Less Power, Pollution and CO 2: Thin Clients Have a Lower Environmental Impact
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Green
Paper
Less Power, Pollution and CO2:
Thin Clients Have a Lower
Environmental Impact
With their longer service lives, desktop infrastructures featuring thin clients are easier on
budgets and the environment. Throughout its lifecycle, this configuration decreases the
global warming potential of IT workstations by up to 63% and power costs by up to 88%.Overall, manufacturers and users of IT solutions generate PC for a medium-level user has a GWP of 417 kg CO2eq. For
just about as much carbon dioxide as the global airline a thin client, including its share of central server usage and
industry. In fact, the market analysts at Gartner estimate cooling, the GWP ranges from 156 to 277 kg CO2eq.
their share of global CO2 emissions to be at 2%. To help
reduce their output of greenhouse gases and also cut Actual Savings Depend on User Scenario
their power costs, many companies have already begun The resources and energy required by server-based
to measure the energy and resource consumption of their IT infrastructures depend greatly on the specific user
IT systems and have taken steps to decrease them both. requirements. Accordingly, for its own system Fraunhofer
In many cases, however, these efforts are focused solely UMSICHT distinguishes among three types of users: Medium
on the data centers. In contrast, computer workstations, Users, Power Users 1 and Power Users 2. For the first
which are themselves responsible for one quarter of the group, the combination of an IGEL thin client and a shared
CO2 emissions cited above, frequently go unexamined. desktop provisioned via Citrix XenApp (terminal server) is
the best solution from an environmental point of view and
Centralized Infrastructures are Greener also the most energy-efficient one. Compared to the control
The decades-long established practice of directly installing scenario with a conventional PC-based workstation, this
comprehensive operating systems and applications locally on configuration decreases the global warming potential (GWP)
PCs and making them available to employees in this manner over its entire lifecycle by 63%. To meet the needs of the two
now looks outdated in light of the current trend toward IT classes of power users, Fraunhofer UMSICHT provisions virtual
centralization, virtualization and cloud computing as well as desktops – also accessed by IGEL thin clients – by means of
the need for greater IT security and efficiency. Nowadays, the Citrix XenDesktop software solution. Compared to their
virtualized applications and desktops are increasingly being corresponding PC-based scenarios, the thin client power-user
centrally provisioned from in-house data centers or outsourced installations respectively reduce greenhouse-gas emissions
as leased cloud services. In both cases, the applications and by 30% and 42%. According to this study, however, a direct
desktops are centrally managed and delivered over an internal comparison between the Fraunhofer installation and Carante
network or the Internet. The benefits are increased efficiency, Groep scenario is not possible due to critical differences in
data security and cost transparency. Conventional PCs, often the device service lives, the local conditions and the user
called „fat clients“ since they contain extensive local hardware, requirements.
don‘t fit very well into such lean scenarios because, compared
to thin clients, they are excessive for these purposes and tie
up too much capital. In terms of the environment, PCs are also GREATER EFFICIENCY WITH 64-BIT SERVER TECHNOLOGY
far behind thin clients, as the recent study by the Fraunhofer
Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology a Both of the installations analyzed by Fraunhofer UMSICHT
(Fraunhofer UMSICHT) entitled “Thin Clients 2011 – Ecological are based on a virtualized 64-bit server environment
and Economical Aspects of Virtual Desktops”1 clearly reveals. whose individual servers can each handle a large number
of users. Depending on the user type, Fraunhofer UM-
Study Shows PCs Have Twice The SICHT has found that this number of users ranges from
16 (power users) to 130 (medium-duty users). In those
Environmental Impact
cases where user demands are particularly low (light
In its study, Fraunhofer UMSICHT analyzed two live thin client
users), it‘s even possible for a terminal server to handle up
infrastructures and compared them to PC-based infrastructures
to 200 users. The latest server, application and desktop
used in an equivalent manner. The results: In the first application
virtualization solutions from VMware, Citrix and Microsoft
scenario, at the Dutch aid organization Carante Groep, the
all make a substantial contribution toward consolidating
combination of IGEL thin clients and virtual desktops based and standardizing IT environments. In data centers, costly
on VMware View proved to have 47% less of an environmental oversizing of servers and cooling systems can be avoided,
impact than a similar, PC-based environment. This investigation and the more efficient utilization of system capacity can
covers the entire system lifecycle: from its production, over a five- permanently lower energy consumption. The full environ-
year period of operation, and all the way to its ultimate disposal. mental and economic potential of virtualization solutions
In the second thin client installation, located at Fraunhofer truly becomes evident when they are used with energy-ef-
UMSICHT itself and employing the application/desktop ficient thin clients that can be fully managed remotely. This
virtualization solutions Citrix XenApp and Citrix XenDesktop, more comprehensive approach extends the efficiency of
the global warming potential (GWP) calculated over the entire server-based IT environments by also including the user
service lifecycle of three years was 30% to 63% lower than that workstations.
