In a vehicle powered purely by the sun, a former flight attendant has extended his drive around North America to promote clean, sustainable energy.

Last year, Marcelo da Luz drove a solar car from Buffalo, N.Y. to Inuvik, N.W.T., enlightening others on the power one person has to preserve and protect the planet's natural resources.

Da Luz didn't originally set out to reach Inuvik a second time, but he will again head for the Arctic Circle when he leaves Whitehorse today.

"The project became such an incredible educational tool," da Luz told the Star about his reason for extending the tour.

Da Luz chose Inuvik as his destination because he saw it as "the greatest challenge on the planet" for a solar vehicle.

"The sun is low on the horizon so it is not an ideal place for a solar car," said da Luz.

"On top of that, I have to drive on a gravel road, 750 kilometres of it. And on that road, on the Dempster Highway, we cross the continental divide three times. We are going up and down, up and down the whole way."

Da Luz had always been interested in the environment, referring to himself a "part-time tree hugger.

"I like to do my share for the environment. I recycle, I make my own furniture."

He developed the idea of building a solar car to raise awareness about sustainable energy after seeing coverage of the Australian World Solar Challenge on television.

The car is built to draw attention.

Sitting only a few feet high, the three-wheeled machine resembles a UFO with its aerodynamic shape and solar panel covering.

"In Alaska, someone called 911 about the UFO on the road," said da Luz. "In Washington, I got pulled over by the Secret Service on one day, by the SWAT on the next day."

Although he has no background in engineering, and refers to himself as "not a car guy," da Luz used the rules of the World Solar Challenge as guidelines to build the vehicle.

Today, the vehicle can reach speeds of 120 kilometres per hour and it can go as far as 485 kilometres on a sunny day. It never needs to be plugged into an electrical outlet to fill the battery.

After 50,000 man hours, da Luz was able to begin his quest.

Although he received donations and discounts for parts during the machine's construction, the rest of the funds for the project have been out of his own pocket. He has mortgaged his house and borrowed money.

"Everything I ever made" has gone into financing the journey, he said.

Despite the financial challenges, da Luz said, he continues the project because "I want to do my share for the environment."

Da Luz has raised awareness about the power of one with his many achievements along the way. In driving to the Arctic Circle, da Luz became the first solar car to charge with the power of the Midnight Sun.

When he reached Victoria later on in his trip, he surpassed the world distance record by travelling 9, 364 miles.

So far, da Luz has driven 34,500 kilometres and plans to add to that in the coming months.

'What I would like to do from Inuvik is drive around Alaska to Newfoundland, and from Newfoundland to the tip of South America," he said.