May 2, 2011 02:00 am EDT

Inhabitat's Week in Green: sugar-covered lamps, IKEA's solar lamp, and the 30MPH all-wood racing bike

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.

Several breakthroughs sent shock waves through the field of renewable energy this week as Inhabitat reported on a new type of "invisibility cloak" that could supercharge solar cells and researchers at MIT harnessed viruses to improve the efficiency of dye-solar cells by a full third. We also cast a keen eye on the royal wedding, which is expected to produce 6,765 tons of CO2, and we explored a new wireless charging technology being developed by Toyota and WiTricity. And if futuristic eco cities float your boat, check out this self-sustaining ecotopia designed to produce energy and food in the North Sea.

We also showcased several novel electric vehicles, including the crazy Uno 3 transforming scooter which is now available for pre-order. Alternative fuels also took off as a Kentucky man unveiled a car that runs on bourbon and a mobile greenhouse powered by renewable energy hit the streets of New York City. And from the realm of pedal-powered transportation we brought you the SplinterBike - a bicycle made entirely from wood that can hit a record-breaking 30 miles per hour.

In other news, energy-efficient lighting advanced by leaps and bounds this week as we flipped the switch on IKEA's new solar-powered Solvinden lamp and we spotted a crystalline "Stardust" LED lamp made from sugar at the Milan Furniture Fair. Finally, we shined a spotlight on Katy Perry's debut on American Idol as a LED-studded Extraterrestrial, and we took an exclusive look inside New York City's first LEED gold skyscraper - the Hearst Tower!

Inhabitat's Week in Green: sugar-covered lamps, IKEA's solar lamp, and the 30MPH all-wood racing bike originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 May 2011 22:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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