One of the main reasons for the growing interest in desktop virtualization is the potential for huge energy savings over time. While a typical PC uses about 110 watts of power, Wyse thin clients use 7 to 15 watts, and the NComputing X series uses just 1 watt.

NComputing CEO Stephen Dukker estimates the energy savings at 75 percent, per student, compared with a traditional PC. And because the devices don’t generate heat, “you don’t need to run air conditioning as you would in a computer lab with 30 PCs,” he says. What’s more, NComputing technology is eligible for rebates from about two dozen power companies.

The Wantaugh school district formed a partnership with Long Island Power Authority that should save the district more than $50,000 a year in energy costs, says Technology Director Don Murphy. Representatives from the power company conducted a custom audit and determined the switch to desktop virtualization would save the district more than 303,740 kilowatt hours per year. The district already got a rebate check for $3,000 just for doing this project. 

And because the devices are much smaller and last at least three times as long as a PC, there is less waste, which means they have a significantly smaller carbon footprint, Dukker says.

—E.A.