One South Lake Tahoe-based construction company has blurred the line between builders and educators with the completion of its fourth green home at the South Shore.

Sierra Sustainable Builders, known as Webb Builders until the first of this year, has found demand for the construction of green homes to be low, mostly because home-builders aren't aware of what green building is.

"Green building incorporates environmental design, renewable materials, and energy efficiency into building construction," according to the Sierra Green Building Association Web site.

Although many people may still be in the dark about green homes, they likely won't be for long.

"People are becoming more aware that green-building makes sense," said Aaron Lubrano, a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Commissioning Specialist.

Once a home-builder decides to go green, they are faced with a wide-range of options because not all green-buildings are created equal. These "different shades of green," according to Lubrano, expose those looking to build a home to a wealth of construction techniques they may not be familiar with. This is where Sierra Sustainable Builders comes in.

"We educate them through the process," said Cory Hannaford, co-owner of Sierra Sustainable Builders. "We don't see it as just the house, we see it as how we conduct ourselves."

At least one company truck runs on bio-diesel and Styrofoam coffee cups are nowhere to be found on site, but the features of the homes they build are the real testament to the priority the company places on environmental principles.

Although Hannaford acknowledged that the homes his company builds still contain products that have harmful effects to the environment, he sees the current techniques as only the beginning.

"We're pushing it further," he said.

Sierra Sustainable Builder's most recent project in Christmas Valley is on par with the "greenest" homes they've built at the South Shore.

The house features sustainably harvested wood, non-toxic adhesives to hold the floor together, a radiant barrier that acts as a big "emergency blanket" to reduce energy loss through radiation, an instant hot water heater that saves energy by only heating water when its needed, walls filled with blown cellulose insulation made up of old phone books and newspapers, light fixtures that are energy star-rated or only accept energy efficient fluorescent bulbs, natural wool carpets and dual-flush toilets that provide the option to use less water.

So, what does all this cost?

Solar panels are by far the most expensive "green" feature, adding an additional 8 percent to 10 percent to the initial cost of the 3,364-square-foot home, according to Hannaford.

He estimated the energy-savings produced by the panels would pay for their preliminary cost in roughly 20 years.

Without the panels, Lubrano estimated the added cost of green aspects of a house could be reduced to as little as 1 percent or 2 percent.

Dan Mellon, owner of the current house in Christmas Valley, wasn't particularly optimistic about recouping the extra costs associated with the construction of this particular green home, although he still seemed satisfied with the outcome of the project. He was especially pleased because he didn't have any knowledge of green-building before he contacted Sierra Sustainable Builders.