This paper proposed a hybrid Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) model that decomposes the change of total energy consumption (TEC) in the building sector to three different dimensions: 1) key influencing effects that include area effect, structure effect, population intensity, value intensity, and energy intensity; 2) three phases that include material production, construction, and operation; and 3) geographically distributed regions. Then, the model was validated in China's building sector based on the data collected from 30 provinces during 2007-2015. The key findings show that: (1) the increased final energy consumption in the building industry accounted for 53.3% of that in China. (2) Building material production contributed the most (69.2%) to the energy changes, followed by building operation (29.6%) and construction (1.2%). (3) The change of TEC was attributed the most to the area effect (90.4%) and the energy intensity effect (42.4%). (4) Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hubei, Hebei, Fujian and Shandong contributed the most (47%) to the increase of China's building energy use. These findings provide an insightful understanding of the building energy changes and also a quantifiable justification for making building-specific energy policies, which are discussed at the end of the study. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.