate of growth in renewable use is not enough. DNV has predicted that solar, wind and hydropower will represent 85% of global electricity production by 2050. However, the planet will still warm by 2.5C, 0.5C higher than the target agreed in the Paris accord that would avert the worst consequences of climate change.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Slowing US home solar market signals first annual decline
 The U.S. solar industry has grown accustomed to record-breaking growth. New capacity additions have increased every year since record keeping began. Last year, the U.S. market installed 14.8 gigawatts of solar PV -- nearly doubling the capacity installed the year prior. In 2016, solar also became the top-ranked source of new electric generating capacity for the first time ever.

This year, things look different -- particularly for the residential solar segment.

The U.S. residential PV sector grew 1 percent from the first quarter to the second quarter of 2017, according to the latest U.S. Solar Market Insight report from Wood Mackenzie, Limited and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). The industry installed 563 megawatts of residential solar in Q2. But while this represents a slight uptick quarter-over-quarter, it represents a 17 percent decline year-over-year, which comes on the heels of a sluggish Q1.

GTM Research, a Wood Mackenzie company, is now forecasting residential PV will experience its first down year ever. The U.S. home solar segment is expected to shrink by 3 percent this year. GTM previously forecast flat or limited growth in 2017.

The news is not all bad. Overall, the U.S. market installed 2,387 megawatts (DC) of solar PV in the second quarter of 2017 -- which marks an 8 percent increase year-over-year, and the largest second quarter ever. “This report shows once again that solar is on the rise and will continue to add to its share of electricity generation,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, SEIA’s president and CEO, in a statement.

But looking only at industry-wide performance hides the growing pains within the residential segment.

“Residential solar is just not seeing growth rates as high as in the past -- which is fine; it’s what happens when an industry matures, but it’s no longer fair to frame it as though rooftop solar is explosive,” said Austin Perea, GTM Research solar analyst and lead author of the new U.S. Solar Market Insight report. In recent years, the residential sector has led the PV market in terms of growth. Today, that’s simply no longer the case.

FIGURE: U.S. Quarterly PV Installations, Q1 2012-Q2 2017

Major state markets slow down

The decline is primarily due to weakness across major state markets, including California and several states in the Northeast, which are feeling the effects of a pullback from national providers. Tesla’s SolarCity and Vivint Solar in particular have been reorienting their strategies to optimize profitability over growth, according to Perea. The two companies have been scaling back operations in certain key geographies and transitioning to a direct ownership model, which has resulted in lower overall sales volumes.

Because of their disproportionate size relative to the rest of the residential market, slower growth rates at SolarCity and Vivint have a meaningful impact on the broader residential segment.

California was the first state to see a slowdown in the residential sector this year, which was due in part to bad winter weather, but also because national installers have been devoting less resources to making sales in saturated regions. Northeast markets started to feel the impact of that strategic shift more recently.

Last quarter, New York, Maryland and Massachusetts saw installation volumes fall between 15 and 60 percent year-over-year. SolarCity had a particularly slow second quarter in the Bay State, with growth down more than 75 percent from the same period in 2016.

After last quarter’s performance, GTM Research has revised down its residential PV forecasts for New York, Maryland and Massachusetts. New Jersey’s market is still expected to grow this year, however, while growth in Connecticut’s residential market is expected to be flat.

New markets for rooftop PV are opening up across the country, thanks to cost reductions and favorable policies. But growth in these states -- such as Texas, Utah and Florida -- is not robust enough to offset the declines in established areas, Perea said.

Business models shift

Vivint leadership has acknowledged that the company is experiencing slower growth, partially because it’s retraining staff to sell loans and not only leases. The company is currently aiming to have 30 percent of its sales be direct ownership by the end of 2017, up from 19 percent at the start of this year.

SolarCity relaunched its loan offering last summer, after its original loan product failed to gain traction. Since then, the nation’s largest residential solar installer was acquired by Tesla, and announced that it is quitting the practice of door-to-door sales and transitioning to selling solar through Tesla stores. As a result of these changes, “residential solar deployment will be impacted over the short term but is expected to resume growing in Q4 compared to Q3,” according to Tesla’s latest earnings report.

The portion of Tesla solar customers who elected to purchase rather than lease a solar system grew to 37 percent of deployments in the second quarter of this year, up from 6 percent a year ago. As its conventional solar business shifts, Tesla is also focused on ramping up production of its solar roof -- which some believe is the key to bringing home solar to the masses, although that remains to be seen.

Customer acquisition costs remain stubbornly high across all solar market segments, but the issue is especially pronounced among large residential solar players, said GTM’s Perea. How easy or hard it is to win customers factors heavily into the residential solar segment’s overall performance. In major state markets, there’s a sense of customer fatigue -- people have been getting their doors knocked on for years and are generally familiar with the solar sales pitch, Perea said. For whatever reason, these customers have decided not to make the investment.

“The low-hanging fruit has been picked, and installers need to figure out how to crack that code -- how to reduce the cost of customer acquisition and find meaningful growth,” Perea said.

Justin Baca, vice president of markets and research at SEIA, acknowledged that customer acquisition costs are a challenge, but was optimistic that the solar industry would succeed at bringing them down.

“Someone is going to figure it out, and they’re going to get bigger faster,” he said, in an interview at Solar Power International on Sunday night. “There are probably other trades we can also learn from -- the roofing industry, for one. We don’t hear about customer acquisition being a huge portion of their cost structure. Our industry is still figuring it out.”

Baca also took a generally positive view of the residential solar industry’s performance last quarter.

“What we’re seeing in the residential market isn’t a big downturn, it’s more of a leveling out,” he said. “We can’t expect the industry to grow 20 to 50 percent per year indefinitely. Those growth rates are great, but something less is still very good by traditional industry standards.”

Utility-scale solar continues to be the bedrock

Meanwhile, other segments of the solar industry have fared relatively well so far this year. In the second quarter of 2017, non-residential solar grew 31 percent year-over-year, with 437 megawatts installed. Growth was driven in large part by favorable time-of-use rates in California and expiring incentives in Massachusetts. The non-residential market in New York also experienced its largest quarter on record with the completion of several remote net-metered projects.

Non-residential PV is expected to grow 9 percent this year, following a record-shattering 58 percent growth in 2016. Continued growth in 2017 is due in part to the growing adoption of community solar, which remains on track to add more than 400 megawatts (DC) this year -- nearly doubling community solar installations from 2016.

The utility-scale segment “continues to serve as the bedrock of the U.S. solar market,” according to the report. A total of 1.4 gigawatts (DC) of utility PV projects came on-line in the second quarter of 2017, accounting for 58 percent of all PV capacity installed during the three-month period. Q2 represents the seventh consecutive quarter in which utility PV added more than 1 gigawatt of new capacity.

