Every major window frame material can be ENERGY STAR certified in Canada. Natural Resources Canada's certified list, retrieved October 3, 2026, holds 454,867 window listings from more than 500 brands across 14 frame-material categories — vinyl, aluminum, fibreglass, wood, clad and composite frames among them. Certification depends on the whole window's tested U-factor or Energy Rating, not the frame alone.
Quick answer
All 14 frame-material categories in this snapshot have certified window listings. That includes aluminum. The certification applies to a complete window configuration, including its frame and glazing, rather than to the material in isolation. Check the exact model on NRCan's Searchable Product List.
What ENERGY STAR certified means in Canada
The Canadian technical specification, Version 5.0, uses a national requirement rather than climate-zone tiers: a window must have a U-factor of 1.22 W/m²·K or lower, or an Energy Rating (ER) of 34 or higher. Air-leakage, testing, registration and labelling requirements also apply.
U-factor describes heat loss through the complete window: a lower value means less heat loss on that measure. ER balances heat loss, passive solar gain and air leakage; a higher ER indicates stronger performance on that combined measure. Neither number is a rating of the bare frame.
Applying the U-factor and ER thresholds to the published values, 55.2% of window listings meet the U-factor threshold with an ER below 34. An ER below 34 therefore does not, by itself, disqualify a window. Check both ratings and the exact listing.
The list by frame material
Read brand-name counts before drawing conclusions from listing counts. The table reports distinct normalized brand names within each category; a brand can appear in several categories. It does not count independent companies.
| Frame material | Brand names | Listings | Median U-factor | Median ER | Most Efficient 2020–2025 share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum | 91 | 5,666 | 1.14 | 34 | 20.7% |
| Aluminum/Vinyl | 134 | 47,719 | 1.14 | 34 | 26.9% |
| Aluminum/Wood | 14 | 26,767 | 1.14 | 31 | 29.9% |
| Cellular PVC | 3 | 860 | 0.97 | 39 | 47.6% |
| Composite | 1 | 3,411 | 1.08 | 29 | 40.3% |
| Fibreglass | 74 | 9,619 | 1.02 | 32 | 53.2% |
| Other | 2 | 955 | 1.14 | 33 | 38.5% |
| Vinyl | 389 | 314,247 | 1.08 | 33 | 47.1% |
| Vinyl (metal clad) | 15 | 4,681 | 1.02 | 32 | 65.7% |
| Vinyl/Wood | 10 | 446 | 1.26 | 36 | 52.0% |
| Wood | 12 | 15,248 | 1.14 | 29 | 33.2% |
| Wood (metal clad) | 12 | 18,611 | 1.14 | 30 | 29.8% |
| Wood/Fibreglass | 2 | 3,824 | 1.08 | 30 | 44.4% |
| WOOD/VYL | 1 | 2,813 | 1.14 | 28 | 23.9% |
U-factor medians are in W/m²·K; ER is unitless. The final column is the share of each category's listings flagged in the list's Most Efficient 2020–2025 field, a historical designation rather than a current-year claim. Categories retain the source's labels, including the unresolved code WOOD/VYL and the separate Vinyl/Wood category.
This table is a description of registered configurations, not a ranking of materials. Glass options can produce many listings for a window line. The leading pair of brand-name entries accounts for 47.0% of all window listings. Listing counts and their shares are not sales or market shares.
The U-factor ranges overlap. Between the lower and upper decile endpoints, aluminum listings span 0.97–1.44 W/m²·K and vinyl listings span 0.79–1.36 W/m²·K. These are distribution summaries, not the full minimum-to-maximum range. Compare exact window configurations rather than assigning a performance level to a material.
Aluminum on the list
The Aluminum category contains 5,666 window listings from more than 90 brand names. Aluminum/Vinyl and Aluminum/Wood are separate categories and are not included in that count. Listed aluminum windows are subject to the same whole-window U-factor or ER requirement as other window materials.
The downloaded list does not identify whether the frame is thermally broken. It cannot support a count of certified thermally-broken aluminum windows. For an explanation of frame construction and questions to ask about the quoted assembly, read our aluminum windows buying guide for Canada and thermal-break aluminum windows technical guide.
Glass does a lot of the work
89.2% of certified window listings in this snapshot have three or more glazing layers. That is an observation about the configurations in the list, not a requirement to buy triple glazing and not evidence that a frame material alone determines performance. Ask for ratings for the actual glazing package and complete window.
How to check a specific window yourself
- Open the NRCan windows list and search for the brand name.
- Find the exact model number on the quotation or product documentation, including its glazing configuration.
- Read the U-factor and ER columns for that exact entry. Confirm that the U-factor units match before comparing values.
- Read the Most Efficient column with its stated year range; keep it separate from basic ENERGY STAR certification.
- Match the selected listing to the unit being supplied. A brand name or frame-material description by itself does not establish that match.
Where ArcView fits
The snapshot lists Arcview Windows And Doors Ltd with 16 aluminum window listings, covering fixed (picture) and dual action (tilt-turn) styles. Their published whole-window U-factors range from 0.83 to 1.23 W/m²·K. Five listings are flagged Most Efficient 2020–2025.
These are listing-specific facts. They do not establish certification for every ArcView window configuration. The cross-check found no ArcView listings in the doors or sliding-glass-doors segments. No certification claim for those products follows from this window analysis. Match the quoted model to the official entry before relying on its ratings.
Method and source
This analysis uses the 2026-10-03 snapshot of 454,867 window listings. Each row is treated as a listing, usually a model-and-glazing configuration; it is not treated as a sale or a separate product line. Frame materials use NRCan's source labels. Brand counts normalize case and whitespace; alternate names can still represent the same manufacturer, so the opening uses a rounded brand count.
U-factors use the published metric field when present and a conversion from the published imperial value otherwise. Medians and decile endpoints summarize those values. The qualification-path statistic applies the stated U-factor and ER thresholds to published ratings; it is not a new certification decision. The glazing statistic counts listings with three or more layers together.
The list does not provide thermal-break, sales or installation-location information. This is a Canada-wide snapshot, not a local market survey. Skylights are outside this analysis. Source entries can change: use the current list for a purchasing decision and refresh the snapshot before publication or a later statistical update.
FAQ
Are aluminum windows ENERGY STAR certified in Canada?
Yes. The snapshot contains 5,666 Aluminum-category window listings from more than 90 brand names. Certification applies to the exact whole-window configuration, not to every window made from aluminum.
Does ENERGY STAR Canada still use climate zones for windows?
The current Version 5.0 specification uses national U-factor or Energy Rating criteria rather than climate-zone tiers. Check the exact model on the current NRCan list and consider the local conditions separately.
What ER should I check for an ENERGY STAR window?
The Canadian specification allows an ER of 34 or higher, or a U-factor of 1.22 W/m²·K or lower, alongside the other requirements. A listed window can therefore have an ER below 34 if it meets the U-factor route. Check both values for the exact model.
Is triple glazing required for ENERGY STAR certification?
Certification is based on whole-window performance and the other specification requirements, rather than a prescribed number of glazing layers. In this snapshot, 89.2% of window listings have three or more layers; that share is an observation, not a glazing requirement.