Solar energy can be used to heat water for washing oneself; see
Solar energy can also be used to treat water, to make it safe for drinking, in two key ways:
- Solar water disinfection - disinfection by the heat and UV light (or sometimes just heat) of the sun.
- Solar distillation - using the energy of the sun to evaporate the water and then condense it. This is a much more energy intensive process, and requires more specialized equipment, but might be expected to give even safer water.