The threat of losing the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) was a big part of the reason why 2016 was such a strong year for U.S. solar. Developers rushed to take advantage of the incentive before it was scheduled to expire, which caused the utility-scale solar market to more than double. Today, the market is recalibrating.

GTM Research expects the overall U.S. solar market to shrink year-over-year in 2017 and 2018 before rebounding in 2019, due in large part to trends in utility PV procurement. With the extension of the ITC and project spillover from 2016, GTM Research continues to forecast a strong 8.1 gigawatts (DC) of utility-scale solar PV will be deployed in 2017. The market is expected to take a more noticeable downturn next year, with 6.5 gigawatts (DC) deployed for in 2018.

But growth won’t lag for long. The combination of competitive pricing, new procurement plans and developers looking again to benefit from the 30 percent ITC before the incentive steps down prompted GTM Research to increase its 2019 forecast for utility-scale PV by 14 percent to 9.0 gigawatts (DC). The return to growth in 2019 will come from the expansion of new state markets, and as both distributed and utility solar reach tipping points in terms of economic attractiveness.

More than 75 percent of the current utility-scale pipeline is slated to come from voluntary procurement -- or projects driven by cost-competitiveness with natural-gas alternatives rather than renewable energy mandates. For residential PV, more than 30 states are forecast to have surpassed grid parity by 2019, based on current rate structures.

U.S. solar installers will still have to innovate around customer acquisition and push into new markets in order to see more record-breaking growth. The industry will also have to hope for low or no tariffs in the Suniva/SolarWorld Section 201 trade case. If the International Trade Commission approves a minimum price of 78 cents per watt on modules, GTM Research estimates it could reduce U.S. solar demand by 50 percent cumulatively over the next five years.

Without tariffs, total installed U.S. solar PV capacity is expected to nearly triple over the next five years. By 2022, more than 16 gigawatts of solar PV capacity will be installed annually. Residential solar stands to make up a significant portion of the overall market, if installers can overcome the business challenges they face today.

***

Download the free executive summary here.

Output: Growth in the US residential solar energy market has slowed and is predicted to shrink for the first time ever this year, according to analysts GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). The US Solar Market Insight report showed growth in the US residential PV sector was 563 MW in Q2 this year -- up 1% on the previous quarter but down 17% on Q2 2016. GTM has changed its earlier forecast for limited or flat growth this year to a 3% decline. The weakening of the residential sector is masked by strong overall growth in the PV industry.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Australian energy market operator says coal plant can close
 The Turnbull government's insistence that the ageing Liddell coal-fired power plant must stay open longer has been cast into doubt by the operator of Australia's electricity market, who says there are other ways to head off a predicted power shortfall.

Australia's energy quandary dominated question time on Thursday, as the government and Labor tussled over who was responsible for rising power prices and how best to deliver a reliable, affordable power supply.

Appearing at a hearing in Canberra on Thursday, Australian Energy Market Operator chief executive Audrey Zibelman said battery storage, renewable energy, management of consumer demand and upgrading existing power plants could all help meet a predicted 1000-megawatt shortfall in flexible, dispatchible capacity – power that can be created on demand – when energy giant AGL closes its Liddell power plant in 2022.

The Turnbull government is pressuring AGL to keep the Liddell station open for five more years. However, the power company insists it has no plans to sell the plant or keep it open.

Output: Renewable energy, improved management of consumer demand and upgrades to existing power plants will help meet the 1,000 MW shortfall in capacity when the Liddell coal power station closes, said Australian Energy Market Operator CEO Audrey Zibelman. Although Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is pressuring Liddell's operator, AGL, to keep the power station open for five more years, the company has no plans to do so. The current five-year notice period until the coal plant closes is long enough to develop reliability mechanisms, such as auctions, to bridge the power gap, Zibelman said.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
ToneTag AudioPod emits sound to activate mobile payment
 ToneTag AudioPod Enables Payment by Sound

September 15, 2017 By: Steven Anderson

Mobile payments have ultimately proven so valuable for their end users that we’ve seen a host of new ways to make and receive payments. From near-field communications to quick response (QR) codes, we’ve seen a lot of movement. Enter the ToneTag AudioPod, which reports note allows users to make mobile payments without that connection to the internet that isn’t always available in some places.

The ToneTag AudioPod turns to sound as its primary interface, hence the name AudioPod. Users need only tap their phones on the AudioPod to activate the device, which promptly emits a sound wave that contains a strand of data. The phone, meanwhile, picks up the sound and responds in kind, which effectively completes the mobile payment.

Reports further note that it works quickly—each transaction takes less than three seconds to complete—speeding up checkout operations. The system works with any currently-operating banking application or e-wallet function, and any merchant can put the AudioPod to work quickly. Since it doesn’t require a data connection, it works anywhere that there’s power for it.

ToneTag’s CEO and co-founder Kumar Abhishek commented “ToneTag Audio Pod is a device that can be used by any merchant irrespective of their scale of operations or nature of the business. This device can be that trigger which enables mass acceptance of digital mode of payments amongst merchants. In our push towards a digital economy, a device like the ToneTag Audio Pod can bring in both the merchant and the consumer segment to accelerate the digital drive.”

It’s an exciting notion, particularly for developing economies that are increasingly embracing mobile payment systems but don’t always have the infrastructure available to back these up. Mobile payments offer convenience and speed of transaction that’s hard to improve on, so they’re desirable systems for the merchant and the customer alike. They improve the customer experience, and increase the chances of repeat business, so they’re the kind of thing businesses should look to have.

Without that internet connectivity to back things up, though, it can be tough to put these systems in place. Tools like the AudioPod may really be able to help here, and open up the concept of mobile payments to places that have never had the opportunity to put them to work previously.

Output: The ToneTag AudioPod enables mobile payments through sound, with mobiles tapped on the device activating a sound wave that translates into a mobile payment when the mobile device responds with a note of its own. The device takes less than three seconds to complete a transaction and does not require an internet connection. The system can work with any bank application or e-wallet, and any type of merchant can use the AudioPod. The device could help expand payment infrastructure in places with limited and unreliable internet connections.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Turkey looks to develop renewable energy sector with investments
 14 September 2017 13:43 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Turkey, an energy-importing country, has plans to develop its renewable energy sector in order to be energy secure and independent.

The country seeks to invest $11 billion in the energy sector of the country during the period from 2017 to 2023, according to the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.

The energy sector is an important area for investment, given the country's high dependence on energy imports.

Over the past two years, $1.9 billion have been invested in the country's energy sector. As many as 30 percent of these funds are invested in the development of renewable energy sources.

The ministry noted that Turkey plans to build 10 wind power stations in five different provinces of the country.

Turkish Energy Minister Berat Albayrak earlier stated that the construction of new power plants will increase Turkey's energy security and reduce its dependence on other countries.

