Skip to Content

Product · Gardco · a SESCO line

Gardco Area and Site Families: P15 PureForm, Gullwing GL18 and the Rest of the Range

Gardco was founded in 1961 in San Francisco and is now a Signify brand sold through Genlyte Solutions. It built its reputation on specification-grade outdoor — the shoebox area luminaire, faceted optics and true cutoff. I represent it in Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Monroe. This page is the family map, with the published numbers for the two most-asked-about families.

Have a site plan or an area lighting schedule?

P15 — PureForm Area Small, read off the sheet

If you searched “Gardco P15”, this is it: the small square area luminaire in the PureForm family. It is a current product, not a legacy designation, and it is the one I put on parking areas, small lots, walkways and campus drives where a 15-inch face is the right visual weight.

Gardco PureForm P15 published values
FamilyPureForm P15, small square area light
Face and arm15.6 in. by 15.6 in. face; arm 21.1 to 23.1 in. depending on mount
EPA and weight0.24 sq ft (0.02 sq m); 22 lb (10 kg)
Output2,000 to 16,000 lm across the A01–A08 configurations
Wattage14 to 107 W system average
EfficacyUp to 160 lm/W; roughly 104 to 160 lm/W depending on distribution
Color3000K ±125K, 4000K, 5000K ±200K standard; 2700K and 3500K on extended lead time. Minimum 70 CRI, 80 CRI optional
DistributionsType 2 Medium, Type 3 Medium, Type 4 Short, Type 5 Short, plus a Back Light Control variant
Electrical120–480V (restrictions apply); UNV 120–277V and HVU 347–480V
Dimming and controls0–10V to 10% standard; DLEA, FAWS, SRDR, CS/CM profiles and BL50 motion response optional
Surge10kA standard; 20kV/10kA extended option
RatingsIP65 housing; IP66 light engine and receptacle assembly
Ambient−40 to 40 °C (−40 to 104 °F)
FinishTGIC textured polyester powdercoat — bronze, black, white, dark gray, medium gray
Warranty5-year limited

The 40 °C top ambient is worth a look on a South Florida roof or an unshaded pole in August. If the location runs hot, say so and I will check the derating before it goes on the schedule.

Gullwing GL18 — Area Large, read off the sheet

The other family people arrive here looking for. Gullwing GL18 is the architectural arm-mount area large luminaire — the one that goes on big lots, roadways and campus perimeters where P15 does not have the output.

Gardco Gullwing GL18 published values
FamilyGullwing GL18, Area Large, architectural arm mount
EPA and weight1.2 sq ft (0.12 sq m); 40 lb (18.1 kg) per unit
Output6,106 to 35,048 lm by configuration, color and optic
Wattage50 to 309 W average system watts
Efficacy93 to 148 lm/W depending on array and optic
Color3000K, 4000K, 5000K; 70 CRI minimum
DistributionsType 2, 3, 4 and 5, with optional 90° or 270° orientation
Electrical120V, 208, 240, 277, 347, 480; UNV 120–277V or HVU 347–480V
Dimming and controlsNone, 0–10V (GL18-DIM), automatic profile dimming (GL18-APD), motion response (GL18-MRI), combined APD-MRI, or field adjustable wattage selector
Surge10kA per ANSI/IEEE C62.41.2
RatingsIP66
AmbientUL listed −40 to 40 °C
FinishBronze (BRP), black (BLP), white (WP), natural aluminum (NP)
Warranty5-year limited, covering luminaire, LED arrays and drivers

Two things to check before this one goes on a pole here. At 1.2 sq ft EPA it is five times the projected area of a P15, so the pole and base calculation is a real constraint — run it through the pole EPA and wind load worksheet. And a GL18-RK retrofit kit exists for the family, so if you are looking at an existing Gullwing installation rather than a new one, tell me which and I will price the right thing.

The rest of the Gardco range, and where each one lands

Family names on a Gardco schedule are usually a size-and-style choice inside the same outdoor catalog. This is the short map.

Gardco families
PureFormSquare area, sizes including the P15 above. Clean face, architectural sites.
GullwingArchitectural arm mount, large area and roadway. GL18 above.
OptiFormFour sizes, 7,000 to 147,000 lm, 21 optics, IP65 and IK08, Zhaga D4i. The widest range on the card. Full page here.
EcoFormThe value end of the area range.
Form 10Post top, including the CP20 and MP20 configurations.
SoftViewSofter-aperture area and site product.

What decides a Gardco selection in South Florida

Wind and the pole. EPA drives the pole, the base and the anchorage before it drives anything else. A P15 at 0.24 sq ft and a GL18 at 1.2 sq ft are different pole conversations. Run the numbers, and see HVHZ exterior lighting.

Salt air. Powdercoat over aluminum survives, but the fasteners, the gasketing and the pole base are where coastal jobs fail. Coastal lighting guide.

Turtles and the county. Anything within sight of the beach is a wavelength and shielding question before it is a lumens question. Sea turtle rules and the amber fixture finder. Gardco publishes BUG ratings and shielding options; ask me for the specific configuration rather than assuming the family covers it.

The energy code. Controls, wattage selectors and profile dimming all appear on these sheets because the Florida energy code asks for them. Pick the control option before the fixture, not after.

Questions I get

What is a Gardco P15?

The small square area luminaire in Gardco’s PureForm family — a 15.6 inch face, 0.24 sq ft EPA, 22 lb, 2,000 to 16,000 lumens at 14 to 107 watts. It is a current product, not a discontinued designation.

What is a Gardco Gullwing?

The Gullwing GL18 is the architectural arm-mount Area Large luminaire — 1.2 sq ft EPA, 40 lb, 6,106 to 35,048 lumens at 50 to 309 watts, in Type 2 through Type 5 distributions.

What is the difference between P15 and Gullwing?

Size and output. P15 is the small square for parking areas, walkways and campus drives; Gullwing GL18 is the large arm-mount for big lots and roadways. The EPA difference — 0.24 against 1.2 square feet — changes the pole calculation completely.

Who represents Gardco in South Florida?

I do, through SESCO Lighting, in Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Monroe. Gardco is a Signify brand sold through Genlyte Solutions.

Is there a retrofit kit for an existing Gullwing?

Yes, a GL18-RK retrofit kit exists for the family. If you are looking at an existing installation rather than new construction, say so and I will price the right one.

What warranty do these carry?

Both the P15 and the GL18 sheets state a 5-year limited warranty; the GL18 warranty covers the luminaire, LED arrays and drivers.

Ask me about a Gardco package

Send the site plan or the area lighting schedule with pole heights and mounting, and I will come back with the family, the distribution and the EPA check. If it is near the beach, say so. Usually the same business day.

Or call 786-395-1222, Monday to Friday, nine to five. If you have drawings or a fixture schedule to attach, use the quote form instead.

Where the numbers come from, and where to go next