Inhabitat's Week in Green: modernizing the US national grid, not to mention deserts and pyramids

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting
green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.

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This week at Inhabitat, we were thankful to be able to witness the
long-awaited unveiling of the futuristic solar-powered Masdar
Institute in Abu Dhabi, and we also heard the exciting news that
scientists are developing a project that could have us using the
Sahara desert to supply 50% of the world's energy by 2050.

We were also dazzled by the dynamic "dancing" facade of the Kiefer
Technic showroom and this towering greenery-lined pyramid caught our
eye with its modern take on ancient Mayan architecture. The world of
green tech had a lot to be grateful for too as the U.S. Department of
Energy announced that it would award $19 million to modernize the
national grid and green transportation saw the first flight powered by
jatropha-based biofuel. On a lighter note, this solar-powered
wheelchair and its designer prepared to embark on a 200 mile journey
to showcase its capabilities.

For those of you on the hunt for Cyber Monday deals, don't forget to
check out our Green Gadget Gift Guide with our picks for the hottest
eco-friendly tech out there. We also spotted this ingenious wood
speaker system that amplifies music using the properties of the
material it's made of and needs no electricity at all.