of the PC-based control scenario, depending on the type of user
involved. The global warming potential (GWP) is measured in
kilograms of CO2 equivalents (kg CO2eq) and covers a total of six
gases harmful to the environment. A conventional workstation
1 http://it.umsicht.fraunhofer.de/TC2011/ 2/6Operational Phase of Great Environmental Since a thin client weighs approximately 78% less and requires
Significance from 70% to 81% less packaging volume than a PC, it also
An important finding of the Fraunhofer environmental study comes out way ahead during shipment. In fact, a standard
is that the climate-relevant advantages of thin client/VDI overseas shipping container can hold far more thin clients than
solutions are primarily due to lower power consumption in their PCs. Similarly, ground transport requires far fewer truckloads.
operational phase. Depending on the application scenario and This, in turn, further reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
the type of user, the energy requirements for a thin client, and
thus its power costs (including its share of server power and When both types of end-user devices are ultimately disposed
cooling), are 61% to 77% less than those for a modern, energy- of, the lower amount of materials in thin clients also really
efficient PC (see table on page 5). In fact, if a thin client is solely becomes evident. During recycling, a thin client yields only one
used for Internet access as part of a cloud computing solution, third of the electronic scrap (e-waste) left by a PC. In addition,
these savings can even reach 88%. it also yields similarly smaller amounts of non-recyclable
materials. According to a 2006 study by the TÜV Rheinland
The level of CO2 emissions is also highest during the Group, a major German testing, inspection and certification
operational phase. Their actual extent depends on two factors: organization, 76% of the materials used in making thin clients
the power consumption of the device and the method used can be recycled. In fact, recent information from recyclers
to produce its power. If the calculations are based on the themselves indicates that this level has reached 98%.
currently produced German power mix, which according to the
Federal Environment Agency releases 575 grams of CO2per Workplace Ergonomics
kWh (effective date: March 2010), then a thin client can reduce If you want to extend the concept of environmental
the emission of greenhouse gases by up to 148 kg each year compatibility as it pertains to an electronic device, then in
compared to a PC. The remaining decreases in GWP occur addition to the materials used in its production, CO2 emissions,
during the other lifecycle phases. energy efficiency and the environmental impact of its disposal/
recycling, you can also consider its ergonomic aspects. For
Production, Transport and Disposal instance, the background noises from PC cooling fans and
Manufacturing a thin client requires far fewer components than other mechanical parts negatively affect work environments
for a PC. This not only means less material in general, but also by causing user distraction. Thin clients, which are more
less energy, fewer raw materials, fewer manufacturing supplies energy efficient and thus have no cooling fans, not only emit
as well as less water pollution. The thin client model investigated less heat but are practically noiseless in operation. These are
and also used by Fraunhofer UMSICHT is the IGEL UD3 LX. In major reasons why they are used in offices and training facilities
2010, it was the best-selling thin client in Germany. By itself, it as well as in libraries, schools and universities. Additional
weighs only 2.69 kg; however, with its server share added the ergonomic advantages of thin clients compared to PCs in
total effective operational weight ranges from 2.70 kg to 2.80 kg workstations include their lower space requirements (smaller
– depending on the actual user scenario. In contrast, a typical footprint) and lower weight. Thin clients can be more flexibly
workstation PC has a total weight of about 12.75 kg. positioned at workstations and are easier to maintain or even
replace. Finally, as the current thin client models with their light
yet rugged housings clearly demonstrate, low device weight
does not necessarily mean sacrificing durability.
A PRACTICAL EXAMPLE: A GREEN WINDOWS 7 MIGRATION
a An upgrade to Windows 7 or 8 offers a good opportunity to migrate to a centralized IT environment featuring thin clients. In
fact, the investment costs for a virtual desktop infrastructure with thin clients will pay for itself within an investment cycle of
three years (faster than a similar investment involving PCs), as is shown by the experience at the private-equity firm Hannover
Finanz. The company‘s new IT environment based on VMware View and IGEL thin clients has cut its energy consumption and
management workload so much that it has been able to compensate for the extra costs (23,000 euros) on the server side and,
compared to its previous, PC-based solution from 2007, still enjoy a cost advantage of 1,900 euros. Along with Energy Star
certified IGEL thin clients, Hannover Finanz also acquired zero-watt monitors, which use no power in standby mode, for its
workstations. What‘s more, the system backend contains Green-IT-compliant servers, storage devices and network compon-
ents. “In revamping our system, we were able to reduce the number of physical servers from eight to five units and thus avoid
the 3.4 kW power consumption of the air conditioning system for the server room ,” reports the IT administrator at Hannover
Finanz, Christian Kellner, who initiated and coordinated the modernization program. Overall, the reduction in energy use saves
2,900 euros per year or 8,700 euros per leasing period. Thanks to the fine preparation by its IT consultant Hencke Systembe-
ratung, the migration to virtual desktops with Windows 7 at Hannover Finanz took only one weekend to complete.
