PetroSOLAR street furniture soon in EU market – Solutions of Novi Sad's Petro-mont available through various local and foreign funds

Pancevo and Paracin should soon get their first smart benches, an energy-independent piece of PetroSOLAR street furniture produced by the Novi Sad-based company Petro-mont, which draws electricity from renewable energy sources through solar panels.

The company is also this year's finalist of the Aurea award, handed out by the business portal eKapija for the ninth year in a row. According to Lazar Josanov, the author of the project, ever since they were shortlisted for the prestigious award, they've received considerable media attention and started negotiating with other cities and municipalities, and they expect to sign the first contracts soon.

– Aside from Pancevo and Paracin, one such advice should also be delivered to the Tourist Organization of Loznica, and we are also negotiating with the City of Belgrade, and we will see how things transpire – Josanov says.

The foundation of PetroSOLAR products, designed by our interviewee, is a totem containing a solar panel, the accompanying installations and additional elements, the basic purpose of which is to provide users with LED lighting, free charging of mobile devices and, optionally, a WiFi signal, as well as to provide advertising and tourist information on the current location and nearby attractions. PetroSOLAR benches are an extension of the totems, whereas PetroSOLAR bus stops are also based on totems around which elements are integrated through construction, making for a bus stop (side and back elements, as well as a roof).

Thanks to the implementation of green energy and energy independence, the simplicity of the design and wide-encompassing functionality, enabling the integration of numerous additional elements, depending on the investor's desires, the solutions are mounted quickly and simply in any given location in the city or the out-of-the-city area. They can be found in parks, ski resorts, promenades, beaches, open parking lots or protected natural areas, such as national parks.

In addition to Serbia, there's interest in PetroSOLAR products in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina as well, and even in Australia and the United Arab Emirates, whereas the possibility of export to the EU market has been opened thanks to their cooperation with a company from Slovakia. As Josanov points out, the negotiations about this are still in progress.

– Since this cooperation would be realized through a project, we know at the moment that the projects have been approved, and it's only a matter of time when the agreements are to be realized and the devices delivered – Josanov says.

(Lazar Josanov accepting the plaque for taking part in Aurea 2017 award final from eKapija Executive Director Zdravko Loncar) In order to introduce citizens to their devices, their look, importance and the way they work, Petro-mont plan to install demonstration models in several locations in Serbia.

– We are sure that recommendations will contribute to the marketing and increased interest, and we are also planning a stronger media campaign – Josanov adds.

In addition to competitive prices (totems start at EUR 1,950, benches at EUR 2,300 and stops at EUR 3,000), Josanov points out that, compared to similar solutions in the market, PetroSOLAR street furniture stands out as being a complete product: aside from using green energy exclusively and unifying several services (phone charging, WiFi, LED lighting, advertising) while allowing for a wide range of various implementations, the procurement of this type of street furniture can be financed, thanks to its versatility, by various projects and local and foreign funds: environmental protection and enhancement, development of tourism, local development enhancement, energy efficiency enhancement, increasing safety, increasing traffic safety...

This, as our interviewee believes, will contribute to a growing number of deliveries in the period to come.

Petro-mont has existed for 30 years now and currently employs 50 workers. In addition to its core activities of designing and performing thermal-technical installations, it has also been designing and mounting steel structures and performing steelwork for years. They've also been producing conventional bus stops for Subotica for five years now, and, in 2016, they contracted the job of producing and mounting 60 conventional bus stops in Belgrade as well.

K.S.

Petro-Mont d.o.o. Novi Sad

eKapija.com Beograd

Opština Paraćin

Grad Pančevo

Grad Beograd

Turistička organizacija Loznice

Petro mont

PetroSOLAR

Aurea 2017

Aurea

Lazar Josanov

smart bus stops

smart street furniture

intelligent street furniture

solar powered street furniture

smart benches

smart ad totems

renewable energy sources