It's been a heck of a year for First Solar (FSLR -1.81%). After a hefty jump in stock price following an uptick in guidance, now the company is making big sales to add to it. This week, First Solar sold 139 megawatts of generation capacity to utility giant Southern (SO 0.40%), the largest solar purchase in Southern's history. While this certainly adds to the case for First Solar, it also gives more credibility to the entire solar industry.

With more than 83% of generation capacity added to the grid in Q1 2013 coming from either solar or wind, alternative energy is starting to secure itself a better chair at the energy table. In this video, Fool.com contributor Tyler Crowe looks at why solar energy is so popular with electricity companies and why they should be added in the same conversation as fossil fuels.