Albayrak also stressed that the new project of renewable energy sources will generate about 3,750 jobs.

Turkey held a tender for the construction of wind farms on August 3. German company Siemens became the winner. The German-Turkish consortium Siemens -Turkerler- Kalyon was established in order to carry out the construction work.

Wind farms will be located in five regions of Turkey, including the capital - Ankara, he added.

Turkey's demand for energy and electricity is increasing rapidly and heavily dependent on expensive imported energy resources [around 70 percent] that place a big burden on the economy.

At the same time, Turkey is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of renewable resources – hydro, wind, solar, geothermal and others. For geothermal energy the country is ranked first in Europe and seventh in the world. In addition, the solar energy is abundant due to its geographical position in the world.

Turkey is also one of the countries in the world possessing high hydroenergy potential. Wind energy potential in Turkey is estimated at 160 TWh.

Encouraging policies backed by favorable feed-in tariffs are expected to increase their share in the national grid in the coming years. The Turkish government has made it a priority to increase the share of renewable sources in the country’s total installed power to a remarkable 30 percent by 2023.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

Output: Turkey plans to invest $11bn in its energy sector from 2017 to 2023 in order to become less dependent on imports, said Turkish Energy Minister Berat Albayrak. As part of the scheme, Turkey will increase its share of renewable energy to 30% of the country's installed power. Moreover, the government will build 10 wind power stations across the country and create 3,750 jobs.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Goldman throws weight behind online lending platform
 Goldman Sachs has been pilloried for lackluster results from its trading division (paywall), so this week the bank gave investors a peek into its plans (pdf) for making more money. Surprisingly, the Wall Street powerhouse thinks it can generate as much revenue from online consumer loans—a market targeted by many fintech startups—as from buying and selling securities.

Specifically, Goldman thinks it can make $1 billion in extra revenue from its consumer lending business over the next three years, as much as it expects for its trading operations. Combined with new lending for the wealthy and companies, the bank expects to bring in $2 billion in additional sales from loans. Goldman co-chief operating officer Harvey Schwartz said it’s one of the fastest-growing lending platforms ever launched, even though he says the bank is taking its time with the nascent business. The bank’s digital consumer-lending arm called Marcus is expected to have lent out $2 billion by the end of the year.

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Goldman isn’t known for consumer lending, but stricter rules have forced banks to look for new ways to make money. CEO Lloyd Blankfein pointed out earlier this year that while Goldman doesn’t have branches, thanks to technology that isn’t a shortcoming anymore. Post-crisis regulations have put restrictions on trading but tend to give incentives for lending. The investment bank is launching Marcus in the UK next year, according to the Financial Times (paywall).

Goldman knows a lot about what technology companies are up to because it invests in a bunch of them. Its push into digital retail lending also challenges the notion that venture capital-backed fintech firms are poised to disrupt the banking industry. If these startups’ advantage is their technology, they may not be able to stay ahead of the armies of engineers at companies like JPMorgan and Goldman.

Meanwhile, big banks have access to cheaper funds than peer-to-peer lenders like Lending Club or Zopa. With consumer deposits and the billions of dollars they routinely borrow in credit markets, banks can undercut the loan rates offered by smaller companies.

That said, Schwartz acknowledged that consumer lending isn’t immune to economic downturns, and analysts cited by Bloomberg were skeptical about Goldman jumping into a market outside its core expertise.

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Goldman’s revenue projections are based on the assumption that markets remain placid (which isn’t ideal for banks’ trading desks) and that regulations that crimp trading profits remain in place. While more volatile markets or bank-friendly regulatory changes could make Goldman’s traditional businesses more profitable, it seems the bank isn’t counting on it.

That’s noteworthy given the Trump administration is stocked with Goldman alumni who could, theoretically, make banking rules more palatable to their former employer. The tone of this week’s presentation suggests the investment bank isn’t planning on it.

Output: Goldman Sachs plans to generate $1bn extra revenue from Marcus, its digital consumer lending arm, over the next three years. The bank expects to earn as much from its trading operations over the same period. Although Marcus launched in the US in October last year, the company expects to have issued loans worth $2bn by the end of 2017. Marcus will debut in the UK next year, the Financial Times reported.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Facebook, Microsoft collaborate on open exchange for AI resources
 Microsoft, which last week announced it is was partnering with Amazon to let their respective AI-powered virtual assistants talk, said this week it has joined forced with Facebook to launch an open source AI resource repository called Open Neural Network Exchange (ONNX).

The AI resource repository, the companies said, will allow developers to swiftly switch between the company's respective AI engines - PyTorch and Caffe2 - at any stage of the development. The Open Neural Network Exchange addresses one of the key issues that is hindering the growth of the machine learning ecosystem. There are various frameworks for executive neural networks but they are all different and not interoperable.

Developers have long desired for a common ground among these different frameworks, as each offers its own advantages. Kovas Boguta, a developer at Twitter, said "Looks like the long-awaited 'export pytorch to caffe2' has dropped. Interesting development."

Facebook maintains two different AI modules -- FAIR and AML. The company uses FAIR to handle bleeding edge research, while AML to bring AI-powered solutions to consumer-facing services. FAIR supports PyTorch, while AML supports Caffe2. The collaboration between Facebook and Microsoft will enable developers to easily convert models built in PyTorch into Caffe2 models.

It's a welcome move from the two companies, but developers who prefer Google's TensorFlow and other key frameworks, and Apple's CoreML are still in their wallet chambers, as both only allow limited conversions to other models.

"People experimenting with new models, and particularly those in research, want maximum flexibility and expressiveness in writing neural networks - ranging from dynamic neural networks to supporting gradients of gradients, while keeping a bread-and-butter ConvNet performant," developers at Facebook wrote.

"Researchers also want to iterate rapidly, which means that they need excellent tooling for interactive development and debugging. PyTorch has been built to push the limits of research frameworks, to unlock researchers from the constraints of a platform and allow them to express their ideas easier than before."

Output: Microsoft is working with Facebook to establish an open-source AI resource repository, called the Open Neural Network Exchange. The facility will allow developers to work on both companies’ AI offerings, PyTorch and Caffe2, to expand the machine learning ecosystem. By providing interoperability, developers will easily be able to convert their PyTorch models into Caffe2 models at any stage in the development process. "People experimenting with new models, and particularly those in research, want maximum flexibility and expressiveness in writing neural networks", said developers at Facebook.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Brazilian regulator allows testing of Enel solar project
 Brazilian power sector regulator Aneel has given the go-ahead to 210 MW of solar plants by Enel Green Power SpA (BIT:EGPW) to commence test operations.

Sited in the city of Ribeira do Piaui, Piaui state, each of the seven 30-MW plants will include 32 systems of 937.5 kW each. They are part of the 292-MW Nova Olinda photovoltaic (PV) complex, according to the company's website.

