At the end of the Lugano report, the authors of the testing team conclude with this statement:
“Moreover, the E-Cat results are too conspicuous not to be followed up in detail. In addition, if proven sustainable in further tests the E-Cat invention has a large potential to become an important energy source. Further investigations are required to guide the interpretational work, and one needs in particular as a first step detailed knowledge of all parameters affecting the E-Cat operation. Our work will continue in that direction.”
The tone of this statement is one of expectation that this team will continue their work, and determination to carry on until they get to the bottom of the E-Cat mystery. This expectation, however, does not seem to be matched by Andrea Rossi, at least. I posted the quote above on the Journal of Nuclear Physics, and asked Rossi whether the testing team would be able to continue their work on the E-Cat.
This was his response:
The Professors of the ITP are independent from us.
Now we of IH are focused on the industrial plant and the related R&D.
Our Team has to make sure that the performance of the 1 MW plant respects the contract IH made with his Customer. There is no room for anything else, at the moment. I think for us the time of tests is over, because from now on the Third Party becomes the Customer, whose validation criteria are substantially based on how much money they make with a plant, i.e. how much money they save making heat with the plant. They are not very much interested to technicalities, with one exception: the plant must not emit any kind of pollution. That’s all: make money, do not pollute. Numbers will be just numbers, not comments.
So we have two very different perspectives and motivations here — and Industrial Heat is in control of the E-Cat, so if they say no more E-Cat testing, it won’t happen. This would mean that “detailed knowledge of all parameters affecting the E-Cat operation” would not be forthcoming, and they (along with the rest of us) could be in ignorance for quite some time about what makes the E-Cat tick. Successful replication by another body might be the best hope for people who want to study the mechanisms that make the E-Cat (or similar) operat.