Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF) received an analyst's upgrade ahead of next week's Q4 earnings report.
• Acer Inc. reported its highest quarterly earnings in almost three years due in part to growth in shipments.
• Baidu Inc. (BIDU) swung to a better-than-expected Q4 profit, with strong revenue growth, and offered rosy guidance.
• Biogen Idec Inc. (BIIB) offered an upside surprise as well as full-year earnings above Wall Street estimates.
• Coinstar Inc. (CSTR) strong quarterly results and guidance, as well as litigation concerns, failed to inspire Wall Street.
• Coca-Cola Co. (KO) posted strong Q4 and full-year earnings results due to growth in emerging markets.

"A smart grid is one of the holy grails of 'green' technology, enabling utilities to deliver resources when and where they're needed and reduce resources when they're not," says Brendan Coffey.

In The Cabot Green Investor, he explains, "There are larger companies in the smart metering arena, but Echelon (NASDAQ: ELON) has posted some significant wins in the marketplace recently and appears primed to generate more."

"Right now, grids are set up to provide as much power as needed at peak times, all the time. Studies show that when customers are part of a smart grid, and have more information to reduce energy usage, demand is slashed by up to 50%, particularly in areas where rates are discounted depending on the time of day.

While its food might not be good for your heart's environment, McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is trying to make its operations more green-friendly. McDonald's and Echelon Corp. (NASDAQ: ELON) announced a partnership to create a "'kitchen of the future,' which aims to lower energy consumption and increase operational efficiency." According to the press release:

"We are committed to being a market leader in environmental responsibility and energy management, so it's great to have a proven platform that we can use to address such an important issue," said Bob Langert, McDonald's vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility. "Echelon's technology will also enable our franchisees to create restaurants that are easier to operate, facilitate preventive maintenance and provide new services while saving energy."

Shares of Echelon are up better than 25% on the news, but more good news could be coming. Apart from the obvious revenue that the partnership could create, McDonald's decision to partner with Echelon is validation of the company's strong competitive position. Will Subway and Burger King be calling Echelon next? In this era of environmentalism, corporate America is engaged in a game of one-upmanship: MCD's decision to create a more efficient kitchen might spur other companies to do the same.

If Echelon can emerge as a leader in the field, the stock could still be a good buy, even after its run-up over the past six months.