Welcome to the forums, kayetine!
Replacing a roof can be a joy or a nightmare. If the existing roof has leaks or structural defects, these issues must be diagnosed and repaired during the reroof operation. If underlying problems are merely recovered during the reroofing, chances are they will come back sooner rather than later. DOES YOUR ROOF ALREADY HAVE ISSUES?
I see you have done some good research about material selection and construction methods. Will you be performing any of the labor? If not, it is very important to start screening contractors and setting up estimates with inspectors. Most decent firms have the quality guys or architect/engineering experts do a job site survey and shoot you an estimate on paper. If you have questions or doubts, asking the estimator the right questions will yield quick answers that may take a ton of time to look up. These answers may or may not be custom tailored to your home, but they will at least not be outdated and vague. Like test driving cars, it is important to see more than a couple of estimators before committing to your investment.
Many members here have chronicled their roofing projects here. Some have had it done, some have performed the work on their own. I have yet to see a solar shingle roof chronicled over any period past the initial install, or in reality. Not like I could spot one driving through a neighborhood, but I have plenty of local carpenter friends who would tell me about it if they worked on one. If you happen upon a successful install in your area, feel free to share your impressions of it with us.
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