When it comes to the business of lighting properties - be they commercial or domestic - the practices of being kind to the environment and cutting back on costs really do come hand in hand.
All too often, the very process of being environmentally friendly can mean an added financial strain. A lot of human behaviour is characterised by convenience - both from a financial and pragmatic perspective - and it is through this behaviour that we are filling landfill sites with our mountains of rubbish and arguably gradually melting our polar ice caps.
However, when it comes to conceiving, designing, installing and using lighting systems in our homes and business, this could not be further from the truth, as being more environmentally friendly with lighting implicitly signifies a decline in energy prices.
GreenBuildingElements.com reported how Precision Paragon - a lighting company in America, also known as P2 - saved businesses $82 million (£54.6 million) in energy costs last year alone, and in doing so slashed emissions for the planet by $1 billion. Put in another context, the total emissions saved were worth over 6,500 acres of forest destruction.
Joe Martin, the vice president and general manager of the company, said: "We don't generally present ourselves as primarily an environmentally focused company but, with our products, there's no separating the cost savings from the environmental benefits."
Thankfully, with business in the sector thriving, the huge demand is able to keep costs down. Therefore, there has arguably been no better time for people to consider a retrofit lighting project for their home or business, perhaps by installing new ceiling spotlights in rooms inside or reconsidering outdoor lighting for their driveway or garden spaces.
As Mr Martin went on to say, these lighting systems "help businesses save money and they help out the planet along the way".
