The “tricky to duplicate” is the part that has my BS meter at the needle against the peg on the right side.
Low Energy Nuclear Reaction is kind of an oxymoron. It may exist, but it is of such a minute factor as to be easily dismissed.
Without some kind of encompassing working hypothesis, this is like a kid playing with an A.C. Gilbert home chemistry set.
Industrial Heat LLC has put over $10M into Andrea Rossi’s version of LENR. They claim to have a 1 megawatt LENR heater nearing the completion of a one-year test at a major industrial customer and $3B in pre-orders. They have been issued at least one patent and have 64 patent applications in process.
Could be a major hoax, or it could be the energy equivalent of the personal computer, starting a comparable revolution. The simplest explanation is that it actually works. Rossi claims he can install LENR energy sources for 5 cents/watt compared to $3-$5/watt for current solar installations.
If Rossi’s company doesn’t make it, there are at least two major competitors right behind him.