SatVu releases first-of-its-kind thermal image revealing true operational activity inside major US data centre

SatVu has released a striking 3.5m high-resolution thermal image revealing near-real-time activity inside the flagship data centre of a bitcoin mining company in Rockdale, Texas - one of the largest in the United States. The image provides a rare heat-based look at cooling systems, substations and high-load infrastructure at a time when global demand for data centre capacity is accelerating at an unprecedented pace.

Driven by AI, cloud computing and crypto mining, data centres have rapidly become some of the world’s most energy-intensive facilities. They are expanding fast, often outpacing the ability of regulators, grid operators, analysts and communities to clearly understand when new sites come online, how much capacity they are adding and what this means for local power systems. SatVu’s thermal data offers a new, independent layer of visibility into this infrastructure - showing operational activity exactly as it happens.

The newly released image captures distinct thermal signatures across rooftop chillers, transformers and electrical yards, making clear which parts of the facility are active and which remain dormant. These heat patterns reveal far more than whether a site is technically “built”: they show how activity is distributed across a campus, whether new phases are ramping as expected and how energy use shifts over time.

This type of clarity is increasingly important for a wide range of stakeholders. Regulators and grid operators want better insight into how large energy users affect local power systems. Analysts want to understand how and where capacity is growing, and how quickly new hubs become operational. And the wider public is watching closely as the environmental footprint of digital infrastructure becomes a major global topic.

Thermal intelligence helps answer these questions by offering both the broad picture and the fine detail. From a wide-area view, it shows whether an entire facility is active or only certain sections. At a closer level, it reveals which substations and cooling systems are under load - clear, physical indicators of real operational behaviour. Together, these layers provide a grounded, evidence-based view of how major data centre  sites are evolving in real time.

Thomas Cobti, VP Business Development, SatVu: “Today’s data centre  buildout is moving incredibly quickly, and the world needs better ways to understand what’s actually happening on the ground. Thermal data gives an objective view of operational activity as it occurs - not weeks later through reports or announcements.”

This comes as global investment into data centre  infrastructure continues to surge. McKinsey estimates more than $7 trillion will be spent worldwide by 2030, with U.S. demand growing 20-25% annually. As this expansion accelerates, so does attention on grid strain, regional growth patterns, environmental impact and the broader resilience of energy systems. Independent, near-real-time visibility into these sites offers a valuable way to understand the scale and pace of this shift.

As pressure mounts on energy systems, climate commitments and digital infrastructure growth, understanding what is actually happening inside large-scale facilities becomes essential. By revealing operational reality in near real time, thermal intelligence offers a way to cut through uncertainty and bring clarity to one of the fastest-growing sectors on the planet.