Spread over 690 hectares, Nova Olinda was dubbed by Enel as the largest of its kind in all of Latin America. Once completed, the PV complex is expected to generate 600 GWh per year, enough to meet the demand of about 300,000 local homes.

Under Aneel's resolutions, only after the test period, if these plants present positive results, the government will allow Enel to start the commercial operations.

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Output: Enel Green Power has been given the green light by Brazilian power regulator Aneel to begin testing part of its 292 MW Nova Olinda solar complex. Enel will initially put seven 30 MW plants, located in Ribeira do Piaui into testing. The Nova Olinda, dubbed by Enel as the largest of its kind in all of Latin America, is set to produce 600 GWh per year, enough to power around 300,000 local homes.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Indian spot market prices peak after less generation from wind
 NEW DELHI: Spot market power prices have peaked Rs 9 per unit, a threeyear high, while the average price on India Electricity Exchange also rose to Rs 5 per unit on low electricity supply. The prices are expected to remain high until the warm weather conditions recede.Industry sources said while the power demand remained at the same level as last year, supply was low due to lesser generation from wind and hydropower plants . The development, however, comes as a relief to coal-based power plants that have ramped up production.There has been growth of 17% in coal-based thermal power generation, on account of reduction in hydro power generation by 12%, in nuclear power generation by 36% and others by 7% in August 2017 over August 2016, a statement issued by the coal ministry said.Data available with the Central Electricity Authority showed that the thermal power plants operated at 58% last month against 51.59% in the same period last year. Sources said wind-based generation dropped by 70% due to unfavourable weather conditions across states like Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.The hydro generation declined 12% due to less rainfall in southern and western states and nuclear generation was down by over 36%. Data available with India Energy Exchange showed that the trading volume on Wednesday stood at an all-time high of 183 million units, while prices peaked to Rs 9.2/unit on Tuesday across India for a 15-minute slot. The maximum clearing price on Wednesday was Rs 7.90/unit.Spot power prices have been rising since August, typically an irrigation period. They rose by 8.5% last month over previous month due to increase in electricity demand by the southern states. The market clearing price at Rs 3.13 per unit last month was 26% higher from price in July 2017 (Rs 2.49 per unit) and 44% higher than August 2016 (Rs 2.17 per unit).Meanwhile, coal secretary Susheel Kumar had on Tuesday reviewed coal stock position at various power plants and directed to raise loading to 250 railway rakes per day. “For every power plant, one subsidiary of Coal India (CIL) has been assigned the role of lead company. The lead company shall be responsible to monitor and ensure that power plants linked to it are out of criticality. A control room at CIL will monitor coal supply position to the TPPs on 24x7 basis,” the statement said.

Output: Spot market power prices in India reached a three-year high of INR9 ($0.14) per unit, as coal-based power plants ramped up production following a 70% drop in wind-based electricity last month, compared to August 2016. Less rainfall in southern and western states during the same period resulted in a 12% reduction in hydro power generation. The buoyant spot prices are expected to last until the weather turns cooler.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Harvey revives debate over 'undergrounding' of power lines
 Undergrounding

It is the height of a highly destructive hurricane season in the United States. The devastation of Harvey in Texas and Louisiana caused nearly 300,000 customers to lose electricity service, and Hurricane Irma has cut service to millions of people. Soon, winter storms will bring wind and snow to much of the country.

Image Source: dphinton2003

Anxious people everywhere worry about the impact these storms might have on their safety, comfort and convenience. Will they disrupt my commute to work? My children’s ride to school? My electricity service?

When it comes to electricity, people turn their attention to the power lines overhead and wonder if their electricity service might be more secure if those lines were buried underground. But having studied this question for utilities and regulators, I can say the answer is not that straightforward. Burying power lines, also called undergrounding, is expensive, requires the involvement of many stakeholders and might not solve the problem at all.

Where Should Ratepayer Money Go?

Electric utilities do not provide service for free, as everyone who opens their utility bill every month can attest. All of the costs of providing service are ultimately paid by the utility’s customers, so it is critical that every dollar spent on that service provides good value for those customers. Utility regulators in every state have the responsibility to ensure that utilities provide safe and reliable service at just and reasonable rates.

But what are customers willing to pay for ensuring reliability and mitigating risk? That’s complicated. Consider consumer choices in automobile insurance. Some consumers choose maximum insurance coverage through a zero deductible. Others blanch at the higher premiums zero deductibles bring and choose a higher deductible at lower premium cost.

To provide insurance for electricity service, regulators and utilities must aggregate the preferences of individual customers into a single standard for the grid. It’s a difficult task that requires a collaborative effort.

The state of Florida’s reaction in the wake of the 2004-2005 hurricane seasons provides a model for this type of cooperative effort. Utilities, regulators and government officials meet every year to address the efficacy of Florida’s storm hardening efforts and discuss how these efforts should evolve, including the selective undergrounding of power lines. This collaborative effort has resulted in the refinement of utility “vegetation management practices” – selective pruning of trees and bushes to avoid contact with power lines and transformers – in the state as well as a simulation model to assess the economic costs and benefits of undergrounding power lines.

Nationally, roughly 25 percent of new distribution and transmission lines are built underground, according to a 2012 industry study. Some European countries, including the Netherlands and Germany, have made significant commitments to undergrounding.

Burying power lines costs roughly US$1 million per mile, but the geography or population density of the service area can halve this cost or triple it. In the wake of a statewide ice storm in December 2002, the North Carolina Utilities Commission and the electric utilities explored the feasibility of burying the state’s distribution lines underground and concluded that the project would take 25 years to complete and increase electricity rates by 125 percent. The project was never begun, as the price increase was not seen as reasonable for consumers.

A 2010 engineering study for the Public Service Commission on undergrounding a portion of the electricity system in the District of Columbia found that costs increased rapidly as utilities try to underground more of their service territory. The study concluded that a strategic $1.1 billion (in 2006 dollars) investment would improve the reliability for 65 percent of the customers in the utility’s service territory, but an additional $4.7 billion would be required to improve service for the remaining 35 percent of customers in outlying areas. So, over 80 percent of the costs for the project would be required to benefit a little more than one third of the customers. The Mayor’s Power Line Undergrounding Task Force ultimately recommended a $1 billion hardening project that would increase customer bills by 3.23 percent on average after seven years.

Shifting Risk

In addition to the capital cost, undergrounding may make routine maintenance of the system more difficult, and thus more expensive, because of reduced accessibility to power lines. This may also make it more difficult to repair the system when outages do occur, prolonging the duration of each outage. Utility regulators and distribution utilities must weigh this cost against the costs of repairing and maintaining the electricity system in its overhead state.

