If you are lucky enough to have access to fast moving water on your land, you can use it to generate power.  And there are free plans available on the web for DIY water powered generators (see below).  But be careful only to go to recommended sites.  Bogus companies like Earth4Energy has affiliate deals sweeping the net, selling worthless e-books for $30-75.The hydropower need not be expensive if you build the microhydro setup yourself, and once you have built it, you will be able to maintain it without calling in experts.  One of the biggest problems with buying off the shelf solutions is that when they break down you will depend on outsiders for help – this can have a high cost since many off-grid locations are rather remote.

For really good quality, detailed instructions on a DIY microhydro set up visit http://www.re-energy.ca/t-i_waterbuild-2.shtml