Shoreline Solar Project

SolarFest Opening Night

Friday July 16th, 7PM
Shoreline Community College Theatre
Tickets $10 suggested donation

Keynote Presentation-Silent Auction Benefit-Appetizers-No Host Bar

Keynote Speaker Marcelo da Luz -“Solar Goes a Long Way”- The Power of One Solar Car Project

The Power of One Solar Car Project

The Power of One is a project brought from the heart and imagination of Brazilian born Canadian resident, Marcelo da Luz.  The project’s mission is to fulfill a dream and inspire others to accomplish their dreams in a positive way to benefit mankind and the environment.  The Power of One is committed to promoting the use of clean and sustainable energy through the development and building of a solar powered car, the X0F1, that’s currently setting world distance records across North America.

On June 12th, 2008 the epic journey began by the shores of the Great Lakes.  The XOF1 solar car reached the Arctic Circle just 46 days later, breaking the world distance record for a solar car.

Today, the XOF1 solar car has driven 36,200km (22,000 miles). It recently set a world first and a world distance record for an electric vehicle by crossing the longest continuous ice road in the world over the frozen Mackenzie River and Arctic Ocean. Using only sunshine as fuel.

XOF1 can achieve the top speed of 120kmh (75mph).  The car can accelerate from 0 to 85kmh (50mph) in 6 seconds.  It is equipped with 893 mono-crystalline solar cells.  On a bright, sunny day, the car can go 483km (300 miles). With a full battery charge, the car can go 200km (130 miles) at night.  There are 26 lithium ion batteries. The solar array generates 900 watts of energy, which is less energy than an average toaster.

XOF1’s motto is:  “Inspired by the sun, motivated by the environment.”

Solar car specs:

Vehicle mass:            225kg (470 lbs)

Occupants:                 1 - driver

Car Length: 5.0m (16.4 feet)

Car Width:                  1.8m (6 feet)

Car Height:                 0.90m (3 feet)

Ground clearance:  0.40m (1.3 feet)

About the designer and builder and driver of the X0F1:

Marcelo da Luz was born in Brazil where he attended public schools, and vividly remembers a teacher explaining that pollution was the price of progress. At a young age, Marcelo believed that progress should be defined by improvement in quality of life for not just present generations but for those who would come after.  This idea of sustainable living sparked Marcelo’s lifelong interest in protecting the environment and promoting the use of clean sustainable energy for the entire world. 

 As a teenager, Marcelo was inspired to build his own solar car when he watched a television program about the World Solar Challenge.  The year was 1987 and he didn’t realize his dream until twelve years later, when in 1999 he decided to invest his time, energy, and money into creating the solar car project, which he called the “XOF1” for the power of one. 

Marcelo enlisted the help of anyone he could and in the process of building his solar car; supporters from 24 different countries joined the project, making his solar car one of the most international solar projects today.  During the car building process, Marcelo added another goal to his project:  to design and build a solar car that would break the world distance record. Marcelo officially finished the solar car in 2007. The car is licensed in the country of Barbados and is allowed by 1949 Geneva Traffic Treaty to be driven legally in any country that has ratified the treaty. Despite this, Marcelo has been stopped 26 times by local police or state troopers. In one occasional someone called 911 to report a UFO.

Marcelo started his quest to achieve the world record on June 12, 2008, symbolically at Seneca College in Toronto, where he had received a great deal of technical support, help, and encouragement.   He and his all-volunteer crew trucked the car to Buffalo, NY where the official start and the mileage was recorded.  He has traveled across New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota before driving the solar car into the Canadian Provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon Territories, and Northwest Territories.  He has also driven the solar car in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland.   He officially broke the world record distance on October 30, 2008 in Victoria, BC at mile 0 of the Trans Canada Highway and has driven the car more than 36,200km (22,000 miles).   Every km/mile he drives the solar car he achieves a new world record by breaking his own record!

He enjoys making presentations to local schools in the communities he visits where he encourages the children to follow their dreams with purpose and never give up. 

Marcelo’s motto is:  “the only thing between you and your dreams is yourself”