3/6Another Important Factor: Thin Client from anywhere in the network also helps to reduce system
Management hardware. Among other things, it also provides a good option
A contributing factor to their lower power consumption is that for still using older, now-amortized legacy devices.
thin clients can be remotely managed. At many locations,
PCs are left running continuously (overnight and over the Long-Term Investment
weekend), while thin clients are automatically set into sleep The sustainability of IT environments greatly depends on their
mode over the network during these same periods. In this service life. The longer IT devices remain in service, the less
energy-saving mode, they only use about 1 W of power. The e-waste will accumulate and the greater the environmental and
centralized management of the servers for thin clients also economic benefits will be. In general, PCs are usually due for
offers an environmentally significant potential for automation. replacement after three or four years, thus requiring relatively
For instance, virtual desktops can be dynamically created and frequent investments in new equipment, whereas thin clients
deleted as needed depending on the presence or absence have service lives of six years and even longer. One reason for
of employees. In this way, centralized IT resources can be this is that their hardware is inherently less prone to failure. In
made available on an as-needed basis. During periods of low addition, thin clients also receive free firmware updates that
demand, they are automatically switched off. Thin clients can keep them constantly up to date. With thin clients, investments
also be switched off and then back on again as needed by in new equipment primary occur in the centralized data centers,
means of management software that transmits Wake-on-LAN where due to their inherent IT consolidation and efficiency they
commands. In both of the scenarios examined by Fraunhofer have less of a financial impact.
UMSICHT, the IGEL Universal Management Suite (UMS) was in
use. This management software, which comes standard with This is why, despite a relatively short comparison period of
all IGEL Universal Desktop devices, allows smooth, universal three years, the environmental impact study conducted by
remote management of thin clients in a network. This means Fraunhofer UMSICHT came to the conclusion that thin clients
that expensive, time-consuming on-site service calls for are truly a feasible alternative to desktop PCs – from both
maintenance and support are no longer necessary. If a thin environmental and economic perspectives.
client happens to fail, a replacement unit can be shipped to
the location concerned in an environmentally friendly manner
through the postal service or the company‘s internal mail
service. Upon its arrival, the employees there can easily hook ADDITIONAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT THROUGH PROPER RECYCLING
up the new device themselves. During the interim period,
a The EU directive governing the disposal of obsolete, waste
they can move to another thin client workstation from which electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) as well as
they can still access the data center and their personalized the EU directive on the restriction of use of hazardous
workstation environments. substances (RoHS) in new electrical and electronic equip-
ment are important measures to reduce the environment
Consolidating Several End-User Devices impact of electronic equipment. In light of these require-
In addition to the management solution, there are other software ments, IGEL offers a convenient free return service for its
features of thin clients that help to lower their environmental old equipment (applies to EU member states only). IGEL
impact during use. For example, the ability to consolidate customers can sign up for this collection service by filling
several end-user devices and functionalities into one centrally out the online form on the IGEL website. After this, an
manageable unit helps to reduce eventual electronic scrap IGEL service representative will contact them to schedule
(e-waste). What makes this possible is the features contained pick up of their devices and arrange for proper disposal of
in the thin client firmware. IGEL Technology currently offers the them.
