## 1 Introduction
### Previous Studies  
Rural areas are an important part of a country, and the energy consumption of their buildings must be considered. Rural building energy consumption has received extensive attention worldwide, especially in developing countries, where consumption is even more important. Various countries have been exploring reasonable and convenient methods for reducing the energy consumption of rural buildings. The methods include economic means, the introduction of relevant policies, comprehensive data analyses, and the explorations of energy-saving technologies. [PERSON] et al. [11] established a comprehensive database for analyzing the historical characteristics of the energy transfer and consumption patterns of rural and urban households in India. They constructed a per capita energy balance sheet for the urban and rural households in each state for 2004, 2009, and 2011. By comparing the energy consumption values of rural and urban households in low-, medium-, and high-income state and analyzing emission levels, they determined the characteristics of the relationship between energy transfer and income. [PERSON] et al. [12] used an instrumental variable method to study the impacts of credit on the energy consumption for clean cooking in rural households. The results showed that the impact of the amount of credit received for clean cooking energy expenditures was more pronounced for rural households in the eastern region than for rural households in other regions. The study also explored the importance of credit for energy consumption and provided policy recommendations for increasing the energy consumption for clean cooking. [PERSON] et al. [13] showed that the proportion of non-commercial energy in the agricultural and pastoral areas in Qinghai Province was 52.89% and was affected by the \"returning farmland to forest\" policy and the \"returning farmland to grassland project.\" In addition, they indicated that the structure of household energy consumption has changed from that based on traditional biomass to that based on a combination of coal and other energy sources. Generally, households with different cultural backgrounds have different energy consumption patterns. Compared with low-income households, high-income households consume more energy, and the energy flows more frequently. [PERSON] et al. [14] provided a systematic overview of the energy consumption of rural households in China from 1985 to 2013, based on seven energy sources and five end-use requirements. In addition, the energy consumption of rural households was compared based on the volumes, fuel mixes, and demand structures. It was ultimately discovered that biomass continues to account for the main part of the energy supply of rural households in China and that cooking and space heating are the most energy-consuming needs. The overall energy efficiency of rural households was determined as 33%. [PERSON] et al. [15] adopted a \"people and pixels\" method, based on combining household head interviews with remote sensing analyses of land use and land cover changes. The results of the study showed that although kerosene is the main energy source for cooking and lighting in cities, firewood and flashlights are used more frequently in rural areas, although there are relatively few households selling firewood and charcoal. [PERSON] et al. [16] studied the dynamic relationships between the rural GDP, rural energy consumption, and rural investment, based on a provincial panel data set from 1995-2010. The results showed that it is feasible to promote economic development by accelerating the optimization and upgrading of the rural industrial structure, e.g., by encouraging and promoting the use of green energy. [PERSON] et al. [17] estimated the consumptions of biogas, manure, and solar energy in rural households, and established a time series for the actual energy consumption in rural households.