Purpose: The expansion of Solar Home Systems (SHS) has gained significant policy attention as a key strategy for diversifying the energy mix and promoting sustainable development. Despite Iran’s vast solar potential, the penetration of these systems in the residential market remains limited. This study aims to identify and model the key barriers to the market penetration of SHS in Iran and rank practical strategies for mitigating them. The main innovation of this research lies in proposing a hybrid fuzzy framework (FDM-FAHP-MARCOS) to manage the uncertainty in expert judgments and prioritize operational strategies tailored to the economic-institutional structure of the Iranian energy market.

Methodology: This applied research adopts a descriptive–analytical approach. A hybrid fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making framework was developed for the methodology. In the first stage, 48 potential barriers identified from the literature were screened using the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) based on the judgments of 7 renewable energy experts. In the second stage, the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) was applied to determine the relative importance and weights of the barrier dimensions and indicators. Finally, the Fuzzy MARCOS method was utilized to rank 10 proposed practical strategies.

Findings: The FDM phase identified 23 key barriers classified into five dimensions: equipment quality, financial and payment structure, service and support, promotional and technological factors, and institutional and social factors. The FAHP results revealed that the “financial and payment structure” dimension (weight: 0.32) and “service and support” (weight: 0.24) are the most critical barriers to SHS market penetration. At the indicator level, high initial system cost, high down payment requirements, and lack of post-warranty services were the top obstacles. The Fuzzy MARCOS ranking showed that facilitating installment-based repayment schemes, installation subsidies for rural areas and public housing, and establishing a transparent and stable Feed-in Tariff (FIT) policy are the most effective strategies.

Conclusion: Economic constraints and weak technical service infrastructure are the primary deterrents to the adoption and market penetration of SHS in Iran. Designing innovative financing mechanisms, targeted support policies, and strengthening the after-sales service system can effectively facilitate the market penetration path of this technology.