Patent ID: 8008808

Claim:
A power controller for a hybrid power system comprising: a common DC bus; at least one energy converter having an input electrically coupled to an electrical energy generating device and an output electrically coupled to the common DC bus, each energy converter further comprising: an input configured to receive a voltage signal corresponding to an amplitude of a DC voltage present on the DC bus, and a control unit configured to convert energy independently of the other converters and to disable power flow from the electrical energy generating device when the amplitude of the DC voltage exceeds a predetermined maximum value; at least one DC energy storage device; an energy regulator having a first terminal electrically coupled to the DC energy storage device and a second terminal electrically coupled to the DC bus, wherein the energy regulator further comprises: an input configured to receive a voltage signal corresponding to the amplitude of the DC voltage present on the DC bus, and a control unit configured to convert energy independently of the converters and to maintain the amplitude of the DC voltage at a substantially constant value.