Improved measuring procedures and interpretation efforts have shown that the critical state model is fully applicable for describing the behaviour of HTS tapes for power applications. By this means, we could consistently analyse magnetic and transport measurements and study possible inhomogeneities and geometrical peculiarities in BSCCO-2223 tapes. Examples of such an analysis are given in this contribution. Losses in multistrand conductors require a more complex modellization and further development of the experimental procedures; the results of a.c. transport measurements on a 13 m long, multilayer, prototype conductor sample are also discussed here.