broadest range of software clients, tools and local protocols
in the firmware for its latest Universal Desktop product
generation. This comprehensive firmware permits the greatest
flexibility. For example, it contains a series of integrated terminal
emulations that allows a thin client to be simultaneously
operated as a conventional terminal for mainframe and host
systems. What‘s more, this firmware also includes voice over
IP (VoIP) functionality which, along with a headset, converts a
thin client into a softphone. This fully functional IP telephone
is operated directly at the thin client monitor, a feature which
makes the purchase of additional electronic components or
telephone equipment unnecessary. Furthermore, a print-server
function that allows local printers to be efficiently accessed
4/6TABLE: COMPARISON OF THIN AND FAT CLIENTS (PCS)
Windows environment
Windows environment
and terminal emulation
OS without associated
accessing an internal
Internet (cloud service)
Windows environment
with a 64-bit server
with a 64-bit server
OS with associated
PC (fat client) with
host system or the
(standalone) for
locally installed
Thin client for
Thin client for
server cooling
server cooling
provisioning a
provisioning a
Thin Client
Energy consumption and potential energy savings with a
Average power consumption1 (in W) over 24 hours 4,1 6,2 7,7 33,4
Power consumption
per day in Wh: 98,4 148,8 184,8 801,6
per year in kWh: 35,9 54,3 67,5 292,6
Associated CO2 emissions in kg: 20,2 30,6 38,0 164,7
Power costs per year for
· 1 workstation 7,18 € 10,86 € 13,49 € 58,52 €
· 100 workstations 718 € 1.086 € 1.349 € 5.852 €
· 1,000 workstations 7.183 € 10.862 € 13.490 € 58.517 €
Annual power savings compared to a PC2 for
· 100 workstations 5.133 € 4.765 € 4.503 € –
· 1,000 workstations 51.334 € 47.654 € 45.026 € –
Reduction in CO2 emissions in tons3 per year compared to a PC for
· 100 workstations 14,5 13,4 12,7 –
· 1,000 workstations 145 134 127 –
Percentage reduction in power usage, costs and CO2 emissions 88% 81% 77% –
1 Average share of effective power (Source: Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology (UMSICHT) / IGEL Technology: „Thin Clients 2011 – Ecological and Economical Aspects of Virtual
Desktops“ (http://it.umsicht.fraunhofer.de/TC2011/index_en.html); power consumption given for thin clients applies to the model IGEL UD3 LX: 19.1 W (in operation) or 1.9 W (in sleep mode).
2 Base electricity rate assumed to be 0.20 € / kWh.
3 Production of 1 kWh of the German power mix releases 563 grams of CO2 (Source: The German Federal Environment Agency, March 2011).
GRAPHIC: GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS RELEASED DURING A LIFECYCLE (INCLUDING CALCULATED TERMINAL-SERVER SHARES)
700
692
kg CO2eq released during a lifecycle (3 years)
600
-30% -42%
500
573
400 -63%
417 399
300
200
100 156
0
PC System for Thin Client and PC System for Thin Client and VDI PC System for
Medium Users Terminal Server Power Users 1 (power users) Power Users 2
(medium users)
Notes for graphic:
– „Light Users“ – This user group was not included in the study; in this case, even lower kg CO2eq values can be expected.
– VDI and PC: A scenario with PCs and VDI was not included in the study. A close approximation for this scenario would be the total of the kg CO2eq values given for medium-user PCs with a VDI server share: 694 kg
CO2eq.
– Evaluation period: Due to the constraints imposed by an existing leasing cycle, the Fraunhofer UMSICHT study only covers a usage period of three years. However, in actual practice, thin clients are typically used for
five to seven years. Under these conditions, even lower kg CO2eq values for the thin client scenarios can be expected.
Source: Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology (UMSICHT): “Thin Clients 2011 – Ecological and Economical Aspects of Virtual Desktops”
5
5/6IGEL’S UNIVERSAL DESKTOP CONCEPT
a Whether its server-based computing, virtual desktops or cloud computing – IGEL’s Universal
Desktops work well together with the greatest variety of centralized IT infrastructures. In par-
ticular, their powerful hardware and excellent graphics performance, along with continuously
developed firmware, provide future-readiness that safeguards this major investment. Thanks
to different device designs, operating systems, alternative firmware features (tools, clients and
protocols) and a wide range of hardware options, the selection of a suitable model can be
tailored to meet the exact needs of the installation and ensure cost efficiency. Other but no
less important considerations are that IGEL Universal Desktops use minimal energy, have long
service lives and come standard with the IGEL Universal Management Suite (UMS), a industry
leading remote management solution.
FULL SUPPORT OF PERIPHERALS
a IGEL Universal Desktops can be integrated into a vast variety of peripheral-device environ-
ments. That is because several USB ports, audio inputs/outputs as well as at least one DVI-I
USB 2.0
interface all come as standard equipment. With an optional “Y” video cable, all models can
even accommodate dualview monitor setups. They also support widescreen formats. Be- RJ45 Ethernet
PCIe slot
yond all this, IGEL offers USB serial or parallel adapters, optional mounting bases, integrated Mic-in jack
smartcard readers and supports external security solutions. The optional bases with their Stereo-out
PS/2 keyboard
WLAN capability and/or an additional integral serial or parallel port or a hidden USB port jack Display port
greatly enhance system connectivity. To conserve desktop space, VESA monitor mounting Serial ports DVI-I monitor
systems are available along with rubber bases allowing horizontal positioning of thin clients
for an even smaller device footprint. Power supply
Front side: two USB 2.0 ports
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