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Commitments and Contingencies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block] | Note 10 – Commitments and Contingencies On February 3, 2015, the Company and its newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer, Stephen E. Pirnat entered into an employment agreement (the Agreement) which terminates on December 31, 2017, unless earlier terminated. Compensation under the Agreement includes an annual salary of $350,000 with annual cost-of-living adjustments, a grant of stock options as described in Note 11, annual cash bonuses that may equal up to 60% of his annual salary and equity bonuses based on performance standards established by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, medical and dental benefits for Mr. Pirnat and his family, and relocation expenses up to approximately $100,000. The Agreement may be terminated by the Company without cause under certain circumstances, as defined in the Agreement whereby a severance payment would be due in the amount of compensation that would have been due had employment not been terminated or one year of the current annual compensation, whichever is greater. In the event of a change in control, Mr. Pirnat would receive one year’s compensation and all previously granted stock options would vest in full. The Company has agreements with its three independent directors to compensate them annually. The obligation totals $300,000 per year of which $150,000 is to be paid with the Company’s common stock at fair value. Directors are elected annually. The Company has a triple net lease for office and laboratory space through February 2017. Under the terms of the lease, the Company paid no rent for the period November 2011 to February 2012 and for February 2014. Rent escalates annually by 3%. The Company records monthly rent expense equal to the total of the payments over the lease term divided by the number of months of the lease term. Therefore, rent expense of $2,000 was accrued in 2014. In 2013, the deferred rent was reduced by $4,000. Under the terms of the lease, the Company will also pay monthly triple net operating costs which currently approximate $3,000 per month. Minimum future payments under this lease at December 31, 2014 are as follows:
2015 |  | $ | 137,000 |
2016 |  |  | 141,000 |
2017 |  |  | 24,000 |
|  | $ | 302,000 |
For the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, rent expense amounted to $161,000 and $135,000, respectively. The Company has a Field Test Agreement with Southern California-based Aera Energy LLC to demonstrate and test the Duplex technology in a once through steam generator (OTSG) used to facilitate the production of heavy oil in California’s San Joaquin Valley. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company has retrofit an OTSG unit in order to achieve certain performance criteria. Assuming successful completion of the demonstration and testing, the agreement also includes time-sensitive pricing, delivery and installation terms, if elected, that will apply to future purchases by Aera Energy LLC of this Duplex application.

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