# Reading the offline archive without the grid: solar power and low-power devices

> How to run an offline library with a small solar panel, a battery and a low-power device, and how much power it needs.

## Quick answer

Use a low-power device (tablet, laptop or Raspberry Pi) running Kiwix, a 50 W solar panel with a charge controller and battery, spare cables, and two copies of the drive. A Pi serving Wi-Fi can share the library with every phone in a camp.

*Part of [Day Zero](/day-zero), the plan for an AI-related crisis that gets out of control. [Why it exists](/day-zero/purpose). General information, not medical advice: [how these guides are reviewed](/day-zero/review).*

## Reading the archive without the grid

A drive full of knowledge is useless if nothing can read it. Plan the reader as carefully as the library.

## What you need

- A **low-power device** to read the archive: a laptop, tablet or small computer (for example a Raspberry Pi) that can run the Kiwix reader. Keep **two**, plus the app installers for each operating system on the drive.
- A **way to charge it:** a small solar panel (20 to 100 watts is plenty for a laptop and lights), a charge controller, a battery (a 12 V battery or a power bank), and the right cables and adapters.
- **A storage plan:** two copies of the drive in different places, protected from water, heat and shocks.

## Power budget

| Device | Typical draw |
|---|---|
| Tablet or e-reader | 2 to 10 W |
| Small single-board computer | 3 to 10 W |
| Laptop | 20 to 60 W |
| LED light | 1 to 5 W |

A 50 W panel in good sun gives roughly 150 to 250 watt-hours a day. That is enough for several hours of reading on a laptop or all day on a tablet.

## Share it

- A small computer with Wi-Fi can serve the archive to **every phone and tablet in the group** with no internet (the *Internet-in-a-Box* and *Kiwix-hotspot* approach). See [Downloads](/downloads).
- A **reading room** in one building with a table, a lamp and the device.

## Keep it working

- Keep **spare cables, chargers and batteries**; they fail before the archive does.
- Protect from **damp and dust**: silica gel, sealed containers.
- **Copy the drive** every year and check its checksum.
- **Print** the vital pages in case all devices fail.

## Common questions

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Source: https://www.toswo.com/day-zero/reader-power
Published by TOSWO Research (https://www.toswo.com/research). Free to cite with attribution: https://www.toswo.com/cite