Pronavitas, Slovenia

Our 'Meet the Distributor' posts showcases our partners and the vital work they do. This time we meet Tomaz Petauer from Proavitas, who represent Mastervolt in Slovenia. 

Tell us a little more about yourself and Pronavitas and how you became to be a Mastervolt distributor?

"Electrical engineering has always been my passion and I have always looked for ‘smart’ solutions in this area. This search for a ‘smart’ solution was also the trigger to first contact Mastervolt, as on my sailing yacht I was not satisfied with the existing electrical systems, and the only workable solution was Mastervolt. At that time Mastervolt did not have a distributor in Slovenia and after some time spent with the Mastervolt team, I was offered to become a distributor, and I accepted with great pleasure."

What are the key Mastervolt products you sell? Do you have a most popular product?

"We sell mostly complete power solutions (batteries, chargers, monitoring systems and integration packages) to end users and some small yacht builders. As mentioned before, I like Mastervolt’s system approach, and now we are seeing huge advances in technology to allow user-friendly systems to provide users with control and information. Mastervolt, along with the other brands in the Power Products group are going in that direction and I enjoy being part of creating tailor-made solutions to fulfil customer demands."

You’ve just mentioned the shift in technology to more user-friendly systems. What has been the biggest development for you?

"There have been huge advances in the technology used with power electronics in recent years. But digital switching (CZone) and the use of apps has been the biggest development. Digital switching simplifies installation of electrical systems through the replacement of complicated and often cumbersome traditional wiring. It is perfect for marine and mobile automotive applications and replaces switch and fuse panels with networked digital switch interfaces providing ultimate control of your electrical systems. The marine and vehicle market is still not quite there yet, especially when we see devices such as Siri and Alexa in the home already, but Mastervolt and the Power Products group have been leading the way in this and this kind of control will filter down to boats and vehicles and will be much more readily available in the coming years."

How have you seen the market changing over the last few years towards these new and emerging technologies?

"I think the market is still divided: there are the technology adopters, who want to have an Alexa-style solution to controlling everything on their boat, and then there are the more conservative customers who still have some doubt in the reliability of such solutions and want a combination solution. The Pronavitas team enjoys providing both though as we can design the IT solutions to suit the end-user." 

Where do you see the future of power electronics going in the next 5 years? Any trends that your customers should be on the lookout for?

"We are convinced that service-ability and reliability will be as important as new functionality. Each and every boat owner will demand similar control of their powered systems as they are used to in the home, controlling everything from a smart device (phone or tablet). The technology will become more available instead of just for the luxury yacht owners. A one app solution will have the advantage over many app solutions (i.e. one for power electronics, one for engine, one for heating, etc.) so that is where digital switching will really become more a leading product."

Can you tell us about any exciting projects you are working on now?

"We are working on a motorhome project where we are aiming to integrate as many as possible functions in to one system (power, heating, cooling, engine monitoring, etc.) to try and make the recreational vehicle autonomous. We hope to have a case study, so watch this space!"

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NOTE: Mastervolt’s global network of distribution partners plays a crucial part in providing customers with exceptional service and support wherever in the world: Mastervolt couldn’t do it without them!