Electricity service is valuable. A 2009 study from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimated an economic cost of $10.60 for an eight-hour interruption in electricity service to the average residential customer. For an average small commercial or industrial customer the cost grew to $5,195, and to almost $70,000 for an average medium to large commercial or industrial customer. The economic benefits of storm hardening, therefore, are significant.

Beyond the economic value of undergrounding, one could consider other benefits, such as aesthetic ones, which may be more difficult to quantify. But all costs and benefits must be considered to ensure value for the customer’s investment.

In terms of reliability, it is not correct to say that burying power lines protects them from storm damage. It simply shifts the risk of damage from one type of storm effect to another.

For example, it is true that undergrounding can mitigate damage from wind events such as flying debris, falling trees and limbs, and collected ice and snow. But alternatives, such as proper vegetation management practices, replacing wood poles with steel, concrete or composite ones, or reinforcing utility poles with guy wires, may be nearly as effective in mitigating storm damage and may cost less.

Also, undergrounding power lines may make them more susceptible to damage from corrosive storm surge and flooding from rainfall or melting ice and snow. Areas with greater vulnerability to storm surge and flooding will confront systems that are less reliable (and at greater cost) as a result of undergrounding.

So, the relocation of some power lines underground may provide a cost-effective strategy to mitigate the risk of damage to elements of a utility’s infrastructure. But these cases should be evaluated individually by the local distribution utility and its regulator. Otherwise consumers will end up spending more for their electricity service, and getting less.

Output: The recent power outages wrought by Hurricane Harvey in the US have reopened the debate surrounding burying electricity lines, or "undergrounding". While a study found a quarter of all new electricity cables in the US and in some parts of Europe are laid underground, burying existing power lines costs about $1m per mile, which cannot be passed on to the consumer. Instead, some US states are adopting a holistic approach, with improved vegetation management practices to avoid trees falling on power lines or transformers.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Enel prize seeks to spark ideas on H2S cuts in geothermal plants
 Enel seeking for innovation proposals on H2S abatement from geothermal operations

Geothermal well in Italy (source: Enel)

Alexander Richter 15 Sep 2017

Enel Green Power is looking for novel solutions to maximize H2S abatement in geothermal power plants and at the same time reducing the OPEX associated with needs of chemicals in a challenge published and announces a reward of $17,800 for the winner.

Enel Green Power is looking for novel solutions to maximize H2S abatement in geothermal power plants and at the same time reducing the OPEX associated with needs of chemicals. Moreover, the present end-cycle effect of the AMIS® (Abatement of Mercury and Hydrogen Sulfide) process is quite good: no materials from the reactions outcomes are handled as solid waste nor sulfur cake are produced to be reprocessed. These condition should not be penalized (or even better improved) by the proposed solutions.

Challenge Expiration Date: October 12, 2017

Reward: EUR 15,000 – ca. $17,800

Challenge: An alternative solution for H2S abatement in geothermal power plants

Description

Scenario

Sustainable integration of geothermal power plants and related infrastructures, abatement of the gaseous emission and of the cooling tower drift, reduced noise level, etc., allow the preservation of natural beauties, environmental features and life quality of the people living near the plants.

One of the major problem of the geothermal energy is related to the atmospheric emission of the power plants, mainly hydrogen sulphide and mercury in elemental form.

Hydrogen sulphide is characterized by an odor threshold concentration of few ppb (part per billion), remarkably lower than the reference value of 100 ppb (as 24 hours average) established by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the protection of the population health.

Hydrogen sulphide concentrations in the ambient air, measured both by ENEL and ARPAT (the Environmental Protection Agency of Tuscany) are much lower than WHO reference value, so that this compound doesn’t pose any problem for the population health. However, the bad smell of hydrogensulphide is often perceived in the geothermal areas, depending on the atmospheric conditions and represents a real nuisance.

As for mercury, the emissions of this element are quite low, but there is some concern about possible build-up in the long term operation even at significant distances from the power plants, due to the mobility of this element.

Emission cleaning and in particular the elimination of the bad smell of hydrogen sulphide is a crucial point for the perfect compatibility between geothermal exploitation and valuable use of the territory, fundamental requirement for the consensus of the local communities.

Owing to the particular features of the Italian power plants (small and unattended) and of the geothermal fluids (high content of non condensable gases), the abatement technologies available on the market were not suitable and entailed excessive costs. As a consequence, it became necessary to develop an innovative process. This objective was achieved through the invention of AMIS® technology below outlined.

The invention of a proprietary technology (AMIS® – acronym for “Abatement of Mercury and Hydrogen Sulfide” in Italian language) for the abatement of hydrogen sulphide and mercury emission and its application both to new geothermal plants and to the retrofit of the existing one’s is a cornerstone of the New Geothermal Deal in Italy. Hydrogen sulphide is responsible of the bad smell often perceived in the geothermal areas.

AMIS® is an environmentally friendly process because doesn’t produce sulphur based by-products to be landfilled or recycled.

At present, all power plants are equipped with AMIS® systems. The process consists of three basic steps:

Removal of mercury by chemical absorption;

Selective catalytic oxidation of hydrogen sulfide to sulfur dioxide;

Sulfur dioxide scrubbing by a side stream of cooling water.

According to the ammonia content of the steam, which contributes to neutralize the absorbed SO2, the process may require the addition of chemicals (e.g. sodium hydroxide) to maintain the cooling water within the desired pH range. NaOH is injected in the column feed. Unfortunately, the cost of sodium hydroxide is getting an operative issue.

Therefore, Enel GP is looking for novel solutions to maximize H2S abatement and at the same time reducing the OPEX associated with needs of chemicals.

The Challenge

Enel GP is looking for novel solutions to maximize H2S abatement in geothermal power plants and at the same time reducing the OPEX associated with needs of chemicals. Moreover, the present end-cycle effect of the AMIS® (Abatement of Mercury and Hydrogen Sulfide) process is quite good: no materials from the reactions outcomes are handled as solid waste nor sulfur cake are produced to be reprocessed. These condition should be considered in the proposed solution and should not be penalized (or even better improved) by the new proposed solutions

Any proposed solution should address the following Solution Requirements:

The proposed solution must maximize H2S abatement in geothermal fluids, without using or minimizing chemicals The proposed solution must be economical (including capital, installation and maintenance costs) in order to be amenable to mass deployment in geothermal plants The solution must be easy to install and require low maintenance The proposed solution must be adaptable to typical geothermal plants The solution must use no toxic chemicals or have any negative impact on the environment The proposed system should offer the Seeker “freedom to practice” or be available for potential licensing. There should be no third party patent art preventing the use of specific equipment and materials for their commercial application.

The submitted proposal should include the following:

Detailed description of the proposed solution that can meet the above Solution Requirements. Rationale as to why the Solver believes that the proposed solution will work. This rationale should address each of the Solution Requirements described in the Detailed Description and should be supported with any relevant examples. Data, drawings, case studies, patent and journal references or any additional material that stitionupports the proposed solution.

