Tanya Christensen

Tanya is a qualified Agronomist with a background in sustainable development and environmental campaigning. She has worked in the renewable energy sector for over 15 years and is an experienced project manager across renewable power and heat technologies. From running single-technology projects (solar thermal/solar PV), she moved onto technology development programmes and more complex regional sector support programmes. She established Sunrise, a solar PV programme for West Yorkshire, which was acknowledged with a UK Eurosolar Award (2004) for best public sector project.

Tanya managed the RDA funded Microgeneration Yorkshire programme, a regional support programme for on-site renewables in Yorkshire and Humber. Here she managed a wide portfolio of projects across power and thermal technologies, undertaking trials and bespoke studies on sustainable energy issues and developing a regional market development programme for on-site renewables.

Having managed regional technology programmes she understand the dynamics of well designed market development and capacity building programmes on the uptake of low carbon technologies. She has an in-depth understanding of technology supply chains; from product manufacturers, fuel supply chains (biomass) and establishing an installer base onto installation programmes and incentives. Any market development activity must be underpinned by quality assurance and over the last seven years much of her work has been focused on Standards, Accreditation and Certification. Tanya is an ISO 17065 Lead and Technical Assessor for the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and also an ISO 17024 Technical Assessor. Tanya has been the principal Technical Assessor for the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) since the scheme launched in 2008; covering Solar Thermal, Solar PV, Wind Turbines and Heat Pumps on both the installer and product strands. Tanya is also a Technical Assessor for the following schemes: Code for Sustainable Homes, Energy Assessor scheme, Green Deal Advisory Scheme and BREEAM. She is consequently well versed with the requirements of BS EN 45011/ ISO 17065 & 17067 and ISO 17024 and accreditation schemes in general, with a unique insight into the development of environmental verification schemes.