A power distribution and control module includes a digital data processor and associated memory module operating an energy management program or schema and a battery charging manager program thereon. The energy management schema is operable to determine an instantaneous configuration of the power and distribution and control module, to determine total instantaneous input power available, total instantaneous power demand by connected power loads and to allocate a portion of the input power to power the loads. Thereafter any unallocated power is allocated to charge rechargeable batteries using allocation criteria that are situationally variable.