On its Web site, the national mechanical engineering company responsible for certifying that built structures and their components meet "EnergyWise" standards, ICF tops the list of three products the firm recommends for wall construction.

Of ICF the company said: "This wall system, when installed properly, is unquestionably the most energy efficient and most structurally strong wall system on the market. It provides the best performance relative to infiltration, and it has excellent acoustic properties. "

According to Crawford, using ICF in a commercial building qualifies it for up to 13 points toward a LEED certification.

"That means that simply by using insulated concrete walls, you have 50 percent of the total required 26 points in six categories," he said.

Local home builders and contractors have differing opinions of the product's application and value. Some see it better suited to residential construction and roofing systems, but others think it can work on commercial jobs.