The trend toward houses that are powered by green DIY energy , ranging from windmills and solar panels to hydrogen fuel cells and biomass gases, is one that needs to continue into the 21st century and beyond. We have a great need for becoming more energy independent and to not have to rely on the supplying of fossil fuels from unstable nations who are often hostile to us and our interests.

But even beyond this, we as individuals need to stop from being so reliant on government-lobbying giant oil corporations who, while they are not really involved in any covert conspiracy, nevertheless have a stranglehold on people when it comes to heating their homes (and if not through oil, then heat usually supplied by grid-driven electricity, another stranglehold).

The growth of distributed generation will lead to the restructuring of retail electricity markets and the generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure. The energy providers may have to diversify their business to make up for revenues lost through household energy micro-generation. This is a conclusion by a group of UK analysts who call themselves Carbon Free.

Carbon Free has been studying the growing trend toward the use of alternative energy in homes in England and the West. This trend is driven by government recommendation and sometimes backing of alternative energy research and development, the escalating cost of oil and other fossil fuels, concern about environmental degradation, and desires to be energy independent.

Carbon Free concludes that, assuming traditional energy prices either remain at their current level or rise, micro-generation will become to home energy supply what the Internet became to home communications and data gathering, and eventually this will have an effect on the businesses of the current energy supply companies.

Carbon Free's analysis also shows that energy companies have jumped in the game and are looking to leverage micro-generation to their own advantage for opening up new markets. For example, electricity companies (in the UK) reporting that they are seriously researching and developing ideas for new geothermal energy facilities. These companies see geothermal energy production as a profitable venture of the future.

Another conclusion of Carbon Free is that solar energy water heating technology is very efficient for reducing home water heating costs. Carbon Free also tells us that installing wind mills is another popular form of green DIY energy and a way to greatly reduce home electricity costs, while also being more independent.