Details of AMIS process are available in the attached Regulation, as annex 1.

The following links can be used by Solvers as a first introduction to the AMIS® technology:

Baldacci A., 2001. Italian Patent #01305033 dated 10 April 2001 (applied for 16 October 1998).Baldacci A., M. Mannari and F. Sansone, 2005: “Greening of Geothermal Power: An Innovative Technology for Abatement of Hydrogen Sulphide and Mercury Emission.” Proceedings of World Geothermal Congress 2005, Antalya, Turkey, 24-29 April 2005. Cesare Pertot, Fabio Sabatelli, Massimo Messia, Marco D’aleo, 2013: “Assessment of Geothermal Power Plants Impact on Air Quality – Effect of H2S Abatement with AMIS® in the Larderello-Travale-Radicondoli Geothermal Area (Tuscany)”. Proceedings of European Geothermal Congress 2013, Pisa, Italy, 3?7 June 2013 Fabio Sabatelli, Massimo Mannari, and Roberto Parri, 2009: “Hydrogen Sulfide and Mercury Abatement: Development and Successful Operation of AMIS® Technology”, GRC Transactions, Vol. 33, 2009

Challenge rules

This challenge has a specific Regulations and it is available as attachment at the end of this page. Read the Regulations to see terms and conditions of this challenge and to see if you can take part to the contest. All proposers are invited to read it keeping in mind that submitting a solution they automatically accept the Regulations other than the Terms of Usage of this platform.

What happens next?

An Enel technical panel will evaluate your proposal and might contact you to gather additional information.

Your innovative proposal will be evaluated based on technical parameters, economic and business impact for Enel. The presentation of the proposal will also be evaluated.

At the end of the assessment, you will receive feedback.

In case of success, an Enel contact person will get in touch with you to discuss the next steps.

Source & Details via: Enel

Output: Italian renewable energy firm Enel Green Power has launched a competition to find new ways of maximising hydrogen sulphide abatement in geothermal power plants. A prize of €15,000 ($18,000) is available for the winning solution, which the rules state must be easy to install, low-cost and adaptable to typical geothermal plants. Also, it must have no harmful impact on the environment nor interfere with current processes.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
VC firm uses IPO capital to invest in tech start-ups
 Brian Ach/Getty Images for TechCrunch

Chamath Palihapitiya, a "Midas touch" investor, has raised $600 million in the initial public offering for his new firm, Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings.

Its shares, priced at $10 under the ticker IPOA.U, were up on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday.

The firm will use its IPO money to fund other well-performing private tech startups.

Chamath Palihapitiya, founder of the venture-capital firm Social Capital, is setting himself up to become the Warren Buffett of tech investing. To that end, he has launched a new "blank-check" company in partnership with the London-based VC firm Hedosophia, aptly named Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings Corp.

On Wednesday, Social Capital Hedosophia announced it had raised $600 million in its initial public offering, an increase from the $500 million the company originally filed for at the beginning of September. The shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday at $10 and were up 3.5% in the first half of Thursday.

Despite the high price tag, Social Capital Hedosophia doesn't have any products or customers, and it doesn't own anything yet. The company plans to buy stakes in private tech companies — from minority stakes to controlling interests to full ownership.

The idea is to give these tech companies the benefits of being a publicly traded company — like easier access to capital — with fewer drawbacks, like the "distraction" of doing the actual IPO and the bother of the quarterly, short-term view of investors, Social Capital Hedosophia explained in the documents it filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

This tactic also gives public investors access to the wealth created by well-performing private tech companies. Right now, most of that wealth is going to a small pool of investors, mainly the VCs and private-equity firms that get invited to the investment table.

Social Capital Hedosophia estimates that as of May, there were about 150 tech startups valued at over $1 billion, compared with about 200 public technology companies with a market cap of $1 billion. In years past, those 150 startups would have become public companies. Today, they can hold out as private ones indefinitely because there's so much money available to fund their growth from private investors.

Such blank-check public companies, which raise money first and then figure out how to invest it, are in vogue, according to The Wall Street Journal's Maureen Farrell. Twenty-two such funds have been launched on US exchanges so far this year, raising $6.9 billion, Farrell reports, citing Dealogic data.

That's not necessarily to say Palihapitiya's will succeed in picking tech companies that will make its investors wealthy. But it is being backed by a who's who in the Valley circles — Tony Bates, a Social Capital partner who's best known as the former CEO of Skype, is on the holding company's board.

Also on the board is Adam Bain, the well-liked former chief operating officer of Twitter who has been relishing in time off from a full-time job since he left in November. Bain has been advising startups and doing some other investments and board work, such as joining that of the sneaker company Goat last summer. There has been a lot of speculation about which company will finally talk Bain out of his retirement and back into an exec role.

But Palihapitiya will be the CEO of Social Capital Hedosophia. He's well known as one of the original executives of Facebook and an owner and board member of the Golden State Warriors. As an investor, he has backed companies like Box, Palantir, Pure Storage, Slack, and Yammer.

Output: A "blank cheque" venture capital company is using share capital to invest in private tech firms. Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings, which raised $600m for its recent IPO, plans to use the raised funding to invest in tech start-ups. The investments will grant the start-ups some of the benefits of being a public company, like access to capital, without having to go through the IPO process themselves. It also means portfolio companies will not have to meet financial expectation of short-term orientated shareholders. Social Capital's backers include Tony Bates, former CEO of Skype, and Adam Bain, former COO of Twitter.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
New Australian energy policy would not rule out more coal power
 Malcolm Turnbull has signalled the government’s eventual response to the Finkel review will not create any barriers to building new coal-fired power stations, as he secured additional undertakings from energy retailers to be more transparent with customers.

After a meeting with energy retailers in Sydney on Wednesday, the prime minister was asked whether a clean energy target would be set at a threshold allowing for a new coal plant.

The prime minister said “I don’t foresee there being any barrier to a new coal-fired power station being built”.

Turnbull said the government had a technology agnostic approach to energy policy and his view was “all of the above”.

It was the second meeting in a month with energy retailers, and extracted undertakings that retailers would write to customers to inform them of more cost-effective plans.

The retailers agreed to write to 2 million customers on standing offers by Christmas and give them information that should help them obtain better rates.

The energy minister, Josh Frydenberg, said the companies had also agreed to move to a system where customers could access their consumption data and their payment data on a bar code on their bill, “and by using a smartphone or a similar device, they can click on that barcode and then automatically get access to better deals that are available in the market”.

The government also wants energy retailers to issue monthly accounts to customers in an effort to prevent bill shock but the companies say there are practical difficulties with this if customers are not hooked up to smart meters.

