The Window That Changes Everything
By Juan Pablo Balcazar on May 22, 2026.
Note: Cet article est présenté en anglais.
The Window That Changes Everything: Alumilex Makes North American History
Alumilex, an aluminum manufacturer based in Montreal, has just obtained a global certification that could transform the way we build in Quebec and reduce building energy consumption by up to 90%.
In a construction sector where aluminum has long been seen as a high-performing but thermally challenging material, a Montreal company has just made history. Alumilex, whose facilities have been established in Montreal for decades, has become the first aluminum window manufacturer in North America to obtain Passive House certification from the Passive House Institute (PHI), the world’s leading authority on building energy performance.
The certification applies to their new ALX2090 system, an operable and fix aluminum window whose thermal performance now rivals the best in the world in high-performance fenestration.
What « Passive House » Actually Means
The Passive House standard, developed in Darmstadt, Germany, is widely regarded as the most demanding benchmark in the world for building energy performance. Compared to conventional construction, a building designed to this standard can reduce its energy consumption by up to 90%. That is not a marginal saving: it represents a fundamental shift in what a building consumes to heat and cool itself.
To achieve this, every component of the building envelope must be carefully selected. Windows alone account for 30 to 40% of a building’s heat loss, making them a critical lever. Obtaining PHI certification for a window is a demonstration that this component will not be the weak link in the thermal envelope.
What Makes the ALX2090 Technically Remarkable
PHI certification imposes some of the strictest thermal performance thresholds in the industry. The ALX2090 achieves a UW value of 0.79 W/(m²K), below the maximum allowable threshold of 0.80 W/(m²K), a tight margin that reflects the precision engineering behind the product. Three innovations make this level of performance possible in an aluminum profile, a material that is naturally thermally conductive. A polyamide thermal break (0.3 W/m·K) interrupts the thermal bridge at the core of the frame. Internal cavities filled with aerogel (0.016 W/m·K), one of the highest-performing insulating materials available, further reduce heat transfer. A 46.6 mm triple glazing unit paired with the Swisspacer Ultimate spacer optimizes thermal performance at the glass edge.
The system also eliminates condensation risk on interior surfaces, a key hygiene criterion in high-performance buildings and particularly relevant in Quebec’s climate. The window has furthermore been validated in three installation configurations commonly used across Canada: exterior insulation, light wood frame, and wood stud construction.
Real Benefits for Occupants and for Quebec
Beyond the technical figures, the benefits for those living or working in a building equipped with these windows are immediate: fewer cold drafts in winter, warmer interior glazing surfaces, more stable indoor temperatures, and meaningfully lower energy costs over the lifetime of the building. Aluminum itself contributes to this long-term value proposition: naturally resistant to corrosion, structurally stable over decades, and virtually maintenance-free, it is a material built to last as long as the building it serves.
For developers and project owners, the case is equally compelling. Passive House or net-zero certified buildings benefit from stronger energy ratings, higher resale value, and a distinctive market position in an industry increasingly shaped by sustainability criteria.
At a collective level, the stakes are higher still. The building sector accounts for a significant share of greenhouse gas emissions in Quebec. A province that draws its electricity from one of the most decarbonized grids in the world has everything to gain from reducing its buildings’ heating demand. Less energy consumed also means less pressure on the grid during peak hours, a growing concern for Hydro-Quebec in a context of accelerating economic electrification.
A Strong Signal for Quebec’s Industry
Alumilex’s certification is not simply a technical achievement for one Montreal company. It is a signal that Quebec can locally produce the components needed to build highly energy-efficient
buildings.
As Canadian building codes continue to evolve toward net-zero-ready requirements, the availability of a PHI-certified product manufactured in Montreal and supported by local teams opens concrete opportunities for the architects, engineers and contractors designing tomorrow’s buildings.
A window, at its core, is more than an opening to light and air. In a high-performance building, it becomes a structural element of the project’s energy strategy. And when it is designed and built here, it also becomes a vehicle for Quebec industrial expertise at the forefront of an inevitable transformation in the construction sector.
To learn more about the ALX2090 and Passive House certification: alumilex.com
