Here's some pictures to give you idea of look I like...

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Marvin Infinity in their bronze is almost black.

After that, you are looking at aluminum windows.

Thanks for that. I did actually check out the Marvin Windows site and they even have an Ebony color that is black. However, that only applies for exterior view, interior and I've only got stained wood choices.

Didn't see Infinity on their site only Ultimate.

You seem to be right about the Aluminum also. I did come across Milgard site and they have aluminum windows in anodized bronze that look black on the site swatch. And that color is same on interior and exterior.

If those are really that dark, it might be what I'm looking for.

Don't hear too much about people getting aluminum windows. Something wrong with them I'm missing?

Nothing wrong with aluminum as a material choice, just that it does not meet the current Energy Star Criteria.

You aren't getting a product installed by the end of the tax credit year anyway so you might as well wait until next year and see what is available.

You can get the black in a Marvin Ultimate but it is going to be thicker than the aluminum that you are looking at.

That number you are quoting is likely on the glass. Even thermally broken aluminum does not have a U-factor that is 0.30 or less.

Looks like 0.36 is as far low as it gets.

http://cpd.nfrc.org/search/cpd/cpd_search_detail.aspx?cpdnum=MIL-A-128

Here is a link that might be useful: NFRC data

Good catch. Must be just the glass.

Didn't know the rating took in the account the whole window itself, not just the glass.

Surprising that the frame makes that much of a difference.

Thanks for the info.

Yes, a lot of newer commercial buildings have black windows. I recently installed a Marvin Integrity window in my bathroom which is fiberglass black on outside and white on inside. It is an awning window that is 3' wide by 2' high.

I trimmed the outside of the window with white azek...that is called contrast...ie black next to white. The white almost glows in the dark at night.

It is very modern looking.

This was just a test window...but we are planning on replacing all of our windows with the black integrity windows trimmed with azek with fiber cement siding.

Steve

We installed Milgard dark bronze aluminum in our modernist house a couple of years ago. They really do look black. We like the look, and they work well.

As others have said, aluminum frames are not as energy efficient as other choices, but some vendors do have thermally broken frames to help. Ours do not have thermally broken frames. (For some unknown reason, Milgard did not offer them in California at the time.) You can put your finger on the frame and glass on a hot/cold day and certainly tell the difference in temperature.

It is important to note that since aluminum is stronger than other choices, the frames are correspondingly thinner. So this mitigates some of the thermal concerns since there is less frame area and more glass area.

It does mitigate some of the frame conduction but not nearly enough.

There are instances, yours for example, where aluminum is the proper choice.

The Milgard Bronze is basically black as you have noted.

Milgard Ultra Fiberglass offers a matte black on the interior and exterior.

Western Windows (commercial windows) - longish lead time. I think that is what is in the pics you showed.

Steel: Hope or Crittal

We have a crittal window going into our new house and the lead time is quite long because it comes from England. i think hope is made here in the US but it tends to be more expensive.

:Thought I'd chime in here. I'm also looking for alternatives in color. I hope that those who answered you don't represent the collective experience on this forum. Perhaps they just are aware. The vinyl windows I'm looking at come in all kinds of colors, including black. I am looking at either very dark brown or burgundy. They are called Solaris and made in Canada, but are pricy.

Here's Milgard Ultra's colors:
http://www.milgard.com/windows/fiberglass-windows/ultra/picture-window.asp

I just got the brownstone which is very dark. As someone mentioned above it comes in Matte Black too.