Last time they met the government, the energy companies delivered a message that they were not interested in prolonging the life of their ageing coal plants and they were looking for certainty about whether the government would legislate a clean energy target as recommended by the Finkel review.

Internal Coalition divisions have prevented a quick resolution on how to proceed with the clean energy target and the government is also waiting for a report from the Australian Energy Market Operator about the dispatchable power requirements of the electricity grid after the closure of two ageing coal-fired power stations.

That report is due imminently.

The Finkel review modelled a scheme where the threshold for the clean energy target was set at 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per megawatt hour – which would rule out coal operators being eligible for certificates.

The chief scientist, Alan Finkel, told Guardian Australia in mid-June the government could set the threshold anywhere it liked but it would be “surprising” if governments endorsed a scheme that “incentivised” coal-fired power.

Since the Finkel report was published, the Minerals Council of Australia has launched a fierce lobbying effort in Canberra to ensure the clean energy target threshold is set high enough to include “clean” coal.

The Nationals have also made it plain they want coal to remain in Australia’s energy mix as part of the government’s reset on energy policy, either through new capacity or refurbishing existing plants.

In mid-July, the deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, told Guardian Australia he was prepared to support a clean energy target if the Liberals agreed to set a threshold allowing high-efficiency coal in the mix.

Various members of the government have said different things at different times about coal and the desirability of government intervention to build new plants.

The prime minister earlier this week told the ABC the government had no plans to build a coal-fired power station.

Asked whether he would rule out funding any coal-fired power stations, Turnbull replied: “Well, we have no plans to do so.”

Asked on Wednesday whether he had now ruled out building a power station, Turnbull said: “No, what I said was – I was asked if we had any plans to build a coal-fired power station, and I said we didn’t”.

Turnbull repeated arguments he has made previously that there is a case for Australia to have a next-generation coal-fired power station. “I would certainly welcome that.”

“We are the largest exporter of coal in the world,” he said. “Coal has a big future to play, not just in our electricity generation, for many, many years to come, but in the world’s.

“We have a vested interest in demonstrating that coal has a high-efficiency, low-emissions future, so I would welcome a high-efficiency, low-emissions coal-fired power station being built in Australia.

“It would be a good thing.”

The Labor leader, Bill Shorten, said on Wednesday the country needed “real solutions, not just window dressing” on energy prices.

Shorten said nothing would improve on energy prices until Australia had a new climate and energy policy to give investors certainty.

He said the No 1 cause of rising prices was policy uncertainty. “We need a clean energy target”.

Output: Any investment policy for the energy sector will need to keep coal-fired power stations open, said Australia's deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce. Although the Australian government is due to decide on a new investment mechanism, the Coalition will not introduce clean energy targets modelled by Alan Finkel, Australia's chief scientist. Finkel's targets would deny certificates to new coal power stations. The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, said: “I don’t foresee there being any barrier to a new coal-fired power station being built.” He added that the government had a technology-agnostic approach.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
TalkTalk TalkTalk appoints Kate Ferry as chief financial officer
 Talktalk Telecom (LSE:TALK)

Historical Stock Chart

From Jun 2018 to Jun 2023

TIDMTALK

RNS Number : 8891Q

TalkTalk Telecom Group PLC

15 September 2017

RNS Announcement

15 September 2017

For Immediate Release

TalkTalk Telecom Group PLC

Directorate Change

Further to our announcement on 10 July 2017 we are pleased to confirm that Kate Ferry's appointment as the group's Chief Financial Officer will commence on 9 October 2017. Iain Torrens will step down from the Board on 30 September 2017.

There is no further information to disclose under paragraph 9.6.13 of the Listing Rules in respect of this appointment.

- End -

Enquiries

Mal Patel, Investor Relations: +44 (0) 20 3417 1037 Tim Morris, Company Secretary: +44 (0)203 417 1000

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

END

BOAKMGMLLKMGNZG

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 15, 2017 05:52 ET (09:52 GMT)

Output: Kate Ferry has been made TalkTalk chief financial officer, effective from 9 October. The present chief financial officer, Iain Torrens, will step down from the board on 30 September.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
EU safety study on glyphosate copied from Monsanto report
 The European food safety authority (Efsa) based a recommendation that a chemical linked to cancer was safe for public use on an EU report that copied and pasted analyses from a Monsanto study, the Guardian can reveal.

Glyphosate is the core ingredient in Monsanto’s $4.75bn (£3.5bn) a year RoundUp weedkiller brand and a battle over its relicensing has split EU countries, with a final decision on its authorisation expected in early November.

That decision will largely be informed by an Efsa opinion, which is based on a 4,300-page renewal assessment report (RAR) published in 2015.

In June, Efsa said that where the RAR was concerned, “every scientific study is scrutinised for relevance and reliability by EU risk assessors based on the evidence contained within the study”.

But dozens of pages of the paper are identical to passages in an application submitted by Monsanto on behalf of the Glyphosate Task Force (GTF), an industry body led by the company.

These sections analyse peer-reviewed studies into links between glyphosate and genotoxicity (how likely it is to cause cell mutations), carcinogenicity and reproductive damage.

Franziska Achterberg, Greenpeace EU’s food policy director, said: “Whether this is a question of negligence or intent, it is completely unacceptable.

“It calls into question the entire EU pesticide approval process. If regulators rely on the industry’s evaluation of the science without doing their own assessment, the decision whether pesticides are deemed safe or not is effectively in the industry’s hands.”

Efsa insists that it has a “robust, well-balanced independence policy” and that it views the RAR as separate from the authority’s conclusion which follows it. The RAR is prepared by an EU state’s regulator – in this case Germany’s BfR – rather than Efsa itself.

An Efsa spokesperson said: “It is important to stress that these are extracts from and references to publicly available studies submitted by the applicant as part of their obligation under the pesticide legislation to carry out a literature search. In other words, these are not Glyphosate Task Force studies but rather studies available in the public scientific literature.”

Even so, the Efsa paper repeats descriptions – and analyses – verbatim from the 2012 GTF review. One of these, by former and current Monsanto employees John Acquavella and Donna Farmer, challenges the results of a study which found an association between pesticide use and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

It says: “The major limitations of this study were: the reliance on reported pesticide use (not documented exposure) information, the small number of subjects who reported use of specific pesticides, the possibility of recall bias, the reliance on secondary sources (next-of-kin interviews) for approximately 43% of the pesticide use information, and the difficulty in controlling for potential confounding factors, given the small number of exposed subjects.”

Some other sections are differentiated from the GTF paper by additions of text and reference numbers, different marking of headings and tables, capitalisations, changes from US to British spelling and some text cuts.

Most paragraphs dealing with peer-reviewed papers, though, are copied word for word. A Monsanto spokesperson said that Efsa allowed renewal reports to be written this way because of the large volume of toxicological studies submitted.

