Solid oxide fuel cells remain at the forefront of research into electrochemical energy conversion technology. More recent interest has focused on operating in electrolyser mode to convert steam or carbon dioxide into hydrogen or carbon monoxide, respectively. The mechanism of these reactions is not fully understood, particularly when operated in co-electrolysis mode using both steam and CO2. This contribution reports the use of a thermal camera to directly observe changes in the cell temperature during operation, providing a remote, non-contact and highly sensitive method for monitoring an operational cell. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.