SOLAR AND WIND-POWERED ENERGY DEVICES.

(a) A person is entitled to an exemption from taxation of the amount of appraised value of real property owned by the person that arises from the installation or construction on the property of a solar or wind-powered energy device that is primarily for production and distribution of energy for on-site use.

(a-1) A person is entitled to an exemption from taxation of the appraised value of a solar or wind-powered energy device owned by the person that is installed or constructed on real property and is primarily for production and distribution of energy for on-site use regardless of whether the person owns the real property on which the device is installed or constructed.

(b) The comptroller, with the assistance of the Texas Energy and Natural Resources Advisory Council, or its successor, shall develop guidelines to assist local officials in the administration of this section.

(c) In this section:

(1) "Solar energy device" means an apparatus designed or adapted to convert the radiant energy from the sun, including energy imparted to plants through photosynthesis employing the bioconversion processes of anaerobic digestion, gasification, pyrolysis, or fermentation, but not including direct combustion, into thermal, mechanical, or electrical energy; to store the converted energy, either in the form to which originally converted or another form; or to distribute radiant solar energy or the energy to which the radiant solar energy is converted.

(2) "Wind-powered energy device" means an apparatus designed or adapted to convert the energy available in the wind into thermal, mechanical, or electrical energy; to store the converted energy, either in the form to which originally converted or another form; or to distribute the converted energy.