The energy input and output can simply be measured without knowing reaction rates. That’s going to be good enough for most business applications, if they know how much mass or energy put in v. what they get out, and if it runs consistently with minimal downtime.
Rossi and whatever he’s doing is a sideshow to me. He isn’t the only one getting into this field. I’m looking at it as a whole and trying to determine exactly what’s there and if it’s possible to come up with a viable tech that can be marketed.
If scientists can't work out reaction rates, and energy output is unpredictable, Cold Fusion/LENR isn't going to work in business either. Economists and accountants need to know costs and benefits.
Consider muon catalyzed cold fusion. Scientists know precisely how it works and how much energy it produces. Until muons catalyze more reactions or are cheaper to produce it isn't economically viable.