Small business owners are faced with a myriad of questions every day–one of them being how to make sense of clean energy technologies and integrate them into their operations. Dr. Elvin Yuzugullu, D.Sc. ‘05, a clean energy and sustainability expert and adjunct professor of engineering management and systems engineering at GW, is making these decisions easier through her newly published book, Navigating Clean Energy Choices: A CLEAR Guide for Small Business Decision-Makers.
In today’s world, more clean energy technologies exist than ever before, from solar and electric batteries to alternative fuels. Yuzugullu noted that messaging often focuses too broadly on all available tech, and early on in her writing, she, too, fell into this trap. This led her to focus directly on small business owners, particularly small manufacturers or those in the food industry, where energy and supply chain challenges are abundant, who are more likely to ask: How can I lower costs? What should I invest in? What makes sense for my operation? Where do I even start?
“I focused on small businesses because they make up such a large part of our economy, but unlike large corporations, they often don’t have dedicated energy or sustainability staff. The person making an energy decision may also be thinking about payroll, customers, equipment, and a dozen other priorities,” Yuzugullu said.
Yuzugullu’s motivation for Navigating Clean Energy Choices was to create something accessible and practical that bridges the gap between technical jargon and real-world business strategy for these individuals. Through the CLEAR framework, which stands for Consider, Lessen, Extend, Assemble, and Relate, she shifts the focus from individual technologies to the entire decision-making process.
The book offers readers not only a structured way to evaluate their options for reducing energy needs and leveraging existing resources but also guidance on how each technological solution interacts as part of a larger system used to achieve business goals.
“The goal isn’t to turn a business owner into an energy engineer. It’s to give them enough understanding to ask better questions, evaluate their options, talk more confidently with vendors and experts, and make decisions that fit their own business,” Yuzugullu stated.
Yuzugullu has done similar work herself in her career, managing and analyzing clean energy projects for various government and private-sector clients. She is originally from Turkey, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering before coming to the U.S. to pursue a master’s in the same field. It was when she returned to America for her doctorate at GW Engineering that she transitioned into energy management and began focusing on energy choices involving stakeholders with different objectives.
“One thing I’ve learned is that there is rarely a single technology that’s simply ‘the best.’ The right answer depends on what you’re trying to accomplish, what resources you have, your location, economics, timing, risk, and a lot of other factors,” said Yuzugullu.
In both Navigating Clean Energy Choices and the two courses she teaches at GW, Energy Management (EMSE 6260) and Analytical Tools for Energy Management (EMSE 6285), Yuzugullu emphasizes how finding the right solution to such complex issues often starts with a shift in mindset. She hopes those who read her book–whether business owners or GW graduate students–walk away with the skills and confidence to challenge their assumptions and make better decisions at the intersection of engineering and sustainability.
“If you know how to evaluate choices, adapt as conditions change, and think in systems rather than silos, you’ll be better prepared for whatever comes next,” Yuzugullu said. “Technologies will change, but the ability to make good decisions among them is what lasts.”