Apr 20 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Phil Wieland The Times, Munster, Ind.



A machine that would generate all of Valparaiso's power without an electric bill sounds too good to be true.

A similar machine installed at Valparaiso's sewage treatment plant that would not only provide free power but turn sewage into drinkable water sounds even more unbelievable.

That's how members of the city's Environment Stewardship Commission felt about a device presented to them Monday by Frank Siciliano and Bert Collins, of U.S. Green. The pair represents Briten Energy Services, a Dallas energy technology company.

Originally scheduled to talk about more conventional alternative energy technologies such as solar cells and wind turbines for use by the city, Siciliano said he learned in the past week about the SineWave, which he said starts itself with a 12-volt battery and then continues running using 2 percent of the power it generates. He said the technology is just being introduced in America, and he wanted Valparaiso to be the first to use it.

 The city would pay for it through a power/purchase agreement in which the city would pay the cost of the equipment by paying half the savings it received during a two- to 3 1/2-year period. After that the city would own the equipment and not pay another electric bill. The battery would last 10 years and the equipment would need to be replaced in 30 years, he said.

Naturally, the proposal generated a lot of interest but even more skepticism.

Commission members said it sounded like the mythical perpetual motion machine. Siciliano said the machine "defies science," and commission member Mark Reshkin agreed.

"To say it defies science would make any scientist queasy. I would need to see a lot more information," Reshkin added.

Siciliano claimed the technology is being used in Europe.

City Administrator Bill Oeding remained skeptical.

Siciliano said the sewage treatment model was installed at Penn State University and saved the school $18 million in water treatment and energy costs in one year. He agreed to provide the city with more information on how it works and to bring an engineer and a working model of the SineWave to next month's commission meeting.

"If all this is true, then we'd love to be the first city to get this," Commission Chairman Jeff Lewis said.

Public Works Director Ron DeTorrice said the city should get hold of Stephen Hawking to help analyze it.

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