An important building block in the chemical industry, ethylene is used to produce numerous materials, such as plastics and detergents. It’s the largest volume organic chemical produced in the world. It’s time to reinvent the ethylene industry, so it is sustainable and technically and economically competitive. In this context, the EU-funded SolDAC project features a photoelectrochemical conversion (PEC) unit, as electrochemistry is the only possible route for direct conversion of CO2 into ethylene. Specifically, the PEC exploits bandwidth-selected light from a solar collector (FSS) that splits the solar spectrum for electricity and heat generation at an efficiency higher than standalone photovoltaic modules and standalone solar thermal collectors. Heat is used in an innovative direct air capture unit that removes CO2 from the air.