Fuel cells are expected to contribute exceedingly to environmental improvements. However, both the successful diffusion of fuel cells and their environmental benefits are highly influenced by non-technical aspects. This study deals with the three general applications of fuel cells (stationary, mobile, and portable), but focuses primarily on stationary fuel cells as energy supply for housing. The focus is selected because of the high relevance of energy consumption in households. Besides this, the introduction of fuel cells into a decentralised energy supply system would cause significant and radical changes for the involved actors and networks. Starting with a description of the state of the art, we analyse social and political conditions for the diffusion of fuel cells. We make recommendations for future research dealing with innovation analysis, new networks and strategies of companies, consumer acceptance, political instruments and governance, ecological and economical assessments, scenarios, and education requirements.