diff --git a/src/sugar3/power.py b/src/sugar3/power.py
index 2f5d7384..6d88324e 100644
--- a/src/sugar3/power.py
+++ b/src/sugar3/power.py
@@ -15,6 +15,17 @@
 # Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330,
 # Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
 
+"""
+The power module provides an interface to *powerd*, a daemon that
+manages the aggressive suspend and wakeup policies for early OLPC
+laptops.
+
+The module does nothing if *powerd* is not present.  *powerd* is not
+required on laptops other than OLPC XO-1, XO-1.5, XO-1.75 and XO-4.
+Distributions of Sugar on other hardware need not include the *powerd*
+package.
+"""
+
 import os
 import logging
 
@@ -24,6 +35,13 @@ _power_manager = None
 
 
 def get_power_manager():
+    """
+    Get the power manager instance.  Only one instance exists, and
+    will always be returned.
+
+    Returns:
+        an instance of :class:`sugar3.power.PowerManager`.
+    """
     global _power_manager
     if _power_manager is None:
         _power_manager = PowerManager()
@@ -31,9 +49,35 @@ def get_power_manager():
 
 
 class PowerManager():
-    """ control of powerd idle suspend,
-        reference counted,
-        does nothing if powerd is not present
+    """
+    Control of automatic idle suspend, with reference counting.
+
+    :class:`sugar3.activity.activity.Activity` calls
+    :py:meth:`inhibit_suspend` before speaking text, or when an
+    activity collaboration begins.
+
+    Activities may call :py:meth:`inhibit_suspend` before playing
+    music, video, speaking large amounts of text, collaborating, or
+    waiting for response to network operations.
+
+    As an example, the Clock activity inhibits automatic idle suspend
+    while it is active, so that the displayed clock-face continues to
+    change.  Otherwise it would freeze.
+
+    :class:`sugar3.activity.activity.Activity` calls
+    :py:meth:`shutdown` as an activity terminates, in case the
+    activity has failed to call :py:meth:`restore_suspend`.
+
+    While automatic idle suspend is inhibited, *powerd* will
+    continue to dim and blank the display.
+
+    Both the :py:meth:`inhibit_suspend` and :py:meth:`restore_suspend`
+    methods are reference counted; automatic idle suspend is not
+    restored until the same number of calls to restore are made.
+
+    *powerd* is resilient against failure to restore automatic idle
+    suspend; it verifies an inhibit request and deletes it if the
+    requesting process has terminated.
     """
 
     def __init__(self):
@@ -47,9 +91,20 @@ class PowerManager():
         self._remove_flag_file()
 
     def suspend_breaks_collaboration(self):
+        """
+        Does automatic idle suspend break collaboration with this
+        toolkit?  Yes.  For future use by a toolkit with more
+        resilient collaboration.
+
+        Returns:
+            True
+        """
         return True
 
     def inhibit_suspend(self):
+        """
+        Inhibit automatic idle suspend until restored.
+        """
         if self._path and self._suspend_inhibit_counter == 0:
             try:
                 with open(self._path, 'w') as flag_file:
@@ -61,18 +116,28 @@ class PowerManager():
         self._suspend_inhibit_counter += 1
 
     def restore_suspend(self):
+        """
+        Possibly restore automatic idle suspend.
+        """
         self._suspend_inhibit_counter -= 1
         if self._suspend_inhibit_counter > 0:
             return
         self._remove_flag_file()
 
     def is_suspend_inhibited(self):
+        """
+        Check if automatic idle suspend is inhibited.
+
+        Returns:
+            inhibited (bool): whether automatic idle suspend is inhibited.
+        """
         return self._suspend_inhibit_counter > 0
 
     def shutdown(self):
         """
-        This method clean the flag file if exists,
-        is already called when the activity is closed.
+        Shutdown the power manager.
+
+        Restores automatic idle suspend regardless of reference counting.
         """
         self._remove_flag_file()