“There was an explanation by Efsa that direct passages from the industry application were included,” the spokesperson said. “This should by no means be understood as Efsa’s conclusion on glyphosate.”

The row over glyphosate’s safety has pitted scientists against each other – and regulators – with one branch of the World Health Organisation assessing that the substance was unlikely to be carcinogenic, while another ruled that it probably was.

Output: Glyphosate, the major ingredient in Monsanto’s RoundUp weedkiller, was recommended as safe for public use by the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa) based on an EU report that copied and pasted elements of a Monsanto study, according to The Guardian. Glyphosate has been linked to cancer, and EU countries have been divided over whether to re-license the chemical in November. The Efsa's recommendation is based on a report published in 2015, dozens of pages of which are identical to those in a Monsanto application on behalf of industry body, the Glyphosate Task Force.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
US-Norwegian firm wins part funding for Nordic data centre
 Last month, the newly formed US-Norwegian company made public its plan to build the 600,000 sq m (6.46m sq ft) green facility in Narvik, Norway, with up to 1,000MW of power capacity. Kolos joins the ranks of Facebook , Apple , Google , and companies involved in the Lefdal Mine project, all of which have their own massive data centers in the Nordics.

Data center developer Kolos has received $2.5m from a consortium of investors which includes the Fast Track Venture Capital, to fund its massive data center project in the Arctic Circle.

When the campus was announced, Kolos had already obtained part of the necessary funding for the project, and was in talks with US investment fund Headwaters MB - which has since agreed to raise $250m for the company - to secure the remaining cash.

The data center will rely entirely on hydro and wind power sources, which are said to hold enough energy locally to provide twice the amount required for the facility, while using water from the surrounding fjords to cool its servers.

Construction of the first module, which will support up to 60MW of IT equipment, is planned to begin in early 2018.

Output: Investors including Fast Track Venture Capital have invested $2.5m in Kolos, a US-Norwegian company that plans to build a 600,000 sq metre green data centre in Narvik, Norway. The 1,000 MW data centre will operate entirely on hydro and wind power sources, and the water from surrounding fjords will be used to cool its servers. US investment fund Headwaters MB has pledged to raise the remaining $250m of funding needed for the project.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Global hunger rose in 2016, for first time this century
 The number of hungry people in the world has increased for the first time since the turn of the century, sparking concern that conflict and climate change could be reversing years of progress.

In 2016, the number of chronically undernourished people reached 815 million, up 38 million from the previous year. The increase is due largely to the proliferation of violence and climate-related shocks, according to the state of food insecurity and nutrition in 2017, a report produced by five UN agencies.

The study also noted a rise in the number of people globally who are chronically hungry, from 10.6% in 2015 to 11% in 2016.

Cindy Holleman, a senior economist at the Food and Agriculture Organisation, said it was hard to know whether the increase was a blip or marked the reversal of a long-term trend. However, she said the rise in conflict and climate change – factors that rank alongside economic slowdown, which makes food hard to access for poor people, as key drivers of food insecurity – was cause for concern.

“Whether it has been a blip and it’s going to go back down again, we’re not sure,” said Holleman. “But we’re sending warning signals. We are sending a message that something is going on.

“If you look at the 815 million [chronically undernourished] people, 489 million or 60% of them are located in countries affected by conflict. Over the last decade we’re seen a significant increase in conflict. We also see that conflict combined with climatic effects is having a significant effect.”

A foreword to the report, written jointly by the heads of the five UN agencies, said: “Over the past decade, conflicts have risen dramatically in number and become more complex and intractable in nature.

“This has set off alarm bells we cannot afford to ignore: we will not end hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030 unless we address all the factors that undermine food security and nutrition. Securing peaceful and inclusive societies is a necessary condition to that end.”

Oxfam’s head of food and climate change, Robin Willoughby, said:

“This must act as a wake-up call for international leaders and institutions to do more to resolve the catastrophic cocktail of climate change and conflict around the world. Global failure to tackle these issues affects us all, but it’s the world’s poorest who will suffer most.”

The report is the first UN global assessment of food security and nutrition following the adoption of the sustainable development goals, which aim to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030.

Progress has been made on reducing global hunger, which affected more than 900 million people at the turn of the century. Over the past year, however, hunger has reached an “extreme level” in many parts of the world, with famine declared in South Sudan in February, and Yemen, north-east Nigeria and Somalia considered on the brink.

People living in countries affected by protracted crisis are nearly two and a half times more likely to be undernourished than those living elsewhere, the report said.

Fuelled partly by extreme weather patterns resulting from El Niño, food security “deteriorated sharply” in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, and in south-east and western Asia, said the report.Chronic child malnutrition continues to fall, but at a slower rate in some regions, the report found. Wasting remains a threat to the lives of 52 million children.

Overweight and obesity rates in children are rising in most regions, and in all regions for adults. Such “multiple burdens” for malnutrition is a “cause for serious concern”, said the report.

Africa has the highest levels of severe food insecurity, affecting 27.4% of the population – almost four times that of any other region. Higher food insecurity was also observed in Latin America, rising from 4.7% to 6.4%.

Output: The number of chronically undernourished people in the world rose by 38 million to 815 million in 2016, signalling the first rise this century, according to a report by five United Nations agencies. The study states that the increase is largely due to conflict and climate-related factors. Of the 815 million, 60% live in countries affected by conflict. The report also stated that the number of people experiencing chronic hunger rose from 10.6% in 2015 to 11% last year. Researchers stated that it was unclear whether the rise was a blip or the sign of a long-term trend.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Global hunger rose in 2016, for first time this century
 The world is in a very different place to where it was six years ago when it committed to the goal of ending hunger, food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition by 2030.

At the time, we were optimistic that with transformative approaches, past progress could be accelerated, at scale, to put us on track to achieve that goal.

Yet, the past four editions of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) revealed a humbling reality.

The world has not been generally progressing either towards ensuring access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food for all people all year round (SDG Target 2.1), or to eradicating all forms of malnutrition (SDG Target 2.2).

Conflict, climate variability and extremes, and economic slowdowns and downturns are the major drivers slowing down progress, particularly where inequality is high. The COVID-19 pandemic made the pathway towards SDG2 even steeper.

So, if the world is at a critical juncture, where do we stand now? And what can be done to help us build forward better and put us on track to achieving Zero Hunger?

Output: The number of chronically undernourished people in the world rose by 38 million to 815 million in 2016, signalling the first rise this century, according to a report by five United Nations agencies. The study states that the increase is largely due to conflict and climate-related factors. Of the 815 million, 60% live in countries affected by conflict. The report also stated that the number of people experiencing chronic hunger rose from 10.6% in 2015 to 11% last year. Researchers stated that it was unclear whether the rise was a blip or the sign of a long-term trend.